Fridge Friend Recipes
Traditional Christmas Cake recipe
A rich, traditional UK Christmas cake packed with dried fruit, warm spice and brandy, then finished with marzipan and royal icing.
240 min · Hard · British Jump to method
Ingredients
- 150 g raisins
- 300 g currants
- 150 g sultanas
- 75 g glace cherries
- 75 g mixed candied peel
- 150 g plain flour
- 150 g soft brown sugar
- 150 g unsalted butter
- 3 eggs
- 50 g ground almonds
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp ground mixed spice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 orange orange zest
- 1 lemon lemon zest
- 3 tbsp brandy
- 50 g blanched almonds
- 500 g marzipan
- 500 g royal icing
| Nutrition | Per servingEstimated |
|---|---|
| Calories | 724 kcal |
| Protein | 6.8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 111.5 g |
| Fat | 27.2 g |
| Saturated fat | 8.4 g |
| Fibre | 4.8 g |
| Sugar | 95.6 g |
| Sodium | 102 mg |
Why this works
Very energy-dense and high in sugar and saturated fat; best enjoyed as an occasional festive treat rather than an everyday food.
Fruits provide some micronutrients and fibre. Currants, raisins and sultanas contribute potassium, small amounts of iron, and some fibre, though much of the dish is still sugar-dense.
Contains nuts and eggs. Ground almonds and blanched almonds add vitamin E, magnesium and a little protein, while eggs contribute protein and B vitamins.
High in free sugars and saturated fat. Marzipan, royal icing, dried fruit and added sugar make this cake very high in sugar, and butter raises saturated fat.
Method
- Preheat the oven to 150°C (Fan 130°C, 302°F, Gas Mark 2) and line a deep round cake tin with double layers of baking paper.
Use the double lining to create a taller collar than the tin, which helps shield the sides from over-browning during the long bake.
- Mix the raisins, currants, sultanas, glace cherries, mixed candied peel, orange zest, lemon zest and brandy in a large bowl.
Toss the fruit well so every piece is lightly glossed with brandy; if it looks dry, let it sit for a few minutes so the dried fruit can plump a little before mixing on.
- Cream the butter and soft brown sugar together until light, then beat in the eggs one at a time.
Beat each egg in only when the previous one has disappeared into the mixture, and if it starts to curdle add a spoonful of the flour to bring it back together.
- Fold in the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, ground mixed spice and ground cinnamon.
Fold just until no pockets of dry flour remain, as overmixing will knock out the air and make the crumb heavier.
- Stir in the fruit mixture until evenly combined.
Scrape the bowl from the bottom and edges so the dense fruit is distributed right through, rather than sinking to the base.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level the top.
Press the mixture firmly into the corners with a spoon and give the tin a gentle tap on the worktop to remove trapped air pockets.
- Arrange the blanched almonds on top, then bake for about 3 hours, covering loosely with foil if it colours too quickly.
The cake is ready for the foil when the top is a rich golden brown but still slightly soft in the centre; if the almonds darken too fast, cover sooner rather than later.
- Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin, then turn out and wrap well.
Let it cool in the tin until the tin is just barely warm to the touch, because turning it out too early can cause the fruit-rich cake to crack.
- Feed with a little brandy every week if desired, then leave to mature for at least 2 weeks before decorating.
Feed the cake in small spoonfuls of brandy so the surface stays damp but never soggy, which can soften the crumb and make the marzipan slip.
- Cover with marzipan and royal icing before serving.
Keep the cake wrapped tightly in parchment and foil so it does not dry out; bring it back to room temperature before icing so the surface is firm, not sweaty.
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