Christmas Cake

There’s something about the smell of Christmas Cake in the oven that brings the season home for me. It’s rich, it’s spiced, and it fills your kitchen with this cozy aroma that makes you want to stay in your pajamas all day. I’m not a fan of dry, overly boozy fruitcakes, and if you’ve ever had one that felt more like a brick than a cake, you’ll understand why I had to come up with my own version.

This one’s moist, dense in a good way, and honestly, good enough to eat plain—no frosting or custard necessary. But of course, if you’ve got the time (or the guests), pouring warm custard over a slice never hurts.

Want to make it extra cute for gifting? Bake it in mini tins. Wrap ‘em up with a bit of ribbon and you’ve got a handmade holiday present that actually gets eaten.

What Makes This Christmas Cake Work

Let me be honest—fruitcakes have a bit of a reputation. But I promise, this one’s not the dry, cloyingly sweet kind you politely poke at on a plate. Here’s why I love this version:

• Alcohol optional: I skip the booze most years so my niece and nephew can enjoy it too. It’s just as flavorful without it.

• No overpowering citrus: I don’t love biting into big chunks of orange peel. This cake has a mellow citrus undertone—enough to brighten the flavor but never take over.

• Moist, soft texture: When you slice it, it’s got that lovely velvety crumb. Not crumbly like a muffin, and definitely not tough like some store-bought versions.

• Dense, not heavy: It’s got body, but you won’t feel like you’re chewing on a lump of fudge.

• Decoration is optional: Honestly, this cake is good on its own. Fancy it up if you like, but don’t stress about it.

My Shortcut Soaking Trick (That Actually Works)

Most traditional fruitcakes start the night before with an overnight soak. I’m all for a bit of planning, but if I can get great results faster, I will. My trick? A quick microwave soak. A few minutes in the microwave, an hour of resting—done. The fruit absorbs the liquid beautifully and tastes like it’s been soaking for hours.

What You’ll Need

For the Soaked Fruit:

Use any combination of dried fruit you like—as long as the total weight comes to around 855 grams (about 30 ounces). I often go for a mix of raisins, chopped dates, currants, and sultanas.

• Chop your own dried fruit if you can. Pre-chopped tends to be a bit drier. But no stress—this cake is moist enough to handle it if that’s what you’ve got.

• Mixed peel: I chop mine finer than store-bought. I like just a whisper of citrus—nothing too bold.

• Juice or booze: I usually go with apple juice. For the boozy version, I swap in a bit of brandy. Orange juice works too if you want a brighter citrus note.

For the Batter:

• Dark brown sugar: Adds depth and that lovely caramel color. Regular brown sugar will give you a lighter look—but still delicious.

• Molasses or golden syrup: Either one works great. I alternate depending on what’s in the pantry.

• Butter and oil: Butter adds flavor, oil keeps it wonderfully moist.

• Walnuts: Totally optional. You could swap in pecans or leave the nuts out if you’re baking for someone with allergies.

How I Make It – The Practical Way

This is a dense cake, so it needs to bake low and slow. I don’t bother with water baths or other fussy techniques. Just cover it with foil for most of the baking time to keep the top from drying out, then uncover it at the end to get a beautiful deep brown top.

Here’s how I time it:

• Bake covered for 2½ hours

• Bake uncovered for another 30–45 minutes

• Test with a skewer—it should come out mostly clean with maybe a few moist crumbs

Decorating Ideas (If You’re Feeling Festive)

This cake doesn’t need a topping to taste good—but if you want to dress it up a bit, here are a few ways I’ve done it over the years:

• Dust with icing sugar and pile on some cherries or nuts.

• Stick in mini Christmas tree ornaments—yes, the ones from your holiday box. Looks quirky and cute!

• Drippy glaze: I use a simple sugar glaze (like I do for my lemon cake) but skip the lemon this time.

