Last minute Christmas cake recipe
Comments(238)
Over the years we have tried various Christmas cake recipes but the best by far was the one that we made last year, a week before Christmas. We wanted a cake packed with fruit but not a dark heavy traditional type of Christmas cake. We’d had to force down too many slices of these in the past.
My Mother used to make us these and bring one each Christmas. Then she decided to buy them. These were worse and not disguised by being fed with lashings of brandy. We’d cut a few slices at Christmas, give her half the cake to take home at the end of her stay and the rest would linger in the larder for weeks and eventually been tossed out with the rubbish. We tried feeding one particularly disappointing one to the birds one year, and even they turned their beaks up at it.
“Make a Christmas cake if you want. But I won’t be eating it,” said Danny, settling in a large armchair to watch the rugby. Faced with this challenge I was determined to bake a cake that even D couldn’t resist.
I skimmed though all our books and found a recipe for a Christmas cake that sounded lighter than usual and tinkered with the ingredients. I replaced the darker ingredients, molasses, stout and muscavado sugar with lighter alternatives. We didn’t cut it until Boxing Day, when I spotted Danny sneaking into the kitchen for a second slice. Slightly paler than a traditional cake, it was packed with fruit, tasted wonderful and kept well. The last slice was tucked into my lunchbox at the end of January.
If you fancy trying a more traditional recipe, here are two links to sites with Christmas cake recipes that look good:
There is a Mary Berry recipe here http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/apricotandbrandychri_77766.shtml
Delia Smith has a range of recipes here http://www.deliaonline.com/search/?qx=christmas+cake
Last minute Christmas cake recipe:
Equipment:
8″ round cake tin (4″ deep), baking parchment.
Ingredients:
- 450g raisins
- 285g sultanas
- 110g currants
- 180g glacé cherries (halved)
- 110g ground almonds
- 225g unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 225g soft brown sugar (pale)
- 285g plain flour (sieved)
- zest of a lemon
- 5 eggs
- 2 tsp of mixed spice
- 2 tbsp of pale runny honey
- 200 ml of beer (I used Speckled Hen)
Method:
- Preheat oven to 160c (140 fan)
- Line the base and sides of the 8″ cake tin with a double thickness of baking parchment. Cut the paper an inch deeper than the tin so that it is sticking above the top rim.
- Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (I use an electric mixer for this).
- Beat the eggs well and add them gradually to the mixture, a little at a time, beating them well. If the mixture curdles beat in a teaspoon of the flour before continuing.
- Using a tablespoon, gently fold in the flour, lemon zest and spices.
- Fold in the beer and honey and stir gently.
- Add the fruit and ground almonds and stir gently.
- Transfer the mixture to the cake tin and make a hollow in the centre of the mixture (roughly 2″ wide and 1″ deep).
- Bake in the centre of a preheated oven for about 2.5 hours depending on your oven, it may need a little longer. Check that it is cooked by inserting a skewer into the middle – this should be clean when removed. The centre should feel firm and springy if touched.
- Turn out onto a wire rack. When it is cold, make a few holes in the top and bottom of the cake (using a skewer) and feed the cake with the Irish whiskey (brandy would be fine as an alternative).
- Wrap the cake in baking parchment and store in a tin or cover with foil until you need it.
Tips and tricks:
- If you are going to cover the cake with marzipan and ice it, put the marzipan on a few days before it is iced so the surface of the marzipan can dry. Otherwise the marzipan can bleed through and stain the icing.
- I sliced off the top of my cake before putting on the marzipan so the top would be flat. Or use the base as the top.
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Hi,
How long before Christmas can this cake be made?
Hi Babs,
If you are going to soak the cake with whiskey I’d say you could make it a month before Christmas.
Hi ,
I havn’t made a Christmas cake for years , but this looks so quick and easy I will be giving it a try . I usually manage to burn the top and am cooking with electric for the first time , so fingers crossed ??
Hi Sharon,
I’d love to hear how it turns out for you!
Thanks for dropping by.
Hi
I love baking though I had not made a Christmas cake before. I thought I’d make one this year as a surprise for a beloved ex-teacher and her headmaster husband, who are now in their 80s.
I searched the net and liked what I saw – both about your recipe & what you’d written. Trusting my instincts I decided to double the recipe and make enough cake to send to a few other people. [I used a 10†x 12†pan]
The cake turned out beautifully; it is now divided into several pieces and stored in air-tight tins, laced [so far] with a cup of brandy. While cutting up the cake, I stole a couple of slices to have a taste of it. My 13-year-old son who confessed he is not a great lover of Christmas cakes found it ‘good’. I think it is excellent!
Bravo for your recipe, and thanks for sharing it!
Kind regards
KC Yong, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Hi Irene
So pleased that our Christmas cake recipe turned out well for you.
Thank you for taking the time to leave such positive feedback.
I think that I might copy you and make a double quantity this year. A small Christmas cake would be a great Christmas present for someone living alone.
i havent made a christmas cake before and i like the look of your recipe i will let you know how i get on
Hi Nancy
Looking forward to your feedback.
Thanks for dropping by and laving a comment.
I have been searching high and low for a last minute recipe.So i would like to say thank you ,you have saved my life.I also liked the look of this recipe bcause it looked easy and my husband liked the [speckled hen bit]i will put another coment on when i have made it so wish me look.I am off to the shops now to get my ingredients.
It sounds good – I am going to give it a go!
Hi Sue,
Thanks for leaving a comment. I hope that the recipe works well for you.
I’d love to hear how you get on.
Hi Kate,
These comments have reminded me to make our Christmas cake! Time seems to be flying by.
Hello,
What would be the gas temperature please.
Angela
Hi Angela,
The gas temperature for this recipe is just over gas mark 2 (baking it at 2 would be fine – you may need a bit longer)
Hi,I really liked the look of your recipe, it seems to simple to make, but i just wondered, if you can used fruit that has been soaked in alcohol, as your recipe doesn’t state this.
Thanks Dawn.
Hi Dawn,
I don’t see why not. You would be adding fluid to the ingredients so subtract the amount of fluid that you used to soak the fruit from the quantity of beer that you add.
The recipe calls for plain flour and has no baking powder, is this correct? what will make it rise? Curious in Canada.
