Christmas Cake Recipe (2024)

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Posted by Lisa | Sweet 2 Eat Baking on December 11, 2011

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British Christmas Cake Recipe: Discover the joy of a classic Christmas cake recipe – a delightful blend of fruits, spices, and buttery goodness. Perfect for the holiday season! 🎄🍰

Christmas Cake Recipe (1)

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Christmas Cake Recipe

This British Christmas cake recipe is a decadent and aromatic fruitcake with a perfect balance of sweetness and warmth from the mixed spices. Bursting with plump dried fruits, including currants, sultanas (golden raisins), and raisins, it offers a delightful chewiness.

The cake’s texture is moist and tender, enriched with ground almonds (almond meal), then topped with marzipan (almond paste) and decorated with festive flair.

This Christmas Cake recipe is an iconic treat and is a symbol of tradition, abundance, and joy during the holiday season in the UK.

Each slice is a scrumptious is a delicious reminder of my cherished Christmas memories from childhood. My Nana used to make this treat every year, and it always brings back happy feelings.

The History of Christmas Fruit Cakes

Dating back to medieval times, the British Christmas cake evolved from fruit and spice puddings enjoyed during winter celebrations.

It became a symbol of abundance, incorporating dried fruits brought from faraway lands, symbolising prosperity and the spirit of Christmas.

Christmas Cake Recipe Ingredients

  • Fat: Unsalted butter adds richness and a tender crumb to the cake.
  • Sweetness: Caster (superfine) or granulated sugar sweetens the cake, balancing the tartness of fruits.
  • Flour: Plain (all-purpose) or self-raising flour provides structure and stability to the cake.
  • Spices: Mixed spice infuses warm flavours, reminiscent of the season.
  • Almonds: These lend a moist texture and subtle nuttiness to the cake.
  • Eggs: Act as a binding agent, ensuring the cake holds together.
  • Milk (or Brandy): Moistens the batter, contributing to a luscious cake.
  • Currants, Sultanas, Raisins: Offer a burst of chewy sweetness and fruitiness.
  • Glacé (Candied) Cherries and Mixed Peel: Add vibrant colour and delightful zing to the cake.

A full list of ingredients and their amounts can be found in the printable recipe below.

How to Make Christmas Cake

Most of the time spent on this cake is feeding with alcohol after baking for 4-6 weeks. This step can be skipped but I would recommend feeding to enhance its flavour, moistness, and longevity.

  1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  2. Gradually add eggs, beating well after each addition.
  3. Fold in flour and spices, followed by ground almonds.
  4. Stir in milk (and brandy) to create a smooth batter.
  5. Mix in dried fruits, cherries, and mixed peel.
  6. Transfer the batter to a greased and lined cake tin.
  7. Bake for 3½-4 hours, until a skewer comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  8. Cool. Decorate with marzipan (almond paste), rolled fondant or royal icing.

A full list of detailed instructions can be found in the printable recipe below.

Christmas Cake Recipe (2)

Christmas Cake Serving Suggestions

  • Enjoy a slice with a dollop of clotted cream for a divine treat.
  • Serve alongside a cup of steaming mulled wine or spiced tea.
  • Elevate your Christmas table by decorating the cake with holly leaves.

Christmas Cake Recipe Tips and Tricks

  • Make the cake in advance. Christmas cakes are typically made 4-6 weeks in advance to allow time for the flavours to mature and develop.
  • Soak dried fruits in brandy or orange juice for added moistness.
  • Protect the cake’s surface with parchment paper during baking to prevent over-browning.
  • To prevent sinking fruit, coat them lightly in flour before adding to the batter.
  • “Feed” the cake weekly with brandy to enhance flavour, preserve moisture, longevity, and adds a traditional touch to this festive treat.
  • For a glossy finish, brush the cooled cake with apricot glaze before adding the almond paste.

How to store Christmas Cake

Once the Christmas cake has been decorated, it will keep well for 4-6 weeks – often longer when preserved and fed with brandy.

  • Once cut, store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 weeks.
  • To retain freshness, wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap.

Can you Freeze Christmas Cake

Yes. This Christmas cake recipe freezes well.

To Freeze Christmas Cake:

  • For long-term storage, wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap and foil.
  • Freeze for up to 3 months for optimal taste and texture.

To Thaw Christmas Cake:

  1. Remove the cake from the freezer and unwrap it.
  2. Let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
  3. Bring it to room temperature before serving.

Christmas Cake Recipe (3)

Now you’re ready to embrace the spirit of the season with this time-honoured Christmas cake recipe.

Rich with history, this traditional treat brings warmth and joy to every festive gathering.

Create lasting memories and savour the traditional flavours that make Christmas truly special.

Happy baking and a joyful holiday season from my home to yours. 🎄🍰

Yield: 9-inch cake (16-24 servings)

Christmas Cake Recipe

Christmas Cake Recipe (4)

Discover the joy of a classic Christmas cake recipe - a delightful blend of fruits, spices, and buttery goodness. Perfect for the holiday season!

