https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/easter-simnel-cakeHere is the recipe that I used. This year, I made a few modifications. Most significantly, since whoozit pointed out that "marzipan" without rosewater is just almond paste (a definition that does not hold in Scandinavia) I included a generous glug of that substance in making the marzipan, which otherwise is simply halfalmond flour and half powdered sugar with almond extract held together with an egg. This was an unexpected success, with the distinct taste of fresh roses (yes, you can eat them) occurring at surprising points in the cake, introduced not only in the topping but by the thick layer of marzipan filling in the middle.
I also used a very tall 6-inch springform pan which, despite appearing smaller, holds the entire recipe. It took at least half an hour longer to bake and was still mushy in the middle as you can see; it could easily have gone another half hour without drying out too badly.
Though eaten fresh, with an eye toward incorporating some of the benefits of aging on a fruitcake I wrapped it in plastic and foil while still quite warm and allowed it to cool gradually for several hours, essentially steaming the hard outer crust into softness. You see instructions for wrapping on old-fashioned cakes that are meant to age but, though you will hear things like how the flavors are mellowed or richened, the main purpose from what I have experienced is to allow the moisture levels in the cake to equalize so that the blackened parts on the outside become as soft as the middle and the whole is more pleasant to eat. When you use pinches of spice there may be some benefit to aging as a means of amplifying their flavors but spices are so cheap now, I am not a fan of subtlety and dump the fresh-ground stuff by the handful.
I also chop the raisins (which is tedious but worth it) to create a more-uniform texture -- gross swollen whole raisins make a crumbly cake without any real benefit on on the fork, and there are currants anyway which are far more polite.