Hi Pamela,
The eggs make it rise. As you can see from the comments above it works!
Thanks for dropping by
For years I threw out the remains of Christmas cake which were too rich and too big. Then I gave up and bought one from a Farmer’s market in Hexham – it was delicious and we have had it for several years. Unfortunately I have just learned that the small firm has stopped working. I am going to try again myself, but I am starting late in the day. I very much like the sound of your recipe. Can you advise me about cutting the recipe to fit a 7” tin? Anne
Hi,
I’ve looked at the receipe and it looks really good, i was just wondering though, due to my job i will not get an opportunity to make a cake till the 21 dec, do you think it is too late?
Thanks
Sarah
Hi Anne,
Most deep Christmas cake tins are 8″. This cake works well in one of them. My other tin (inexpensive from Tesco) is 7″x 3.75″ and the cake works well in this too. Just make sure that you have a double layer of baking parchment that stands at least an inch and a half above the rim.
It is a good recipe and we have never fed this cake to the birds.
Hi Sarah,
The first time that I made this was a week before Christmas and it was great. It’s not the traditional dark cake that takes months to mature. I do splash out on the fruit for it. Choosing the most succulent looking raisins, Provencal cherries etc. I am sure that these make a big difference.
After feeding it with the Whiskey or Brandy I would leave it on the kitchen side (on a rack, covered with a tea towel) for a couple of days before covering with marzipan. Our recipe is here http://www.cottagesmallholder.com/?p=165
Then leave the marzipaned cake on the side (on a rack, covered with a tea towel) as the marzipan needs to dry out a bit before icing or the marzipan will bleed through into the icing.
HI I work in a stroke rehabilitation unit I was looking on the web for a easy recipe for a lady to try and found yours which looks realy straight forward and easy to follow
Hi,
Just some feedback to let you know that I made this cake on Saturday. There was a bit too much mixture for my cake tin, so I made an additional smaller cake. We couldnt wait to try it and cut into the small cake the next day.
Really, the flavour is so good already that, although I bought a half bottle of brandy to feed it, I shant bother to do so as I dont want to spoil what is already delicious. Thanks so much for this recipe.
Margaret
Hi Dawn
I hope that this recipe worked for your lady. This is the only cake that I make!
Hi Margaret,
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave the feedback.
I’m delighted that you liked our recipe!
hi ive not made a christmas cake since high school but i dont have scales could you convert your recipe into cups/ tablespoons for me so i know what to do as i dont want to buy any scales just for this it would be greatly appreciated as i really want to make a christmas cake this year and yours looks the easiest to make thank very much
elizabeth
x
Hi Elizabeth,
I have found an online converter that will calculate the conversions for you. It is easy to use and you can find it here http://www.dianasdesserts.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/tools.measures/Measures.cfm
Good luck with the cake.
Hi Fi, that conversion calculator webpage is the best!! Thanks for the link.
Hi Mildred,
Yes the coversion calculator is very nifty. I’ve only found tables before.
Hi there,
This is my first time at making a christmas cake and i admit i have left it late, but i hate christmas cakes that have been around for a couple of months and also ones that reek of alcohol (although i dont mind a bit!
I am wondering when is the best time to make this cake??? I plan to include all the ingredients minus glace cherries (yuck) but am not sure whether to give it a soaking of whiskey or whether to soak the fruit??? so i have a few questions…
1.) How long do I soak the fruit for and what is best to soak it in?
2.) If I make the cake on saturday (8th) will i need to soak it at all before Christmas and if so how many times and with what?
Sorry am a complete novice but want to knock everyone’s socks off with this cake
Kim x
hi its me again, silly me for forgetting but in the recipe it states to make a hollow about 2″ wide and 1″ deep? what exactly does this mean??
kim x
Hi Kim
I am going to make the cake next week. Any time up until a week before Christmas is fine. This leaves you time to marzipan and ice it.
You don’t soak the fruit for this recipe. I pour on the whiskey when the cake is cold and leave it at that. I don’t carry on feeding it after that. If you leave out the cherries add the same weight of other fruit. In fact I hate candied peel so used cherries instead, so this would be an ideal swap!
A hollow is a crater shape or dip in the centre of the cake – this gives a flatter end result when the cake rises.
This cake is jolly good and well worth making. We have a marzipan recipe here http://www.cottagesmallholder.com/?p=165 – it takes minutes to make and is miles better than the shop bought stuff.
Have just phoned OH in Asda to get the ingredients for your cake, going to make it with 4 kids and assorted pals on Sunday – thanks for spurring me on!
Hi Chaletgirl,
Thanks for leaving a comment. Have fun on Sunday.
After 46 years married to such a great cook I’ve never competed, I find myself single again. I rashly promised to provide the cake for the family Christmas. I’ve made fruit cakes of the mix it all together and cook type (in the six months alone), and yours looked robust enough for an ignoramus like me to try. I gave it a go, even though I don’t know what ‘light and fluffy’ or ‘curdled’ mean with a butter and sugar mixture (what I got looked as if it could be either or both); I know I won’t get away with putting glace cherries in, so I chopped up some dried apricots; I’m a set honey man, so I don’t have runny and gave a nod to dark cakes by using treacle instead; when I tried making a hollow (in the mixing bowl) it filled itself in. so I added flour till it didn’t; I don’t have an 8″ tin so I bumped up the quantities by 25% and used a 9″ one and calculated the cooking time might be a quarter hour longer. And I don’t knowingly have a skewer, but the first time I tested with a knife, it came out clean, so I wonder if I’ve overcooked.
See what I mean about wanting it robust?
It looks beautiful, with a nice flat top. It smells delicious, all fruity and, well, cakey. I’ll write again in the New Year to tell you what it tastes like and whether it behaves well when cut.
We have a Danny in our family too, but he’ll only get crumbs; he’s a Golden Retriever.
One question, though. How much whisky should I feed it with? My experience to date is from adding it before cooking, so there’s no alcohol left when we eat it. One recipe I read said to warn drivers about the liquor – and I certainly don’t want it to be as hazardous as that! So what do you recommend, please?
Thanks very much.
Derek
Hi Derek
Loved hearing how you adapted the recipe – top marks for courage. It sounds as if it worked out well. I’d love to hear how it tastes when the time comes!
