Following on from the trend in Cup cakes, these mini simnels will look lovely on your cake stand. Use a bun tin or a even a whoopie pie tin

175g butter, softened,

175g caster sugar,

3 medium eggs,

225g plain flour sifted,

1 tsp baking powder,

1 tsp mixed spice,

350g luxury mixed dried fruit,

100g chopped walnuts or almonds,

grated zest and juice of 1 orange,

100g natural almond paste, cubed.

For the decoration:

icing sugar to dust,

325g natural almond paste,

yellow and green food paste colour.

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/fan140°C/gas 3 and grease a 12 x 125ml muffin tin or mould. Beat the butter, sugar, eggs and flour until smooth. Add the baking powder, spice, fruit and nuts, orange zest and juice, mix well. Divide between the 12 muffins and push in the almond paste pieces. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden and firm. Cool for 20 minutes, then remove from the tin and place on a wire rack to cool.
2. Thinly roll out 250g almond paste. Press out 12 rounds with a 7cm plain cutter. Press on each cake and crimp the edges. Colour any remaining almond paste to make flowers and leaves.

From the Kitchen Delights Blog