Simnel cake is a light fruit cake associated with Easter, though it originated from Mothering Sunday, the 4th Sunday of Lent, when people return traditionally to the ‘Mother’ church. This Sunday was set aside to allow girls in service to return home to their mothers and this cake was traditionally taken as a gift. The cake has a layer of marzipan in the centre and on top, and it is traditional to decorate it with 11 balls of marzipan to commemorate the true apostels, with Judas not represented. The cake differs in shape from place to place.