I am sorry that I left the whisky off the list of ingredients. I add about 100ml max sometimes a bit less.
i made this cake a couple of weeks ago and put brandy into the holes i made with a skewer i then wrapped it in a double thinkness of baking parchment and wrapped it in kitchen foil and have kept it in the fridge. will it be fresh enough
Hi Nancy,
Yes of course it will. We keep our cake in a cake tin and it lasts for ages in there.
Having poured over my usual books for something traditional but easy to do, I’m so relieved to have found this recipe. Can you tell me whether you use large or medium eggs? Thank you.
Hi Ruth,
I use medium eggs but I’m sure that large wouldn’t have disastrous results.
hi there,
Thank you for your response! I set about making my cake today and was suprised at the amount of batter I made! (had to swap for bigger bowl when adding fruit) The cake has currently been in just over an hour and the smells are wonderful! I wasnt sure quite how much the cake would rise and my tin wasnt quite 3 inches tall as it is a tin where the base slides out with cake intact, so i popped the rest of the batter in a greased loaf tin! Have just removed the loaf tin and the cake looks fantastic!!! Have sampled a small taste of the cake and is nothing like the horrible stodgy Xmas cakes I am used to!! It was lovely! I am going to have major problems getting it out of the loaf tin, its currently sitting upside down on a wire rack in hope it will drop when cool! But just wanted to say thanks for the recipe and am so looking forward to Xmas when everyone else can sample it!!
One more question though, do I need to feed it any alcohol once it is cool? I absolutely love the taste just how it is, but if I dont feed it some alc, will it go dry and horrible? Also can you recommend the best storage instructions before Xmas? I really dont want it to turn into a dry crusty sponge before Xmas!!
Thanks again!
Kim x
Hi Kim
I feed the cake once with 50-100ml of Irish Whiskey. Brandy would do. Then I wrap it in baking parchment and store it in a cake tin until Christmas week. Three days before I plan to ice the cake I make marzipan http://www.cottagesmallholder.com/?p=165 cover the cake with the marzipan and let this dry out overnight (leave the cake on the kitchen side) before putting it into the larder for a couple of days. Once iced, the cake lives in the cake tin.
Hi
Is feeding this cake essential? I’m not too keen on the taste of alcohol in cakes. Is there an alternative method/ingredient?
Thanks Susan
Hi Susan
Feeding the cake makes it last longer. That’s how people can make a Christmas cake in June and eat them on Christmas day. We bought one of these – handmade and award winning and hated it. To me it tasted as if it had been made six months earlier. That’s why we developed our own recipe. Forget vintage cake, I wanted to eat a cake full of life and freshness.
If you make this cake now it will not wither at the edges before Christmas if you don’t feed it. Just store it carefully (wrapped in baking parchment in an airtight tin). It should last a good month. Our cake does not taste of alcohol to me. But we don’t soak the fruit in alcohol and the feeding is minimal.
I cannot find the Christmas cake recipe I have used for over 20 years. Must have got lost when we moved house! We don’t like marizpan and icing so I usually cover the cake with rows of different nuts before I put it in the oven and glaze the nuts when the cake is cooked. Is it OK to do this with this recipe?
Thanks for your help. Jo
Hi Jo
I don’t see why not but I’d cover the top with some baking parchment (a square over the top of the baking parchment on the sides) for the last half of baking so that the nuts don’t burn.
I’d love to hear how you get on.
Yes, we put blanched almonds over the tops of some of our cakes (closely in ever decreasing circles), and cook them without covering for an hour then with a round piece of tinfoil for the rest of the time. The nuts are nicely browned then, just right!
Hi Mildred
Thanks for the tip!
Hi, I always leave it until the last minute to make a cake, so when I saw this recipe I knew it was for me !
I am planning to make two cakes, one for me and one for my boss. I have substituted the honey for homemade marmalde (with whisky), I hope it works out ok? the cake is in the oven now so fingers crossed.
Thank you for the recipe, Loraine
Hi Lorraine,
Thanks for leaving a comment. I’m sure that the marmalade will work.
I made our cake at the weekend. The Christmas pud is being made tonight – how last minute is that!
Help!
I can’t get Speckled Hen…what’s a suitable, widely available alternative?
I take it Newcastle Brown wouldn’t do the job…
Thanks in advance for any advice anyone can offer!
Hi Crystal
Any pale ale will do. I used Duchy Originals ‘Bottle conditioned Summer Ale’ this year.
Newcastle brown would probably do the job. If you want a pale colour avoid the dark beer i.e. Guinness.
Thanks Fiona for saving my sanity! I made the cake which looks fab and am marzipanning it (using your recipe) today. Have also made your cranberry sauce too which is lovely…I think it would complement a nice baked camembert beautifully!
Thanks again for saving Christmas for me. I’m only sorry I discovered the site so recently as I’m catching up on all the older articles in too-small dribs and drabs with being so busy at the mo!
Best wishes to you and your family for Christmas, and to all my fellow readers.
Crystal
Hi Crystal,
I’m delighted that the cake worked out for you. I am going to marzipan mine tonight too.
The cranberry sauce is very good with a creamy cheese like camembert. I hadn’t thought of baking it – brilliant idea for a starter.
Really pleased that you are enjoying the site.
Happy Christmas to you and all your family!
I am going to make it tomorrow. I am dead excited about it. I am going to substitute all sorts of things that I’ve got in the house, like Calvados! The Rayburn is the perfect temperature. Just going to soak some fruit now. I will convert all the grams into ounces, I think, as I am OLD. And then I’ll post them back to you for other oldies.
It’s YEARS since I baked. Suddenly can’t wait.
P
Sorry, I knew I had to look up my blogspot name. There it is. Very despondent it is at the moment.
Hi Polly,
Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment! This is the only cake that I make and I always enjoy baking it.
I do hope that it works out for you!
I have made three Xmas cakes from a different recipe, but is very similar to yours and they are very nice as well. I have never tried covering them with marzipan before, so I got some readymade stuff from the shop. Do you have to ice the marzipan or can you leave as is? Also is the colour of marzipan white when you apply it to the cake? If you have to leave it for a couple of days, I won’t worry about it this year as it is Xmas Eve but I will use it to experiment with.
