Gluten Free and Vegan Easter Simnel Cake

Cake

1. Line a 20cm/8” round deep cake tin with parchment and pre-heat the oven.
2. Take a quarter of the marzipan and divide it into 11 small pieces. Roll the small pieces into a marble size balls, cover and set aside.
3. Dust the work surface with a little icing sugar, take half of the remaining paste and roll into a circle just larger than the cake tin. Or roll the paste between two sheets of parchment. Place the tin on top of the paste circle and cut around the outside to make a perfect circle of marzipan. Cover and set aside all the marzipan paste.
4. Pre-heat the oven.
5. Sieve the flour, xanthan gum, and mixed spice into a bowl and stir to combine.
6. Peel and grate the apple into the spare mixing bowl, add the sugar, oil, and water and beat well.
7. Add the prepared flour to the bowl and beat well to combine.
8. Stir in the mixed dried fruit.
9. Tip half the mixture into the prepared cake tin.
10. Take the prepared marzipan paste circle and place it on the cake mixture.
11. Put the remaining cake mixture onto the paste and smooth the surface.
12. Bake for 1½-1¾ hours with another piece of parchment loosely over the top of the tin to prevent the over-browning.
13. Allow to cool in the tin for at least 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.

Topping

1. Brush the top of the cold cake with half of the warm apricot jam.
2. Roll the remaining marzipan into a circle just larger than the cake tin. Place the tin on top and either cut around the outside to make a perfect circle of marzipan. or cut a zig sag pattern around the outside.
3. Gently lift the marzipan circle on top of the apricot brushed cake.
4. Brush the base of each prepared marzipan balls with a dab of jam and place them in a circle on the top of the cake.
5. Place the cake under a hot grill for a few minutes, or carefully use a blow torch, to lightly brown the marzipan.
6. Store the cold cake in a tin.