Ingredients

For the Christmas cake:

  • 350g (2 ¾ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour (or self-raising if you prefer a more open texture)
  • 1 tsp mixed spice
  • 100g (1 cup) ground almonds (almond meal)
  • 4 medium eggs
  • 150 ml (¼ pint) Milk (or ½ milk, ½ brandy)
  • 225g (1 cup/2 sticks) butter (plus extra for greasing)
  • 225g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) granulated or caster (superfine) sugar
  • 225g (1 cup) currants
  • 225g (1 cup) sultanas (golden raisins)
  • 225g (1 cup) raisins
  • 100g (½ cup) glacé (candied) cherries (halved)
  • 100g (½ cup) mixed peel

Christmas Cake Topping:

  • 2 tbsp apricot jam
  • ready to roll marzipan (almond paste)
  • ready to roll fondant or royal icing
  • (optional) Christmas decorations

Instructions

    1. To make the cake; preheat the oven to 150ºC/300ºF/Gas Mark 2. Grease and line a 23 cm (9 inch) round or 20.5 cm (8 inch) square tin with parchment paper.
    2. Whisk or sift together flour, spice and ground almonds (almond meal). Beat eggs with milk (and brandy, if using).
    3. Cream butter and sugar, then stir in flour mixture and egg mixture alternately, a little at a time.
    4. Lastly, add fruit, and mix until combined, then pour into the prepared pan.
    5. Bake for about 3½-4 hours, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with some moist crumbs. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
    6. Once cool, remove from the pan, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and airtight container and allow to rest for 1 week before decorating.
    7. To ensure the best rich flavours, I would recommend feeding this cake on a weekly basis "feeding" the cake with brandy for 4-6 weeks. See notes.
    8. To decorate the cake; once cooled, roll out marzipan (almond paste) to around 1/4-inch (6mm) thick. Brush the cake with a heated apricot jam then cover the cake, trim excess with a sharp knife. Repeat with the rolled fondant to around 1/8-inch (3mm) thick and adhere over the marzipan with a little cool boiled water. Alternatively, you can use royal icing as a substitute to rolled frosting. Apply after covering with marzipan.
    9. (Optional) Add Christmas cake decorations on top of the cake. If decorating with holly or ribbons, allow the fondant or royal icing to firm before applying.
    10. Once firm, cover the cake with plastic wrap, being careful if using royal icing not to damage the icing, and place in an airtight container

Notes

The most traditional choice of alcohol for a Christmas cake is brandy, but you can also use rum or sherry. So feel free to experiment.

How to Feed a Christmas Cake

Feeding a Christmas cake is adding a small amount of alcohol regularly to enhance its flavour, moistness, and longevity.

Here's a simple step-by-step guide on how to feed a Christmas cake:

  1. Prepare the Cake: Once the Christmas cake has entirely cooled after baking, use a skewer or toothpick to make small holes on the top surface.
  2. Choose the Alcohol: The traditional choice is brandy, but you can also use rum or sherry. Pour the chosen alcohol into a small, clean container.
  3. First Feeding: Using a pastry brush or spoon, generously brush or drizzle a small amount of alcohol (about 1-2 tablespoons) over the top surface of the cake, ensuring it seeps into the holes.
  4. Storage: Wrap the cake securely in plastic wrap to retain its moisture. Store the wrapped cake in an airtight container or a cake tin.
  5. Weekly Feedings: Repeat the feeding process once a week. Each time, brush or drizzle the same amount of alcohol over the cake's surface and allow it to absorb.
  6. Maturation: Continue feeding the cake for several weeks or up to a few months before serving, depending on your preference. The longer you feed it, the richer the flavours will become.
  7. Marzipan (almond paste) and Icing: If you plan to cover the cake with almond paste (marzipan) and icing, do so after the final feeding. The alcohol will help preserve the cake even after it's decorated. (optional).

Remember to store the cake in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and heat sources during feeding. Regular feeding helps create a beautifully flavoured and well-preserved Christmas cake.

Serving Suggestions, Storage, Freezing, and Thawing Guidelines

  • Serving suggestions,
  • How to store Christmas cake,
  • How to freeze and thaw Christmas cake.

 

This recipe is courtesy of Be-Ro. And may also be known as 'Be-Ro Christmas Cake recipe', or 'Be-Ro Fruit Cake recipe'.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

24

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:Calories: 281Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 98mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 2gSugar: 28gProtein: 5g

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More Christmas & Winter Recipes

  • Black Forest Cake
  • Christmas Sugar Cookies
  • Candy Cane Chocolate Peppermint Creams
  • Gingerbread Fudge
  • Candy Cane Chocolate OREO Truffles
  • Christmas Tree Butter Cookies
  • “Reindeer Poop” Peanut Butter Balls
  • Sticky Toffee Christmas Pudding

More British Recipes

  • Cherry Bakewell Cupcakes [a fun twist on the tart!],
  • Victoria Sponge Cake,
  • Gypsy Tart,
  • English Coconut Macaroons,
  • Strawberry Clotted Cream Ice Cream,
  • Welsh Cakes,
  • Hot Cross Buns [an Easter classic],
  • Hot Cross Cookies [a twist on the buns but in cookie form],
  • Chocolate and Orange British Scones,
  • Strawberries and Cream Popsicles,
  • Summer Fruits Slushie,
  • Jubilee Crown Cookies,
  • Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes,
  • Key Lime Posset.