Your recipe for the cake and the marzipan sounds pretty good so I will try it after Xmas and see what it is like. Also have a merry xmas and happy new year.
Regards, Peter.
Hi Peter
You don’t have to ice the marzipan. But icing it stops the marzipan from drying out. Lots of Christmas cakes are not iced. If this is so the marzipan is often just on the top.
I think that the shop bought marzipan will be yellow. You can colour marzipan and I’ve seen white marzipan on cakes but I don’t know how you make it.
You don’t have to leave it for 2 days. The colour of the marzipan might bleed through onto the icing but it won’t spoil the taste.
We just marzipanned our cake on top last year and added some marzipigs! (http://www.themildredmittensmanufactory.co.uk/TeatimeCelebrationCake.html).
You can obtain a nice effect from toasting the marzipan with the kitchen blowtorch, highlighting the decorations if you wish.
Our marzipan was very yellow last year because the egg yolks were from our own hens fed on a good diet, including some corn on the cobs! By contrast, our marzipan this year is very pale using eggs from Waitrose, even though they are organic/free range. If you really prefer to see yellow marzipan you can of course add some natural food colouring!
Found your recipe while searching for last minute cake and then made two of them, one went into work for my colleagues and each one of them said it was the best cake they had had. compliments all round, thank you it was so easy and i fed it with Brandy on a regular basis for a couple of weeks before i iced it.
Hi Mildred
Love your piggie decorations. Great tip about the blow torch to colour the marzipan, thanks.
I hadn’t thought about it before but of course yellow yolks would make yellow marzipan. How do you get white marzipan (is it simply no egg yolks?).
Thanks for dropping by.
Hi Sue,
I’m so pleased that the recipe was a success. I used Scotch whisky this year to feed mine. The recipe is easy to make and not to heavy to eat. I take a slim slice every day to work for my afternoon tea break.
Thanks for taking the time to make a comment.
covered my cake with marzipan and left it for three days for the marzipan to dry i then covered it in icing and i then put royal icing on it and made it look like snow i then finished it off with a ribbon round the sides and a Santa and a snowman for decoration but i was curious to what it would taste like and i must admit it was moist and very nice tasted i have got three orders from the family for next year thank you so much for such a wonderful recipe
Hi Fi, I dread to think what goes into the supermarket marzipan, to make it ‘white’. For ‘homemade’ marzipan I am sure it depends on the eggs based on what the hens are fed on. When ours were given a sweetcorn for a treat, the egg yolks were very yellow.
Thinking about it, our ice cream is sometimes quite white, then another batch will be very yellow, depending purely on the eggs used. Same with custard.
I like to SEE yellow marzipan, custard, ice cream etc (and I will even use a drop of yellow colouring if the marzi is being used for a Battenburg Cake!) but as long as it’s homemade, it doesn’t really matter what shade it is – it’s going to be delicious!
Hi Nancy
Thanks so much for dropping by and leaving a comment.
I’m so pleased that the recipe worked for you. We love the cake too.
Hi Mildred,
Thanks for that! I love marzipan and Danny always donates his to me. We didn’t get around to making the stollen this Christmas but I will be making it soon and will be interested to see if Danny will enjoy it then!
the only complaint i had was the royal icing was a bit hard but the next time i make it i will add a bit more glycerin
Hi Nancy
I don’t like royal icing. It looks good but is too hard to eat easily.
I made your Christmas cake this Christmas, and it was beautiful. Very moist, not too rich, but very very tasty. Thanks!
Hello Laura
Thank you so much for dropping by and leaving a comment. I have a slice every afternoon at work – a real treat!
Hi there
I am sorry about commenting so late. I live in Sweden but am originally am from South Africa and we also have a Christmas Cake tradition. I baked this here for my husband and his family and they really enjoyed it! It was the first time they had eaten a christmas cake and it was my first attempt at baking one. It was delicious and wonderful to have a break from the Swedish tradtions here and have something that reminded me of home.
thank you!
Hi Michelle
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment! I had the last slice of our Christmas cake yesterday.
Glad that the recipe worked for you.
This fruit cake recipe would make an ideal base for a Simnel Cake for Easter! If made in the next week, then left another week to ‘rest’, the ake could be decorated with marzipan a day or two before Easter Sunday. I use a flat layer of marzipan on top of the cake with 11 small marzipan balls round the edge to represent the Apostles. A quick blast with the blow torch (or pop under the grill) to brown the edges finishes it off nicely!
Hi Mildred
Good thinking. I think that I’ll give this a whirl.
Just had to say this is the BEST Christmas cake I have had. Moist lovely taste. Hightly recommended. I have made two more as it keeps so well and it is a lovely cake to have in store.
I will be watching for further recipes. Well done
Jan
Hi Jan
Thank you so much for leaving such a positive comment. This is the only fruit cake that we both like too.
Just to let you know I cooked this for christmas ’07 (my first ever cake) and it went down a storm. I fed it lots of whiskey
Then my sister surprised me by asking me to bake her wedding cake. So let me just say, not only is this an excelent Christmas cake, it is also a most excelent wedding cake
I iced it with marzipan and royal icing and spent a couple of evenings carefuly polising it with the back of a knife until it was almost mirror smooth.
There was a funny moment when the happy couple went to cut the cake and the knife wouldn’t go through the icing
but some wag shouted “The knife must be blunt!” and everyone laughed *phew!!*
So, thanks for the recipe
and thanks for starting me down the cake making road.
BTW I am a 33 year old and I like to kitesurf, so if I can do it anyone can
monk.e.boy
Hello moke.e.boy
This is the only cake that I make and the only cake recipe that I have invented so was delighted to hear that you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for dropping by.
BTW enjoyed looking at your kitesurfing stuff. amazing!
Hi, I’ve been looking for an xmas cake recipe for this year, and i have to say this looks perfect!
The only problem is that reading about it has now given me cravings for xmas cake (i’m 6 months pregnant) so i suspect we will be making this tomorrow – without the spirits added at the end – so we can eat it as soon as it’s cooled! hehe
Not being able to add the alcohol and this being my first xmas cake gives me the perfect excuse to do a practise run before I make one nearer xmas!
