Easy Christmas cake recipe (2024)

This easy Christmas cake recipe is full of festive fruits, zesty orange peel, and hints of vanilla and chocolate. With a slightly lower fruit to cake ratio than usual and with a couple of my secret ingredients, this cake will easily take centre stage this Christmas.

Whats more, it only takes half an hour to make the cake mixture, theres no need for a food processor or mixer and, with my handy tip, the fruit can be soaked for just 15 minutes rather than overnight.

👩🏻‍🍳 Why make this recipe

Baking a Christmas cake can be quite a challenge, especially if you don't often find yourself making cakes. But hopefully, this simple Christmas cake guide can ease the burden and walk you through what to do at each stage. From plumping up the dried fruit to feeding your fruit cake to help keep it nice and moist. I'll also share my top tips for:

• How to give a little boost to the flavour, with my secret ingredients, so even fruit-cake-haters will be asking for seconds.
• How to make both a smaller 6 inch (15cm) cake or larger 8 inch (15cm) cake
• How to line a cake tin.
• How to make sure the outer edges of your Christmas cake don't burn in the oven.
• How to speed up the process of soaking the dried fruits.
• How to make the cake mixture without a mixing stand or machine.
• How to ice and decorate your cake.

⏰ When to make your cake

No need to panic if its already December and you have yet to make your Christmas cake. This easy Christmas cake recipe tastes amazing whether its made the week before or several weeks before Christmas.

Its usual to make Christmas cake at the start of November. Allowing time for the fruit cake to rest and for the flavours to really develop. The extra time means you can also feed your cake. This involves skewering the baked fruit cake all over and drizzling over extra alcohol each week. Not only does this boost the flavour but it also helps to preserve and results in a nice moist cake.

However, if you are making this cake last minute - fear not. Feeding with alcohol is not essential and your cake will still be full of flavour.

🍽 What equipment will I need?

Equipment for making the cake:

• One 8 inch (20cm) cake tinor two 6 inch (15cm) tins (depending on if you want to make one big cake or two small Christmas cakes)
• Baking paper to line the tin(s)
• Large bowl to soak fruits
• Large bowl to mix the cake mixture
• Skewer to test if cake is cooked through
• Wire rack to cool

Equipment for icing the cake

• Cake turntable (optional)
• Rolling pin to roll icing
• Pastry brush for apricot jam
• Cake leveller (optional)
• Icing smoother (optional)

🥘 Ingredients

To make one 8 inch (20cm) cake or two 6 inch (15cm) cakes you will need the following:

Ingredient notes

Dried mixed fruit: This recipe uses slightly less fruit than normal in order to allow room for more cake and for some of the other flavours. The fruit can be a general mix of currants, raisins, orange peel etc or you can pick fruits specific to your taste. I like to use dried cranberries and apricots.

Alcohol: In this recipe I chose to use spiced rum as I love the slight hint of vanilla and spiced favour it adds to the fruit cake. However, you can use other spirits depending on your taste. Brandy or whiskey will also add a spice flavour, whereas Amaretto or flavoured liqueurs will add sweeter notes.

If you would prefer to make an alcohol free cake then just replace the alcohol with orange or apple juice.

Oranges: Both the zest and the juice are used in this recipe and both are added to the dried fruits, along with the alcohol for soaking. Soaking plumps up the dried fruits adding moisture and flavour. See set by step instructions below for the quickest way to soak fruits if you don't have time to leave them over night.

Secret ingredients: To really boost the flavour of this recipe I like to add two special ingredients. Cocoa powder and black treacle (not pictured). Only a small amount of each is required to give a deep, chocolatey flavour, perfect for balancing out the fruit and rum.

Both are optional but its important to note that if you decide not to add these, the treacle can just be left out but the cocoa powder must be replaced with the same amount of plain flour. In short - this recipe will work just the same with or without the treacle but cocoa must be replaced.

🎂 How to line a cake tin

This recipe is enough for one 8 inch (20cm) cake tinor two 6 inch (15cm) tins. So you can have the option to make one large cake or two small 6 inch Christmas cake (half the recipe for one small cake). Lining a cake tin is always the same no matter what the size.

For a Christmas cake its usual to double line the inside of the tin with baking paper. This is due to the amount of baking time. The extra paper helps to prevent the edges from burning. For ease I fold the paper in half before measuring and cutting.....

1. For the tin base; fold your paper in half and then draw around the tin. You can use the inside base if your tin is slotted. Cut out to create two circles of the same size.
2. For the tin sides; cut a length of paper that is a little longer than the circumference of your tin. Fold this in half length ways and then fold the edge up by 2-3 cm.
3. On the 2-3cm folded edge cut diagonally up to the fold every 3cm:
4. Place one of the base circles in the bottom of the tin and then insert the side paper with the cut edge facing down. The diagonal cuts will overlap each other. Then place the second paper circle over the top of this to complete the lining.

