Simnel was originally (in Middle English) a kind of bread or bun made of fine flour; the word comes via Old French from Latin simila or Greek semidalis ‘fine flour’. If you’re looking for a dessert steeped in Easter tradition, look no farther than Simnel cake: a fruit and nut cake that's similar to a lighter fruitcake. ‘Very many thanks for a multitude of letters, and for unfailing generosity, courtesy, tea and simnel cake.’ Origin Mid 17th century simnel from Old French simenel, based on Latin simila or … Dictionary entry overview: What does simnel mean? /ˈsɪmnl keɪk/. “Simnel” likely derives from the Latin “simila” meaning fine flour though there are all sorts of legends and stories associated with the name. ). When folk were fasting during Lent , Mothering Sunday, appearing in the middle of the fast, offered a respite from 40 days of religious austerity. There is an anniversary in Bury, and I believe only in that place in England, called "Simnel Sunday." A young Oxford priest, Richard Symonds by name, … How to make simnel cake - recipe. The name Simnel probably comes from the Latin word similawhich means a fine wheat flour usually used for baking a cake. Mothering Sunday in England is always British. It turns out that an interesting mythology has formed around this ancient fruity fare. To Dianeme. Simnel cake has long been a traditional treat at Easter Time but somehow it is being lost. Simnel dates back to Easter celebrations during Tudor times in England as a dish to commemorate the end of Lent. 1. a crisp bread of fine white flour 2. a fruitcake (sometimes covered with almond paste) eaten at mid-Lent or Easter or Christmas Familiarity information: SIMNEL used as a noun is rare. The delicious spiced fruit cake has a layer of marzipan baked inside it as well as being decorated with toasted marzipan. What does simnel cake mean? In the Middle Ages, simnel actually referred to a biscuit-bread made from fine flour that was boiled and then baked. The Simnel cake comes from medieval times and is similar to the cake we enjoy at Christmas time, but this one is reserved for Easter and sometimes Mother's … mid 17th cent. The history of the simnel cake. [countable, uncountable] jump to other results. I did use ready made almond paste and used 3 X 7oz tubes as we all love it. : simnel from Old French simenel, based on Latin simila or Greek semidalis ‘fine flour’. I added some almond essence to the batter as well as a little cinnamon allspice ginger and nutmeg. Entries related to simnel Felicity Cloake’s simnel cake. A Simnel cake is a type of fruit cake that contains plenty of marzipan and is eaten at Easter, although it used to be specifically associated with Mothering Sunday. /ˈsɪmnl keɪk/. noun. The Simnel Cake according to many, is an Easter Cake, baked during the Easter period. LAMBERT SIMNEL (fl. The origin of the Simnel cake is recorded in a Shropshire legend. It does not correspond to the Mother's Day festival in US which falls on the second Sunday in the month of May. The date of Mothering Sunday in UK varies every year. In English history, simnel cake was prepared by servant girls for their mothers during the Mothering Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Lent. Word Origin. Meaning of simnel cake. Simnel cake is a traditional bake at Easter in the UK. The traditional Easter cake, with saffron and citrus peel and topped with marzipan, is the very essence of spring. A rich fruity cake, it has a layer of almond paste baked into the middle and is covered with a thick layer of toasted almond icing. The story is told of Simon and Nell who both wanted to make a cake to give to their mother. Definition of simnel cake in the Definitions.net dictionary. There's a legend that a … You see it has eleven little balls of toasted marzipan on the top that Christians believe alludes to the true deciples of Jesus … Because many families were poor and could not care for all within the poor household, younger children were sent away to live with wealthier families. Simnel cake is a light fruitcake formerly eaten during the pre-Easter period in the United Kingdom, Ireland and some other countries but has become a traditional cake for Easter Sunday. (ˈsɪmnəl ) noun. Simnel cakes have a long history. Shop our range of traditional Easter cakes today. Traditionally the cakes were given by servant girls to … This occasion is when people, usually together as families, would go to the mother church to honor the patron saints and ask for blessings. "This strange cake was what is called in Bury, England, where name, cake and custom originated, a "Simnel cake," and an interesting history pertains to it. It is distinguished by two layers of almond paste or marzipan , one in the middle and one on top. b. a rich fruitcake traditionally eaten in mid-Lent or at Easter … Simnels were made up very stiff, tied up in a cloth and boiled for several hours, after which they were brushed over with egg and then baked. SIMNEL CAKE Origin. I brushed the warm cake … Simnel cake is a light fruit cake with two layers of almond paste or marzipan, one in the middle and one on top [1], that is toasted, and eaten during the Easter period in the United Kingdom, Ireland and some other countries. simnel (n.) "sweet cake," c. 1200, from Old French simenel"fine wheat flour; flat bread cake, Lenten cake," probably by dissimilation from Vulgar Latin *siminellus(also source of Old High German semala"the finest wheat flour," German Semmel"a roll"), a diminutive of Latin simila"fine flour" (see semolina). simnel cake. During that time, life was so very different than it is today. Collins English Dictionary. Simnel Cake is an Easter time fruit cake, made with lemon, dried fruits and peel, treacle and marzipan. When ready for the table, the crust was as hard as if made of wood. Simnel cake is a traditional Easter cake baked in Ireland and throughout the British Isles. a fruit cake containing a layer of marzipan, often coloured with saffron and topped with marzipan, traditionally eaten at Lent or Easter. simnel in American English. https://anglicanway.org/2018/05/06/simnel-the-history-behind-a-cake The word simnel comes from the Old French simenel, this from Latin simila, meaning ‘fine flour’. • SIMNEL (noun) The noun SIMNEL has 2 senses:. A Ceremonie in Glocester. a type of cake made with dried fruit, traditionally eaten in the UK at Easter. As with so many classic recipes, there are many conflicting stories of how the simnel cake first came about! noun. Simnel cakes and hot cross buns are the traditional staples of an indulgent Easter weekend. And if you’re interested in the history, the tradition of eating Simnel cake at Easter … Silvana Franco shows you how to make this traditional Easter cake. Definition of simnel 1 : a bun or bread of fine wheat flour 2 British : a rich fruitcake sometimes coated with almond paste and baked for mid-Lent, Easter, and Christmas I’le to thee a Simnel bring, ‘Gainst thou go’st a mothering: Information and translations of simnel cake in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. noun British a fruit cake containing a layer of marzipan, often coloured with saffron and topped with marzipan, traditionally eaten at Lent or Easter Word Origin for simnel cake C13 simenel, from Old … In shape the Simnel cake resembled a pork pie, but in materials it was a rich plum pudding inside a stiff and hard pastry crust. In Gloucestershire simnel cakes are still common; and at Usk, Monmouth, the custom of mothering is still scrupulously observed. It consists of a light fruit cake (less rich, heavy and boozy than a Christmas fruit cake ) which has a layer of almond marzipan in the … The celebration of Mothering Sunday began centuries ago. in England, a. a kind of bread or roll formerly prepared by boiling, or boiling and baking. The 1799 edition of Johnson’s Dictionary gives the simple definition of ‘simnel’ as ‘A kind of sweet bread or cake’, but one of the earliest mentions is in the short poem by Robert Herrick, first published in 1648:. There, these younger children became “domestic servants” and would be assigned to one or more household chores including washing clothes, lighting morning fires, cleaning, sc… However, the general consensus seems to be that, in years gone by, girls in domestic service would bake a simnel cake to take home to their mothers on Mothering Sunday (also known as Simnel Sunday! Just made this Simnel Cake and it came together beautifully. 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