Thanks for the recipe! I’m about to go and look at your other ones now, though i suspect i might have to go and find some food first!
Elizabeth xxx
Update: We baked the cake yesterday! Because of limited options in the shops here we used more raisins instead of cherries (not to total weight), and I chose an organic ale (beautiful golden colour!) instead of a beer. We also used a tin that was around 8inches by 2.5, and the rest of the mix went in a normal victoria sponge tin. To be honest i am not sure how long we baked them for! We actually ended up putting the larger one back in the oven for 15 mins after we’d taken it out of the tin, it was just a touch underdone, but after that time, it was beautiful!! The smaller cake in the victoria sponge tin was also beautiful, the thinner nature of it makes for more of the edge bits of course, and i love that! It would be very easy to make them in those smaller tins for the easter cake, saves messy cutting! The lightness and fragrance of the organic ale and the mixed spices really came through, it was just delicious! When i make this for xmas (this was a trial run) i will lower the fruit content slightly and up the ‘cakey’ part, maybe that’s my pregnancy talking, but that’s how I fancy making it next time
Oh and of course we didn’t add any additional alcohol at the end.
Thank you so much for such a beautiful recipe!
Elizabeth xxx
ps and one more tiny change was that as I had to grind the almnd flour myself I had added a couple of tablespoons of icing sugar to the almond in the food processor to stop it getting oily.
Hi,
I live in Pakistan, and each year I try out a new Christmas Cake recipe. Your recipe sounds good, and I will definitely give it a try. I have many Muslim friends who love Christmas cake, but are not permitted use of alcohol. Can I make it without the beer? Or if you could recommend a non-alcoholic substitute. Thanks for your help.
Hi, I wanted to say what a fantastic recipe this is. I made this on Saturday along with my two children, the old fashioned way, ie no electric mixer, as mine is broken, and it turned out beautifully. It smells wonderful, and after giving it two good drinks of Brandy, have wrapped it and put it away for icing nearer Christmas.
I can definitely recommend this recipe for a truly wonderful, moist and luxurious Christmas cake. I printed out this recipe and have added it to my own collection.
Thank you very much.
This fruit cake recipe would make an ideal base for a Simnel Cake for Easter! If made in the next week, then left another week to ‘rest’, the ake could be decorated with marzipan a day or two before Easter Sunday. I use a flat layer of marzipan on top of the cake with 11 small marzipan balls round the edge to represent the Apostles. A quick blast with the blow torch (or pop under the grill) to brown the edges finishes it off nicely!
Hello
I have today had a rayburn solid fuel cook only range put in could you tell me the temp and time to try this cake in it.
many thanks
sandra
Hello tinysandra
There is a useful link here about setting temperatures on your rayburn http://www.agalinks.com/food/cookery_doctor/1132_3633.htm
I have a conventional oven so cannot help you. Good luck!
Hi
Just a quick question (or two!)…
Does a/the Christmas cake have to be ‘fed’, and if so does it have to be Irish whiskey? Or can it just be iced? Does feeding it whiskey (is there a diff between irish and scottish?) matter? Just curious b4 i go out specially to find irish whiskey!! lol
Cheers
Hi Linda
You don’t need to feed this cake. I just pour on some whiskey (I live with an Irishman) when it’s still warm and that’s it. But you can feed it if you want to. Thi will make it keep longer. Without feeding, ours is fine until the end of January.
When cold, I cover it with marzipan we have a recipe here http://www.cottagesmallholder.com/?p=165 I let it dry for a few days and then ice it.
Scotch whisky or Irish whiskey will have a similar effect.
Hi there. I am also interested in finding out if one has to add alcohol? if i don’t, how do i prevent it from drying out – can i just put it in a airtight container?
tx
Hi Mandymc
I don’t know the answer to your question. You could try using non alcoholic beer in the cake mix. I’e heard that you can soak the fruit in cold tea.
It might be worth Goggling for non alcoholic Christmas cake.
I store ours in a tin.
Just to say, I made this cake last year, my first attempt since school at making an xmas cake!
It is brilliant and I have just made one again for thisxmas!
PLUS I had left-over bits qnd have made amini version to eat now, I think my husband will eat the xmas cake early if I didn’t!!!
I have made the min one with alcohol free beer as that was all I had left (OK, so I must admit that I drank the rest of the speckled hen myself! ROFL)
I will let youknow how the mini one goes!
The normal version looks great as last year.
Hello Jacqui
Thanks so much for leaving this comment. This is the only fruit cake recipe that D eats and really enjoys.
Still have to make mine…
Hi, I’ve only just found this site. Every year I fully intend to make my own xmas cake, but by the time I get round to it it’s too late, and I end up buying one and icing it. One question I do have is if you can leave out the alcohol (as you said somewhere above) what would you replace the liquid with? I’m not worried about it lasting with a husband and 4 teenage boys it doesn’t last anyway!!!
hi how much whiskey/brandy do you use to lace the cake?
Hi, Zoe, and thanks for asking that question.
Fiona is cooking my supper
so I asked her and this is her answer:
The 200 ml of beer adds flavour, not alcohol, because the alcohol evaporates during cooking. Ideally you would want to add the essence of hops, malt etc. that give beer its flavour. But you could omit it entirely and just add 200 ml of water, I guess.
Personally, even if you are strictly non-alcoholic, I would add the beer or a non-alcoholic beer if you are ultra-conservative.
Hi Sam, we use one shot glass (a double measure approximately).
i made this cake for the first time last year and it was so good i have ended up making seven this year for all the family the report i got back was the cake is absolutely delicious but the frill on the cake was stuck solid with the icing so I’ve learnt something this year i will put it on with sellotape next year thank you so much for this amazing recipe
Hi, I know I’m cutting it fine, but I have finally got aroubnd to getting my ingredients, but I’ve picked up dark brown sugar by mistake is this ok? This may be a silly question, but I don’t want to make any mistakes!
Hi Zoe,
Brown sugar is OK. It will make the cake darker but should not affect the flavour.
Thanks for a great recipe. Really easy to follow and very user friendly. I have to say, I used Peroni lager instead of Speckeled Hen – I had my doubts, but it worked and it’s delicious. Really! Merry crimbo cx
i put three teaspoons of glycerine and i still thought the icing was a bit hard any advice you can give me
Hi Nancy
Did you buy Royal Icing? This makes the teeth breaking stuff that’s on wedding cakes. I always use ordinary icing sugar and just make it with water and a little lemon juice. This makes a soft icing with a firm top. Delicious.