Note: the above tin also has newspaper wrapped around the outside of the tin, secured with string. This is for an extra layer of insulation to make doubly sure that the cake doesn't burn. In most cases this isn't necessary but the option is there if you want to be absolutely sure that the edges won't burn.

🔪 Step by step instructions

Note: This recipe is enough to make one 8 inch cake. If you would like to make a smaller 6 inch cake then either divide this recipe between two 6 inch cake tins or half the recipe to make just one 6 inch cake.

1. Add the dried mixed fruit to a large mixing bowl and pour over the spiced rum, and the juice and zest of two oranges. Cover and leave to soak overnight. If you don't have time to leave overnight then transfer to a large pan and heat to a very gentle simmer for 3-4 minutes. Then remove from the heat and leave to cool for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile add the butter, muscovado sugar and black treacle (if using) to a small pan. Heat gently and stir until melted. Set to one side.
3. In a second large mixing bowl add the flour, ground almonds, cocoa powder, mixed spice and bicarb of soda. Mix together well.
4. Next pour the melted butter, sugar and treacle into the flour mixture and stir together well.
5. Next, whisk the eggs together and gradually add to the mixture. Don't add too much in one go as the mixture may split. Stir well in between each addition.
6. Once all the egg is combined, stir in the soaked fruits.
7. Transfer the cake mixture to your lined tin (either one 8 inch tin or two 6 inch tins). To bake, place in the centre of a preheated oven (150°C/300°F); the 6 inch cakes for 1hr 50 minutes and the 8 inch cake for 2hrs 10 minutes. Check your cake 15 minutes before the end of these baking times by inserting a skewer into the centre, If the skewer comes out clean then its done. If not, return to the oven and check every 10 minutes until the skewer comes out clean.
8. Place the Christmas cake, still in the tin, on a wire rack to cool. Whilst cooling skewer all over and drizzle over 2 tablespoons of spiced rum (or your preferred spirit). After half an hour or so, carefully remove from thetin and leave on the wire rack to cool completely.
9. Once cooled, wrap the cake in cling film and store in a tin. Unwrap once a week and spoon over (feed) 2 tablespoon of spiced rum (or your preferred alcohol).

🍰 Icing your Christmas cake

To help keep the fruit cake preserved until Christmas and to stick with the traditional flavours I always cover my cake with a layer of ready to roll marzipan and then a layer of ready to roll white fondant icing. Both the icing and marzipan are held in place with melted apricot jam.

To make this process easier place a blob of melted apricot jam in the centre of a silver cake board and position your Christmas cake in the middle. A cake turntablecan also be helpful, but not necessary.

If your cake has a slight rise in the middle; use a cake levelleror a serrated knife and your best judgement to slice off the top of the raised part. The whole cake can then be turned upside down and the flat bottom now becomes the top.

1. Soften both the fondant icing and marzipan by kneading well. Roll both into circles, 2-3mm thick. Melt the apricot jam in a small pan and then allow to cool slightly. Use a pastry brush to paste the jam all over the surface of the cake. Lift the marzipan up with a rolling pin and then position over the top. Stretch the 'skirt' of the marzipan out slightly and then back in, to tuck in evenly. Then use a knife to score and remove the excess.
2. Paint over a further layer of jam and repeat the process with the icing. At this stage an icing smoothercan be used to remove any lumps and smooth off the icing.
3. Decorate the cake. I like to make sugared pecans and chocolate stars. They are so simple to make but look so effective.
4. Use icing sugar mixed with water to position the sugared pecans and then balance the chocolate stars in between and on top of the pecans.

❓ Frequently asked questions

🍰 Other easy baking recipes

Not sure about taking on a full Christmas cake? Why not start small and try Christmas Cake muffins instead? Or how about something even more chocolatey and far less fruity: chocolate brownies recipe or brownie chocolate muffins. Or for a real Christmassy treat why not try roast chestnuts at home!

If you're looking for a bake that is completely different then why not try lemon drizzle cake, bakewell tart, apple crumble, plum and rhubarb crumble, banana bread, Banana cake, Yorkshire parkin or sticky apple treacle tart.

Easy Christmas Cake Recipe

By: Debbie Jones

This easy Christmas cake recipe is full of festive fruits, zesty orange peel and hints of vanilla and chocolate. With a slightly lower fruit to cake ratio than usual and with a couple of my secret ingredients this cake will easily take centre stage this Christmas. Whats more, it only takes half an hour to make the cake mixture, theres no need for a food processor or mixer and the fruit can be soaked for just 15 minutes rather than overnight. See above for addition instructions on lining a cake tin and icing and decorating a Christmas cake.

Nutrition

Serving: 265g | Calories: 512kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 99mg | Sodium: 61mg | Potassium: 443mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 605IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 136mg | Iron: 3mg