Simnel cupcakes

Preheat oven to 190C/170Cfan/375F/Gas Mark 5. Line a muffin tray with the 12 muffin cases. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together by hand or with a mixer until smooth and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs. Sieve the flour with the baking powder and mixed spice then gently stir into the creamed mixture along with the lemon zest until fully combined. Finally add the fruit and rum or brandy, and fold together. Spoon half the mixture into the paper cases, grate 175g of the marzipan on the coarse side of a grater and divide between the cases, then top with the remaining cake mixture. Bake for 25 minutes. Meanwhile roll out the rest of the marzipan to a thickness of a £1 coin and cut out 12 circles using a 7.5cm (3”) plain cookie cutter (the same diameter as the muffin cases). Roll the scraps of marzipan into lots of small balls about the size of a pea.

Heat the apricot glaze in a small saucepan or warm in the microwave for 40 seconds until melted. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and brush the tops with the apricot glaze. Place a circle of marzipan on each and then crimp the edges. Arrange 11 marzipan balls around the edge of each cupcake (11 is the traditional number used on Simnel cakes, representing the 11 apostles). Lightly dab the balls with Apricot Glaze. Return the cakes to the oven for 5 minutes until the marzipan is golden, then remove and cool
10. To make the flowers: roll out the icing and using a dainty flower cutter, make small flowers. Dab the underside of each flower with apricot glaze (a cotton bud is perfect for this). Add small dots in the centre of each flower with a writing tube, and then attach to the top
of the cakes.