Christmas Cake Recipe
Christmas Cake Recipe is a traditional festive dessert filled with soaked dried fruits, nuts, and warm spices, creating a rich and flavorful cake. Baked slowly to develop depth, it can be decorated with marzipan, fondant, or icing for a beautiful presentation. This cake brings holiday cheer, family gatherings, and cherished seasonal traditions to life.
Equipment
- 20 cm (8-inch) round cake pan
- Mixing bowls
- Electric mixer or whisk
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Sieve
- Baking paper (parchment paper)
- Saucepan (for warming jam)
- Rolling pin (for marzipan/fondant)
Ingredients
For The Fruit & Nut Mix
- 300 g raisins
- 150 g dried apricots diced
- 75 g mixed peel diced
- 150 g glace cherries roughly chopped
- 180 g dates chopped
- 75 g walnuts chopped (optional)
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp apple juice or use ⅓ cup brandy + ⅔ cup juice
For The Cake Batter
- 120 g unsalted butter softened
- 180 g dark brown sugar packed
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp molasses or golden syrup
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 large eggs
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 ⅔ cups 210 g plain/all purpose flour
- ¾ cup chopped walnuts
For Decoration (Optional But Festive)
- Apricot jam warmed (for glazing)
- Ready to roll marzipan
- Ready to roll fondant or royal icing
- Candied cherries holly leaf decorations, edible glitter, etc.
- Icing sugar for dusting
Instructions
Soak The Fruit
- In a large bowl, mix together the raisins, apricots, mixed peel, cherries, dates, and walnuts. Pour over the apple juice or a splash of brandy if you prefer something richer. Cover the bowl and let the fruits soak overnight or at least 6 hours to really bring out the flavours.
Prepare The Oven
- Preheat your oven to 150 °C (300 °F). Line your cake pan with baking paper and give it a light greasing so the cake doesn’t stick.
Cream Butter And Sugar
- In a big mixing bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and vegetable oil together until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Stir in molasses or golden syrup, making sure everything is well combined.
Add Spices And Eggs
- Sprinkle in the salt, allspice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Then, beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition so everything blends smoothly.
Incorporate The Dry Ingredients
- Sift the flour and baking powder together, then gently fold them into the wet mixture. Mix just until combined you don’t want to overwork the batter.
Mix In Fruits And Nuts
- Add the soaked fruit (including any leftover juice or brandy) into the batter and stir until evenly spread. Toss in the extra chopped walnuts for added texture.
Bake The Cake
- Pour the batter into your prepared tin and smooth the surface. Bake for around 2 hours 15 minutes. Check with a skewer if it comes out clean, it’s done. If the top is browning too fast, lightly cover with foil.
Cool And Decorate
- Let the cake sit in the tin for 15 minutes before moving it to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, brush it with warm apricot jam, cover with rolled marzipan, and top with fondant or royal icing. Finish with festive touches like candied cherries, holly leaves, or edible glitter.