Absolutely fantastic recipe! For once we had a home-made christmas cake; not just home-iced! Everybody loved it and said they couldn’t believe it was made only days before christmas. Thank you so much!!!
Many thanks for a beautiful Christmas Cake, even my nut hating son eats it by the slab. I will definitely be making this again next Christmas. I changed some cherries for cranberries and that worked just as well.
hi ive made some cakes in my time but i must just say this is by far the best christmas cake ever it is moist it is tasty it is easy to make 10/10 wow delicious
mary on 13th anuary 2009
Cant thank you enough for your beautiful recipe,although I only got to have one piece!!! because I had taken it to my new daughterinlaws for Christmas day thinking I would get most of it back because it wouldn’t get eaten as usually happens, but they loved it and it was all gone before I could get back for more,keep up the good work it really blessed me, I am thinking of makeing another one before next christmas just to indulge myself, only this time only take half to my daughterilaws
Hi Mary
Thank so much for dropping by and making a comment.
I don’t like fruit cake but I love this recipe. None of this cake is ever thrown away.
this year if anyone wants me to make them a cake ive told them i will charge £10 each and the money i collect is going to a childrens charity
Hello Nancy
Great idea! We are still enjoying our cake.
Fiona, I just wanted you to know that I made your christmas cake recipe, with a twist. I converted it to gluten free, and it came out fine. I even used a wheat-free beer, and the cake had great flavor, and was very moist.
Hi Michelle
Thanks very much for the feedback. Great that it can also be coverted to a gluten free recipe.
Hi
Just to let you know I made this cake, thanks for the reply to my earlier question. Have just finished the last piece…..it was so totally yummy, I will definitely be making another this year! xx
Hello Linda
Great! I love this cake too. I’ve still got a few slices left. Considering making it for Easter as it’s great to have a slice of cake every now and then.
Hi,
I found this recipe when frantically looking for a quick xmas cake to make with my daughter(3) in November 08. Thanks for posting this, it was fantastic – so easy for my daughter to make (with a little help) and she delighted in telling everyone how she had put beer in it!! It tasted lovely and didn’t even see new year, all our family and friends really enjoyed it. My daughter already has orders for next year! lol.
i’ve just made this as a last minute wedding cake request-i made 2 cupcake size ones with a little of the batter to taste and even hubby who hates fruit cake fought me for one!
Hi Rachel
We love this cake too and are not normally fruit cake fans.
Thanks for leaving a comment.
I am planning on trying to cook this for Christmas this year, but am considering leaving out the currants and the cherries. Is there anything you can recommend that I should add instead of just increasing the quantities of the others? Also, sorry if you have answered this elsewhere, but what type of icing did you use?
Thanks!
Hi Jane
Great that you are going to try this cake. Remember that this is a last minute Christmas cake. It’s much lighter than a traditional cake so doesn’t keep for months. Usually I make it a couple of weeks before Christmas and have the last slice sometime in January. It’s eaten within six weeks.
Alternative ingredients are dried apricots and candied peel.
I always use soft icing over homemade marzipan.
I made this cake a couple of weeks ago – a bit of a test run if you like (me baking = disaster usually). Making another one this weekend as the other one has been eaten – it was fab-u-lous! Best cake I’ve ever tried. I cut out the currants and made up the weight with raisins & sultanas last time – deciding whether to use dried apricots or dates this time…
I love the sound of this recipe, so I have printed out the article, and will be making it in December, I always end up making a cake at the last minute, so it’s good to actually have a ‘last-minute’ recipe to follow!
Hello JG
Yes I love this cake too. It’s very forgiving as you can play with the ingredients a bit too.
Thanks for leaving a comment.
Hi Diane C
I’m always way behind preparing for Christmas and this recipe always saves the day.
Thanks for dropping by.
Hi Fiona
Last year I decided to make your Chistmas cake at the last minute and it proved so popular with my family, I’ve made two this year.
I’ve also used your Christmas pudding recipe again this year.
I’m so glad I stumbled upon your site nearly a year ago. These two recipes are brilliant and I always look on your site now if I need a specific recipe.
Thanks.
I used this recipe last year and made them for my family, will be making several today, this time for friends aswell as family!! This recipe is a winner and soo easy.. The feeding with extra Brandy and soaking the fruit the night before always helps :0)
Thanks
Having discovered this recipe, I had to bake the cake as soon as possible; just couldn’t wait, as usual! It’s in the oven now, and smells wonderful. The trouble is I think I’ve jumped the gun here – the cake is going to be elderly by Christmas Day (bit like myself!) – do you think it would freeze down ok?
Fenella8,
I have already made mine and aslong as you feed it with plenty of brandy every week, it will kepp til the new year!! Well I did last year and I wasn’t ill tee hee … hic :0)!
Hello.
Last minute Christmas cake,Sounds just what I’m looking for.And seeing as I’m very late baking mine,I’m looking forward to trying your recipe out.I like the sounds of it not being dark heavy.So will leave a message on how I get with this one.
Simon
Hello Ben
Great that you like my Last Minute Christmas Cake recipe. I’m not keen on fruit cake but I love this.
Hope that you enjoy the Irish Christmas pud too.
Thanks so much for leaving a comment.
Hi Michelle
Thanks for the tip about soaking the fruit in brandy – I’m going to try that this year.
Hi Fenella8
The cake freezes well but as Michelle points out below – if you feed it with brandy it will keep for weeks.
Thanks Michelle for the tip on how to extend the life of your cake!
Hi Simon
I’d love to hear how it works out for you!
Freeze or brandy? … freeze or brandy? brandy it is then! Thanks!
Hi Fenella8
Go for it!
Hi,
First of all let me thank you for posting this recipe.I’ve done my search on how to make Christmas cake and yours is the winner. This is my very first attempt to make a Christmas cake. My hubby loves it! In fact, I made it twice now trying on different fruits. The first time I used frozen blackcurrant ( i thawed it of course), the outcome is a nice tasting but crumbly cake. The second one I used dried cranberry instead of blackcurrant, it still crumbles when cut. You can’t get Speckled Hen beer from where we are so I used a German beer with a malty taste. I fed the cake 4 times in a span of 5 days with a blended scotch whisky. Please let me know what am I doing wrong?
