Marzipan is one of those love it or hate it foods, but if you're a lover then you'll be a fan of Simnel Cake which is traditionally served around Easter time. I've turned this famous Easter cake into these Easter Simnel Cupcakes. They're packed with dried fruit, flavoured with spice and I've hidden a ball of marzipan inside each cupcake! For extra luxury I've swirled an almond buttercream on top and another marzipan ball. They are marzipan heaven and perfect for celebrating Easter!

Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information

Make sure all your ingredients (particularly the butter and eggs) are at room temperature before you start baking.
I used a baking spread for the cupcakes and unsalted butter for the buttercream.
If you can't find self raising wholemeal flour, you can use regular self raising flour instead, or use plain wholemeal flour and add 1 tsp baking powder.
Mixed spice is a British spice blend usually containing cinnamon, coriander seed, nutmeg, clove, pimento and ginger. If you can't get hold of it, you can use a Pumpkin Spice mix instead. Or try ½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground ginger and ¼ tsp ground nutmeg.
You can get two different types of marzipan - natural and golden. I used golden marzipan for this recipe.
You can swap the mixed dried fruit for dried raisins or dried sultanas if you're not a mixed peel fan.
Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales*. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons* and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to make Easter Simnel Cupcakes

Start by mixing together butter and light soft brown sugar until creamy. Then add the eggs, vanilla extract, milk and lemon extract, and mix well. Next mix in self raising flour flour, self raising wholemeal flour and mixed spice. Then, fold in the dried mixed fruit.

Make 12 balls of golden marzipan by rolling them between your palms, mine weighed 12g each. Fill the cupcake cases with half of the cupcake mixture, then push the balls of marzipan in. Then add the rest of the cupcake mixture over the top. Bake them for 20-25 minutes, until they are risen, golden brown and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Make the almond buttercream by mixing icing sugar, butter, milk and almond extract together until smooth. Make 12 more balls of marzipan and brown them with a kitchen blow torch. To decorate, pipe the almond buttercream onto the cupcakes and add a browned marzipan ball on top.

How long do the cupcakes last for and can they be frozen?

The cupcakes will last for 2-3 days in an airtight container in a cool place. You can freeze both the cupcakes and the buttercream. To freeze them separately, wrap the cupcakes well in cling film or put them in an airtight container. The buttercream can be frozen in a sealed tub. To freeze them decorated, freeze the cupcakes on a plate until frozen solid, then carefully wrap in cling film. Remove the clingfilm when you take the cupcakes out of the freezer to defrost, as if they defrost with it still on it could damage the buttercream.

Can you make the cupcakes with plain/all purpose flour?

Self raising flour, which is very commonly used in the UK where I am based, already contains a raising agent and a little salt too. Therefore if you want to swap it for plain or all purpose flour, you will need to add some additional baking powder and also a little salt if you like. Some people like to add salt to cake recipes and some don't, so I'll leave that up to you as it won't affect the bake. The general advice is to add 2 teaspoons baking powder (a measuring teaspoon, not the kind you stir your coffee with) per every 200g plain or all purpose flour. So for this recipe you'd need to add 2 + ½ teaspoons baking powder. Please note, I have not tested this recipe using plain or all purpose flour.

Can the cupcakes be made gluten or dairy free?

Yes! For gluten free you can replace the self raising flour and the wholemeal self raising flour with a gluten free self raising flour blend. If you only have a gluten free plain flour blend, you will need to add baking powder. The general advice is to add 2 tsp baking powder per 200g flour, so for this recipe you'd need to add 2 + ½ teaspoons baking powder. You may also like to add ¼ tsp Xanthan Gum for better texture. For a dairy free version, use a dairy free baking spread and a dairy free milk for the cupcakes and the buttercream.

Can this recipe be made nut free?

This recipe is not nut free as marzipan is made from almonds. To make this recipe nut free you can leave out the marzipan and the almond extract. Or you could make nut free marzipan instead.

Do you need an electric mixer to make this recipe?

While you can absolutely make this recipe with a wooden spoon and some elbow grease, I do recommend using an electric mixer for the best results. The cupcakes will be lighter and fluffier when made with an electric mixer. The buttercream will also be smoother. You don't have to use an expensive stand mixer either, you can get electric hand whisks for as little as £10!

More tips for making the Easter Simnel Cupcakes:

You can spread the buttercream onto the cupcakes with a spoon if you don’t want to pipe it.
I used a Wilton 2D nozzle to pipe the buttercream onto the cupcakes.

Troubleshooting

If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!

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