Simnel cake is the British Easter cake decorated with 11 marzipan balls symbolizing Jesus’s faithful apostles.
It is a light fruitcake layered or topped with marzipan, which is usually browned under a grill or with a kitchen torch. The 11 balls traditionally represent the apostles who remained faithful after Judas Iscariot’s betrayal; Judas is therefore omitted from the symbolism.
Simnel cake has medieval associations, although its precise origin is debated. The name may relate to a person called Simon or to an old term for fine bread. In Britain, it became especially associated with Lent and Easter, and also with Mothering Sunday.
A common mistake is to describe the decoration as 12 apostles. Traditional Simnel cakes normally use 11 marzipan balls, though modern bakers sometimes alter the design for decorative reasons.