Description
This traditional Christmas Cake is a rich and moist fruitcake filled with mixed dried fruits, nuts, and warm spices, soaked with cherry brandy for extra flavor. Perfect for holiday celebrations, it is baked low and slow for a tender crumb and can be matured by feeding with brandy weekly, enhancing its festive taste.
Ingredients
Scale
Fruit Mixture
- 175 g (3/4 cup) unsalted butter chopped
- 210 g (1 packed cup) light brown muscavado sugar
- 400 g (2 2/3 cups) mixed dried fruit
- 200 g (1 cup) glacé cherries roughly chopped
- 100 g (1 cup) dried cranberries
- Zest and juice of 1 orange
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) cherry brandy
Dry Ingredients
- 85 g (1/2 cup) ground almonds coarsely ground – not the type that is like flour
- 200 g (1 2/3 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground mixed spice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
Other
- 3 large eggs lightly whisked
- Cherry brandy (1-2 tbsp per week to feed the cake)
Instructions
- Prepare Fruit Mixture: In a large saucepan, combine the unsalted butter, light brown muscavado sugar, mixed dried fruit, glacé cherries, dried cranberries, orange zest and juice, lemon zest, and all but 4 tablespoons of the cherry brandy.
- Simmer: Heat the mixture on medium until it comes to a gentle bubble, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Cool Mixture: Remove the pan from heat and allow the fruit mixture to cool for 30 minutes to room temperature.
- Preheat & Prepare Tin: Preheat your oven to 150C/300F fan. Line a 20cm (8 inch) springform cake tin with baking parchment, lining the sides about 2 inches above the rim, and place a parchment circle on the base.
- Mix Almonds and Eggs: Stir the ground almonds into the cooled fruit mixture, then mix in the lightly whisked eggs thoroughly.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Add the plain flour, baking powder, ground mixed spice, ground cinnamon, and ground allspice to the wet mixture, folding gently until just combined without overmixing.
- Transfer to Tin: Spoon the batter into the prepared cake tin and smooth the top with the back of a spoon for even cooking.
- Bake: Bake the cake for 45 minutes at 150C/300F fan, then reduce the oven temperature to 140C/275F fan and bake for a further 1 hour 30 minutes, or until the cake is dark brown and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cover the top with foil if it begins to darken excessively.
- Feed Cake: Remove the hot cake from the oven and poke 10-12 holes across the top using a skewer. Pour the reserved 4 tablespoons of cherry brandy over the cake, allowing it to absorb the alcohol.
- Cool and Store: Let the cake cool completely in the tin. Once cooled, remove it, wrap in a double layer of baking parchment, followed by a double layer of foil, and place in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Weekly Feeding: Feed the cake with 1 to 2 tablespoons of cherry brandy once a week until a few days before marzipanning and icing the cake to enhance flavor and moisture.
Notes
- Use a 20cm (8 inch) springform cake tin for best results; a 21cm (8.25 inch) tin also works well. A 23cm (9 inch) tin yields a slightly lower cake.
- For square tins, 20cm diameter corresponds to approximately 17.75×17.75cm (7×7 inch) and 23cm diameter to 20×20cm (8×8 inch).
- To store the cake long-term, wrap tightly in double layers of baking parchment and foil and keep in an airtight container at room temperature away from sunlight.
- The cake will keep well for 4-5 months at room temperature un-iced; alternatively, it can be frozen for up to a year. Always thaw to room temperature before decorating or eating.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (based on 16 servings)
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 25 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