Christmas Cake Recipe (5)

all-purpose flouralmond flouralmond mealalmond pasteapricot jambrandycandied cherriescaster sugarChristmas cakeChristmas cake recipecurrantseggsglace cherriesgolden raisinsgranulated sugarground almondsmarzipanmilkmixed peelmixed spiceplain flourraisinsrolled fondantroyal icingself-raising flourself-rising floursultanassuperfine sugartraditional christmas cakeunsalted butter

Posted by Lisa | Sweet 2 Eat Baking on December 11, 2011

5 Comments // Leave Some Love

Christmas Cake Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long before Christmas should I make my Christmas cake? ›

Some say you should make your Christmas cake 6 weeks before eating, but the advice given on Nigella.com is that 12 weeks before is the optimum time to get baking. Your Christmas cake should be fed every 4 to 6 weeks but in the meantime, after baking, it should be stored away in a secure, air tight container.

Which cake is traditionally made for Christmas? ›

Christmas cakes are made many different ways, but generally they are variations on classic fruitcake. They can be light, dark, moist, dry, heavy, spongy, leavened, unleavened, etc. They are made in many different shapes, with frosting, glazing, a dusting of confectioner's sugar or plain.

What is the difference between a fruit cake and a Christmas cake? ›

A Christmas cake usually has far more fruit in it than an ordinary fruit cake and also traditionally will have a layer of marzipan on the top, and that and the sides will then be covered with a layer of icing.

How do you keep Christmas cake moist? ›

Wrap the cake in greaseproof paper or baking parchment then wrap it in kitchen foil. Store cake in a second layer of foil or in an airtight tin. You can repeat the feeding process every couple of weeks for three or four feeds.

What alcohol is good for Christmas cake? ›

What alcohol should you use? Strong, flavourful spirits with a high ABV are ideal for feeding fruitcakes. You can use rum, brandy or whisky for spice, or if you like citrus flavours, try an orange liqueur. Cherry brandy and amaretto will also work well if you prefer these.

How long before eating should you ice a Christmas cake? ›

There's no hard and fast rule about when to ice your cake, but it's best to do it between 24 hours and a week ahead of the big day.

Why are Christmas cakes made so early? ›

Christmas Cake Tip #1: Make it well in advance of Christmas

Giving it a good amount of time to firm up will also improve its flavour and appearance when the time comes to slice your cake - if you eat your Christmas Cake too soon after baking it, you'll find that it crumbles.

Can you open the oven when baking a Christmas cake? ›

No. The only cakes you really need to worry about deflating are soufflés and possibly sponge cakes. Most cakes have enough structure to withstand checking on by opening an oven door. I know if my recipe instructions say the cake takes at least 25 minutes to bake, I'll check it at around 22 minutes.

What is the oldest Christmas cake? ›

That honor goes to a 4,176-year-old cake that was found in an Egyptian tomb, according to the Guinness organization. It is on display in a food museum in Switzerland.

Why do you put newspaper around a Christmas cake? ›

The parchment paper and brown paper linings provide some insulation against the heat of the oven, which means that the cake bakes more evenly. If the tin is not lined in this way then the outside of the cake can cook too quickly, leaving the inside undercooked.

How often should you feed a Christmas cake? ›

Feeding the cake is a matter of personal preference but it is a good idea to feed it shortly after baking, while the cake is cooling in its tin. Then you can feed the cake one a week or once a fortnight. Use 1-2 tablespoons of alcohol each time and it may help to use a skewer to poke some holes in the cake first.

How to prevent raisins from sinking in a cake? ›

You can reduce the liklihood of dried fruits such as cranberries or raisins sinking by lightly dusting them in flour before adding them to your cake mixture. Simply toss the fruit in a small bowl with a small scoop of flour and add the lightly covered fruit to your cake mix and follow the rest of the recipe as normal.

How far in advance can you do Christmas baking? ›

You'll find that most of your favorite Christmas cookie recipes can be made anywhere from a month to six months before the 25th of December. (Consult this handy how-to guide to the matter.) Generally, most recipes will be best if baked and then frozen.

How far in advance should you make a cake? ›

Un-iced: If you don't need to ice your cake until the day, you can bake your cake at least 2-3 days ahead of time. But you will need to store it carefully. Ensure that you wrap the cake and have it stored in an airtight container so it doesn't lose moisture.

How long can you age a Christmas cake? ›

The most common duration to properly age a fruitcake is about three months. Any quicker will limit the development of complex flavors attributed to the maturing process. You can certainly age your cake for much longer than several months if you'd like, but we know how busy everyday life can be.

How long can you store a homemade Christmas cake? ›

Like most rich fruit cakes, it benefits from a maturing period and being fed with some extra alcohol, though in the book it is suggested that the keeping time is 6 weeks and generally we suggest if keeping the cake for longer than this then the cake should be frozen as it will keep for a year.

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