BBC - Shropshire - Features

Just to let you know, we're no longer updating this site. More information here

27 November 2009
Accessibility help
Text only

	BBC Homepage

»	BBC Local Shropshire Things to do People & Places Nature History Religion & Ethics Arts and Culture BBC Introducing TV & Radio Sites near Shropshire Birmingham Black Country Hereford & Worcester Stoke Related BBC Sites England
	Contact Us Like this page? Send it to a friend!

Bake a traditional cake for your mum

Will you say it with flowers?

The Simnel cake is now associated with Easter, but was originally given by servant girls when they went home on Mothering Sunday. Here's the recipe with tips on making the perfect cuppa to go with it.

WEBLINKS

Here are some sites to visit if you want to buy your mum a pressie on the net.

Memorisethis.com
Some great gift ideas for Mothering Sunday and a personal shopper who suggests gift ideas if you get stuck.

Buyagift.co.uk
Forget chocolates and flowers, how about a champagne balloon ride, a helicopter sightseeing ride, or for the mother who has everything - a plot of land on the moon!

Hampers of the World
Ideal for foodie mums but make sure she's not on a diet or she won't thank you for this calorie laden gift.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites.

SEE ALSO

Send your mum a Memory Lane e-card.

See our culture, stage and music listings for ideas on where to take your mum for a Mother's Day treat.

How to make your mum a Simnel Cake and a proper cup of tea.

FACTS

Simnel cakes are traditionally decorated with 11 marzipan balls to represent the apostles excluding Judas.

Crystallised flowers such as primroses are also used as a traditional cake decoration.

Simnel cakes are both boiled and baked.

There's a legend that a man called Simon and his wife Nell argued over whether the cake for Mothering Sunday should be baked or boiled. In the end they did both, so the cake was named after both of them: SIM-NELL.

The British have been drinking tea for more than 350 years, but tea in other countries predates this by more than 4 centuries!!

The first cup of tea was an accident. Over 4500 years ago. According to Chinese mythology, in 2737 BC the Chinese Emperor, Shen Nung, scholar and herbalist, was sitting beneath a tree while his servant boiled drinking water. A leaf from the tree dropped into the water and Shen Nung decided to try the brew. The tree was a wild tea tree.

SIMNAL CAKE - INGREDIENTS

Butter - 225g (8 oz), softened
Light muscovado sugar - 225g (8 oz)
Eggs - 4
Self-raising flour - 225g (8 oz)
Sultanas - 225g (8 oz)
Currants - 110g (4 oz)
Glacé cherries - 110g (4 oz), quartered
Chopped candied peel - 50g (2 oz)
Lemons - 2, zest only
Mixed spice - 2 tsp
Marzipan - 450g (1 lb), for filling and topping
Apricot jam - 2 tbsp
Egg, 1, beaten, to glaze

METHOD

Pre-heat oven to 150 °C / 300 °F / Gas 2.

Butter and line the base and sides of a 20cm
(8 inch) deep round cake tin with buttered greaseproof paper.

Place all the cake ingredients in a large bowl and beat well until completely blended. Place half the mixture in the prepared tin and level the surface.

Take one-third of the marzipan and roll it out into a circle the size of the tin. Place it on top of the cake mixture. Spoon the remaining cake mixture over and smooth the surface.

Bake for about 2½ hours until well risen and firm to the touch. Cover with foil after 1 hour if the top is browning too quickly.

Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. When the cake has cooled, brush the top with a little warmed apricot jam and roll out half the remaining marzipan to fit the top.

Press firmly on the top and crimp the edges to decorate. Mark a criss-cross pattern on the marzipan with a sharp knife. Form the remaining marzipan into 11 balls to represent the 11 apostles (not counting Judas).

Brush the marzipan with the beaten egg and arrange the balls around the outside. Brush the tops of the balls with egg as well. Place the cake under a hot grill to turn the marzipan golden.

Decorate with crystallised flowers such as violets, primroses and jonquils.

A PROPER POT OF TEA

Fill the tea pot with hot water to warm it up prior to adding tea leaves and boiling water.

Fill tea kettle with fresh, cold, non-distilled water. Place kettle on stove and bring to boil.

Just before kettle begins to boil, pour water from tea pot and add one teaspoon tea leaves per cup to pot, plus an additional teaspoon 'for the pot'.

Remove kettle from heat right after it comes to the boil, and pour 6 ounces per cup into the tea pot. Let tea steep 3-7 minutes depending on desired strength.

While tea steeps, ask a close friend to "do the honours" by serving the tea to your other guests.

Add cold, whole milk or lemon to tea cups depending on preference of guests. Pour tea into cups using a strainer to catch loose leaves. Enjoy!

TIPS

Use a ceramic tea pot rather than metal. Metal can affect the taste of the tea, and will cool the water more quickly. Keep boiling water available for second cups and to dilute tea that becomes strong while sitting in tea pot.