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Easter photo-set: Easter Bonnet (Hannah B.)
🕑 Added 2025-04-18 09:00:04 +0000 UTCIn Hannah's seasonal photo-set we play with the English tradition of wearing a decorated bonnet at Easter; an extension of the tradition of wearing new clothes on the Sunday following the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox as a symbol of renewal. In a nod to the pre-Christian roots of the festival artist Teän Roberts baked us 'Unseasonal Simnel Cake' for the shoot, a variation of the Easter favourite that can be eaten any time of the year and replaces the 11 marzipan apostles with edible standing stones. You'll find the full recipe below.
Recommended eating: Unseasonal Simnel Cake
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About the model
You can follow Hannah on Instagram HERE
You can watch Hannah's first portrait sitting HERE and her second sitting HERE
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About the photographers
The photos in this set were shot by Justyna Neryng at our domestic photoshoot.
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Unseasonal Simnel Cake
Ingredients:
250g mixed dried fruit(a mixture of sultanas, currants, raisins and candied mixed peel)
1 orange zested and juiced
500g pack marzipan
250g pack butter (softened)
200g light brown soft sugar
4 eggsplus 1 beaten to glaze
175g plain flour
100g ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
1 lemon (zested)
2 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g glacé cherries (halved)
3 tbsp apricot jam
Method:
1) Put the mixed dried fruit in a bowl with the orange juice and zest and 2 tbsp water. Cover and microwave for 2 mins, then leave to cool completely. Alternatively, heat gently in a pan, stirring now and then until the liquid has been absorbed and leave to cool.
2) Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Roll out a third of the marzipan and use the base of a deep 20cm cake tin as a template to cut out a circle. Wrap any offcuts and the remaining two-thirds of marzipan and set aside for later. Butter and line the cake tin with a double layer of parchment. Beat the butter and sugar together until creamy. Add the eggs, flour, almonds, baking powder, lemon zest, mixed spice and vanilla (all in one go) and mix until well combined. Mix in the cooled soaked dried fruit and fold in the cherries.
3) Scrape half the cake mixture into the tin. Top with the disc of marzipan, then the remaining cake mixture, and level the top with a spatula. Bake for 2 hrs. Check it’s cooked by inserting a skewer to the centre of the cake, if any wet mixture clings to the skewer, return to the oven for another 10 mins, then check again. Cool in the tin for 15 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
4) Brush the top of the cake with apricot jam. Roll out half of the remaining marzipan and use the base of the cake as a template to cut out another disc. Place it on top of the cake and crimp the edges, if you like. Roll the remaining marzipan into 11 standing stones. Brush the marzipan with beaten egg and arrange the 'stones' in a circle on top around the outside, and brush them with a little egg too. Put under a hot grill for a minute or two until just starting to caramelise – be very careful as the marzipan will burn easily. Leave to cool.
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