• Fondant topping: I know some people are scared of fondant (bad wedding cake flashbacks), but if you use store-bought, it’s easier than you think. I’ve only done it twice in my life and it came out looking pretty darn decent.

How to Serve It

I’ll be honest—I eat it plain, usually cold, straight from the fridge in thin slices with a cup of coffee. But if I’ve got company or I’m setting it out after dinner, I warm it slightly and pour over some custard.

If you’re going the store-bought custard route, stir in a little vanilla bean paste. It makes it look fancy (thanks to the specks) and bumps up the flavor.

Storing Tips

This cake lasts a long time. And I mean long. Here’s how I keep mine:

• Fridge: 3 months, wrapped tightly

• Freezer: Up to a year (yes, really)

Just make sure it’s completely cooled before you wrap it up in clingfilm and foil. I usually store it in a tin or an airtight box after wrapping. It also gets better with time as the flavors settle in.

FAQs

Can I make it without nuts?
Absolutely. It works just fine without any nuts.

What if I don’t have brandy?
Skip it or use rum, whiskey, or just stick with juice.

Can I bake this in mini tins for gifts?
Yes! I’ve done this many times. Just adjust the baking time—mini cakes usually take around 40–50 minutes.

Does it need to rest before eating?
It tastes even better after a day or two, but you can slice it the same day if you’re impatient like me.

Can I use gluten-free flour?
I haven’t tested it, but since this cake is dense and moist, it may work with a 1:1 gluten-free blend.

I hope this becomes your new go-to holiday fruit cake like it has for me. Whether you dress it up or serve it plain, it’s the kind of cake that feels like Christmas from the first bite. If you try it, let me know how it turns out—or better yet, tell me how long it actually lasted in your house.

Yield: 25

Christmas Cake

Print

There’s nothing quite like the comforting aroma of a fruit-laden Christmas cake baking in the oven.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour

Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
• 3 tablespoons molasses or golden syrup
• 1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
• 100g (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
• 300g raisins
• 150g dried apricots, chopped
• 150g glacé cherries, chopped
• 180g dates, diced
• 75g mixed peel, diced
• 1 cup plus 2 tbsp apple juice (or 1/3 cup brandy plus juice to make up amount)

For Decorating (Optional):

• Ready-to-roll marzipan, fondant, fresh cherries, icing sugar, or a simple glaze

Instructions

1. Plump the Fruit:Combine all the dried fruit and apple juice (or your chosen mix of brandy and juice) in a microwave-safe container. Heat on high for about 1.5 minutes. Stir to coat, then cover and let sit for an hour—the fruit will soak up the liquid and become beautifully plump.
2. Prepare the Cake Tin:Preheat your oven to 160°C/320°F (140°C fan). Grease and line a deep 21–22cm (8–9") round cake pan with baking paper.
3. Cream the Mixture:With an electric mixer, blend the butter and brown sugar until smooth and creamy. Beat in the oil and molasses.
4. Add Dry Ingredients and Eggs:Sprinkle in salt, spices, and baking powder. Beat until just incorporated, then add eggs one at a time, mixing gently.
5. Combine All Elements:Stir in the flour until almost combined. Fold in the soaked fruit mixture along with any remaining soaking liquid, and the walnuts if using.
6. Bake:Transfer the thick batter to the prepared pan. Cover with foil and bake for 2.5 hours. Remove the foil and continue baking for another 30–45 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Cool and Decorate:Cool in the pan for 20 minutes before transferring to a rack. Let it cool completely before slicing or decorating. For a classic finish, top with a blanket of marzipan and fondant, pile with fresh fruit, or drizzle with glaze and dust with icing sugar.
8. To Serve:Cut into thin wedges or slices—this richly moist cake is perfect plain, but a pour of creamy custard takes it over the top.

Nutrition Information

Yield

25

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 274Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 24mgSodium 83mgCarbohydrates 50gFiber 2gSugar 37gProtein 3g

TastyFitnessRecipes.com, occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although tastyfitnessrecipes.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

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