Hello Marie
I am wondering if you used plain flour? I think not sticking to the ingredients on the list might have been a mistake too.
I make this each year and it’s never crumbly. Sorry not to be able to give you a solution.
I’d love to hear how you get on.
Hi,
Yes I’m using plain flour. I’ll try to look for a better substitute for Speckled Hen beer, maybe it’s the culprit (?). I will let you know the outcome.
Thanks so much.
Hi marie, you can get speckled hen from asda… As fn says, if you stick to the recipe then it will not be crumbly.. I have used this recipe last year and this and have made no less than 12 cakes each have been fantastic. Stick to the fruit listed in the ingredients. the only exception is with soaking fruit in brandy and feeding the cake. this recipe is fool proof, (and I am no pastry chef)… tee hee.
Well done fn fab recipe :0)
Hi Marie
I use any ale or beer which is the cheapest in the supermarket. I don’t go for the Smartprice/Value products but this year I found a bottle of 500ml for £1 in Asda, so it was enough to make 2 cakes. I can’t remember what it was called but a quick scan of the shelves will often bring a bargain.
Good luck.
Ben.
Thank you all for the helpful advices. I’ve got no problem with the taste. We are in Asia that’s why it’s quite difficult to get the exact ingredients required. Dried cranberry is very much available here as well as blueberry and for the beer, I’ll use the same. It wasn’t that crumbly specially if the cake slice is thicker than the usual (which is what my husband always tend to do). So I will still keep this recipe because the cake is really yummy for my boys’ tummies.
Hi Michelle
Thanks for that. I love our Christamas cake and even D eats it and he doesn’t like fruit cake.
Hi Ben
I use Speckled Hen as I really like the beer and it’s great to drink the rest with supper.
Hi Marie
I think if you stick to all dried ingredients (no fresh fruit)your cake should work well
Hello, i found this reciepe a few weeks ago. I got all the ingredients and we made the cake yesterday, it looks so yummy, roll on next sunday when we can try it. Thank you fo this reciepe.
Hi Jaimie
I must make mine too. Thanks for dropping by.
i was thinking of making up butter icing to decorate my chrismas cake but i was wondering if the icing will be ok by christmas and it wont go sour
Hi
I’ve never made a Christmas cake before. In fact I’ve never made a fruit cake before. But planning one for a Christmas party this year. Could you please let me know why it’s important to make a hollow in the centre of the mix once it’s in the cake tin?
Many thanks!
Hi Nancy
Store the cake in a tin wrapped in parchment paper and then ice it near to Christmas.
Hi Martin
The cake will rise much more in the middle. The dip is there to counteract this a bit. The cake also cooks more evenly with a dip.
Thank you. I’ll let you know how I get on. Fingers crossed!
what i wanted to know is the icing i fancied to put on the cakes was butter icing but if i did it now would it be ok by christmas or would it go sour
Hi Nancy
I wouldn’t take a chance putting butter icing on your cake now. If you are going to put buuter icing on your cake, store it in a tin and ice it nearer to Christmas.
Well our practice cake is done. Gorgeous!!! We love it and will be making another one for christmas
Hello…I also made my practice cake…And its great…I will get the real verdict on saturday when my family are here to test it…I give it 10/10….If your going to make a cake this christmas,Make it this one. Simon
Hi Jamie and Simon
Thank you so much for dropping by and leaving these comments. This is the only Christmas cake that I like
Just bought the ingredients to make my Christmas cake this afternoon but discovered I have the wrong size cake tin. A quick dash to Homebase to get the right size tin and I’ll be ready. Will let you know how I get on x
Thank you very much for this great recipe.
It was the star of our Kick-Off-The-Festive-Season party yesterday.
Delicious!
Martin
Hello Martin
Good news, I’m delighted
Thank you for this recipe.
I have just tried it for the first time and my cakes have just come out of the oven. I was wondering if i have to leave them in the tins to cool down for a bit or whether they can be turned out immediately. They look fab and i would hate to get it wrong at this point and risk them collasping.
Hi Sue
Let tem rest for a few minutes (5) and then turn them out onto a cooling rack while they are still warm as they will continue to cook in the tins.
OK just made the cake and now I need help! Tested it after 2 and a half hours and the middle (where the hollow was) was very pale and quite damp with some liquid on top. I dabbed off the damp part with kitchen roll and put back in the oven for another 15 mins. Kept testing and after another 45 mins thought maybe this is just how it’s supposed to be? Didn’t want to cook it for much longer in case it overcooked.
So I left in the tin for 5 mins and then turned out onto a plate ( I haven’t got a cooling rack). As I pulled the parchment paper off (as gently as I could manage) a lot of the cake came away stuck to it at the sides so it is a bit of an uneven shape now. Made me think was I meant to grease the parchment paper?
Then when I saw the bottom of the cake is very pale coloured, a soft texture and when I touched it with my finger it didn’t spring up. Now I’m wondering should I have cooked it for longer? Can I now put it back in the oven or is it too late? Or maybe it will firm up if I leave it a bit?
Any advice please? I feel a bit rubbish because everyone else has said how easy the recipe is!
Hi Tammy
Yes it’s undercooked. The skewer should be clean and the centre springy. I don’t think that you can rebake a cake but you could freeze it in portions to serve as a rich pudding.
You are not rubbish I reckon your oven is at fault. It might be worth investing in an oven thermometer – they are about 4 quid to check the temperature.
What a fantastic recipe. I made the cake two days before Christmas, substituting 90g prunes and 90g apricots for the glace
cherries. I also omitted the honey but ‘fed’ it with 2 tablespoons
of Brandy after baking. This recipe will definitely be used again
and again!
Can’t believe it’s the first Christmas Cake I’ve ever made – what a success, I’ll definitely do it again. Like Beatrice, I didn’t have honey so added a small amount of golden syrup and I love walnuts so threw in a large handful roughly chopped. Yum!
Hello Beatrice
I’m really envious. I bought all the ingredients but ran out of time so it will have to be a New Year cake!
