Chocolate Simnel Cake

Method

Step one

To make the chocolate Marzipan, mix the marzipan with 25g of McDougalls Cocoa Powder until it’s evenly coloured. Reserve until needed.

Step two

Preheat the oven to 180°C, 350°F, gas mark 4.

Step three

Grease and line the base and sides of a deep 20cm cake tin with baking parchment.

Step four

Put the raisins, cherries and brandy in a bowl; set aside to soak.

Step five

Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, beating the mixture between each one.

Step six

In a separate bowl mix together the McDougalls Plain Flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, the remaining 75g of McDougalls Cocoa Powder, and the mixed spice. Fold this into the egg mix. Finally fold in the yoghurt, and the soaked raisins and cherries.

Step seven

Transfer half the mixture into the prepared tin. Then roll half the marzipan out to an 18cm disk and place onto the mixture. Top with the rest of the mixture and bake in the oven for 1 hour 10 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean.

Step eight

Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove from the tin and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

Step nine

Roll out the remaining marzipan, around 3mm thick, then cut out a 20cm circle. Brush the cake with apricot jam and place the chocolate marzipan disk on top, dip the bottom of the chocolate eggs into apricot jam and arrange around the cake evenly before serving.

Tips

This mix also works well for small individual cakes.