Amaretto Christmas Cake Recipe
Amaretto Christmas Cake Recipe is a festive, spiced cake made with dried fruits, prunes, almonds, and treacle, soaked in Amaretto for deep flavor. Slowly baked and occasionally fed with liqueur, it becomes moist, rich, and flavourful. This traditional holiday dessert offers indulgent taste, comforting textures, and a delightful centrepiece for Christmas celebrations.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium saucepan (optional for warming fruit mix)
- Electric mixer or hand whisk
- 8-inch (20 cm) round deep cake tin
- Baking parchment
- Aluminum foil
- Spatula
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
- 300 g / 2 cups plain all purpose flour
- 1 cup mixed dried fruits raisins, sultanas, cherries, cranberries
- ¼ cup finely chopped dried apricots
- ½ cup amaretto liqueur plus extra for feeding the cake
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 cup soft brown sugar
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Zest and juice of 2 oranges
- ½ cup roughly chopped almonds optional but highly recommended
- 250 g about 1½ cups chopped dried prunes
- 2 tablespoons treacle molasses
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
Instructions
Soak The Fruit
- Put the mixed dried fruits, apricots, prunes, orange zest, orange juice, and Amaretto into a bowl. Cover it and leave the mixture to soak overnight. If you’re short on time, you can warm everything together in a saucepan for about 10 minutes instead.
Prepare The Cake Tin
- Line an 8-inch cake tin with two layers of baking parchment, making sure to include a collar around the sides. Heat the oven to 150°C (300°F).
Cream The Butter And Sugar
- Beat the softened butter and brown sugar until the mixture looks pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one. Stir in the vanilla and the treacle.
Mix The Dry Ingredients
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, mixed spice, nutmeg, and ginger. Gently fold this into the butter mixture.
Add The Fruit
- Tip in the soaked fruit along with the chopped almonds and mix until everything is evenly combined.
Bake The Cake
- Spoon the batter into the lined tin and smooth the top. Bake for about 2 hours to 2 hours 15 minutes, or until a skewer pushed into the centre comes out mostly clean. If the top starts browning too quickly, cover it loosely with a piece of foil.
Feed And Store
- Let the cake cool completely. Prick a few holes in the top with a skewer and pour 1–2 tablespoons of Amaretto over it. Wrap the cake well in parchment and foil. For the richest flavour, “feed” it with a little more Amaretto every 5–7 days right up until Christmas.
Serve
- Cut into generous slices and enjoy ideally with a cup of tea, coffee, or something festive.