Hi there! Here is a delicious Christmas cake recipe that I’m sure you’ll love –
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 3 hrs
Additional Time: 2 hrs
Total Time: 5 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 16
Yield: 1 8-inch cake
Ingredients for the Christmas cake
This is what you need for this traditional Christmas cake:
- Candied, dried and fresh fruits: for this Christmas cake you’ll need candied cherries and citrus peel, dried currants and sultanas and dates.
- Nuts: Blanched, sliced almonds add a nutty flavour and a welcome crunch.
- Brandy: The fruit is soaked overnight in brandy to enhance the festive, alcoholic flavour of this Christmas cake.
- Flour: All-purpose flour provides structure to the dough and helps hold it together.
- Spices and seasonings: This Christmas cake is flavoured with cloves, allspice, cinnamon and a pinch of salt.
- Sodium bicarbonate: Baking fizzy drink acts as a leavening agent, which means it makes the cake rise.
- Molasses and apple juice: A mixture of molasses and apple juice moisturises and flavours the cake.
- Butter: A cup of unsalted butter makes for a moist cake and adds richness.
- Brown sugar: Instead of white sugar, warm and cosy brown sugar is used for this Christmas cake recipe.
- Eggs: Six whole eggs provide moisture and help hold the cake batter together.
Ingredients:
- 2 (8 ounce) containers candied cherries
- 1 (8 ounce) container candied mixed citrus peel
- 2 (2.25 ounce) packages blanched slivered almonds
- 2 cups raisins
- 1 cup dried currants
- 1 cup dates, pitted and chopped
- ½ cup brandy
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup molasses
- ¾ cup apple juice
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups packed brown sugar
- 6 large eggs
Instructions:
- Combine cherries, citrus peel, and almonds in a medium bowl. Add raisins, currants, and dates, then pour in brandy and stir to combine. Cover and let sit for 2 hours or overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Grease an 8-inch fruitcake pan, line it with parchment paper, and grease again.
- Dredge brandy-soaked fruit with 1/2 cup flour.
- Whisk together remaining 2 cups flour, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir molasses and apple juice together in a separate bowl until combined.
- Cream butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually blend in brown sugar and eggs. Add flour mixture in 4 batches, alternating with molasses mixture. Fold in floured fruit, then turn batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
- Remove cake from the pan, and lift off the parchment paper. Cool cake completely, then wrap loosely in waxed paper. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 2 months, or in the refrigerator for longer.
How to make Christmas cake
You’ll find the full recipe below – but here’s a quick overview of what to expect when you make this popular Christmas cake:
- Soak the fruit in brandy overnight.
- Sprinkle the soaked fruit with ½ cup of flour.
- Mix the remaining flour with the spices, baking powder and salt. Stir in the molasses.
- In another bowl, cream the butter until fluffy. Stir in the brown sugar and eggs.
- Gradually stir the dry mixture into the wet mixture. Fold in the fruit.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin until a toothpick comes out clean.
Storing the Christmas cake
Wrap the cooled Christmas cake tightly in cling film, then cover with a layer of aluminium foil. Shop at room temperature for up to one month or in the fridge for up to two months.