Hi Carol
The great thing about this recipe is that you can experiment with the ingredients and it always seems to turn out well. This is the only fruit cake that I like
Thanks you so much for this lovely recipe.
I have never made a Christmas Cake before, I can’t believe it was so was so easy and tasted so yummy. I fed mine with Rum and everyone commented how lovely and light and moist it was.
Hi Fiona,
I’ve been reading your blog for a while now, but your lovely Christmas recipes have driven me out of lurksville!
I cooked your crimbo cake and pud recipes and they both went down a storm with my family over the festive season. My mother-in-law said it was the best Christmas pud she’d ever had! Thank you for that one.
I cooked two puddings and by Boxing Day both had gone (this is a first in our house, they normally linger in the back of the cupboard until March and then get chucked out)!
The Christmas cake is still going strong, but is rapidly diminishing daily. They will definitely be a part of my Christmas repertoire in the future.
Happy New Year! love Claire x
The reviews on this cake made me try it, in fact it is the first Christmas cake I have ever made. I have made the cake and fed it some brandy. Do you have to wait awhile before you eat it, or can you dive straight in?
Thanks.
Sarah.
Hi Donna
Brilliant that the recipe turned out so well for you! I didn’t have the time to make one this Christmas and am missing it.
Hi Claire
Thank you so much for coming out of lurksville.
Happy New Year to you
Hi Sarah
You can dive straight in!
Hi,
I am planning on making this cake for my family this year having never attempted a christmas cake before. It sounds delicious. My only query is, my Mum does not like nuts so I will be making this a nut free recipe. Should I add addtional friut or something else to make up the missing ingredient?
Thanks,
Nikki
Hi Nikki
Yes add something of similar wieght – how about candied fruit for a different texture?
This is a last minute Christmas cake so don’t make it before mid December!
I will be attempting this recipe but would like to leave out the cherries,do i just add more of the other fruits??
Hi Lorraine
Yes just use the same weight of other fruit.
Hi
I have just stumbled across your recipe and I think I may just have to try it out. I made a cake a couple of years ago from my Grandmother’s old recipe and it was very rich…two months of feeding with brandy!!
I have a 14 month old son now so I do not have the time to spend on such a tradition! I am going to attempt it next weekend. Will let you know how I get on!
I’m looking online at the moment for Christmas cake ideas and found this post. I’m sure to give this a try this Christmas and I hope to be able to show you my final cake, if it looks right!
Hi!
I have just made this cake for the first time – haven’t tried it yet but it looks pretty good. This was a practice run, and I’m taking it home to my parents this weekend. I’m sure it will go down a treat.
I used Hobgoblin instead of Speckled Hen and am sure it will come out fine. I had to mix everything by hand as I don’t gave an electric whisk… My arm ached afterward, I’ll tell you that! Was a bit worried it wouldn’t be airy enough, but the cake rose like a champ, phew. In fact, the ‘make a hollow’ bit didn’t work at all, so I have rather a dome-shaped cake, but that doesn’t matter. I’ll just cut off the excess for the cake I make just before Christmas.
I also ended up cooking the cake for about four hours as the knife kept coming out sticky; it’s not scorched on top, though, so it’ll be fine.
Thanks for the recipe, can’t wait to taste our finished article!
Hi i really like the look of this recipe which also seems to be a big hit with everyone so i am going to use it as my first ever attempt at baking a Xmas cake, i got all my ingredients today and am all set to go tomorrow, the only thing is i only have a 9″ round tin 3″ deep, will this be ok or do i need to alter ingredients or cooking time??
have to make a christmas cake for the school fayre on saturday left it a bit late!!! But this recipe sounds perfect quick and easy.I am also going to try doblig the recipe will let you know how it turns out.
Made this cake in 2 x loaf tins, so I could eat/test one and keep the other.
Tweaked the recipe a tiny bit and soaked the fruit in 200ml of brandy first.
Tasted really great can really taste the booze which I prefer. Unfortunately so good that the 1st one is demolished and now I will have to make another couple.
(As the first one won’t be big enough on it’s own)
Thanks for the recipe, much nicer than the dark heavy sticky cakes that hang around far too long after Christmas.
Cheers, Ettie.
Hi,
Really like your recipe me and the sister in-law are cracking on in about 5 mins or so. Will let you know how it turns out. Fingers crossed.
Thanks Sharni and Debbie.
Hi,
So glad I found this recipe again, made it last year with a few of my own tweaks on ingredients and loved it, thought I would never find it again this year and thankfully I have. xx
hi could you please tell me when i add the brandy and how much marzipan and icing i need and when to do all that final stuff , am off to asda now toget ingredients this is the first time i have ever made a xmas cake many thanks
Made today, looks and smells fab, if wrapped up then iced will it keep til Christmas
Hello Jayne
Yes it will last till Christmas and well into January. Keep it wrapped in greasproof paper in an airtight tin before applying marzipan and icing after a few days.
Must make my cake soon. It’s the only fruit cake that Danny likes.
You add the brandy when the cake is cold. Then wrap it up in greaseproof paper in an airtight tin until a week before Christmas. Apply the marzipan – our recipe for maripan http://www.cottagesmallholder.com/easy-marzipan-recipe-and-a-few-icing-tips-165 will give you enough for the cake and a few sweets (just press walnuts/glace cherries into balls of marzipan that have been rolled in sugar). One pack of icing sugar should be enough but remember to make it very, very thick.
Hi Tessa
As long as our site is still going strong the recipe will always be here!
I have made 2 today, one without ground almonds as I needed a nut free 1 so I used semolina instead and it has turned out fine just glad I added chopped nuts into the other so I can tell the difference,
Thanks xx
I made this cake the other day, I added the zest of an orange and the juice of halr the orange (minused this quantity from the beer) added whole alomonds and soaked the fruit in tea while preparing the other ingedients (no reduction to liquid) and…. IT IS AMAZING, smelt so delicious we have already had a slice (plan to ice over and put a santa so no one will know
) this is by far the best chritmas cake I have ever made. I try new recipes regularly but i have found my favourite and am sticking to it for the years to come.
Thank you for the inspiration
My Mum passed away just last month – she always made my cake for me at Christmas. And so at the ripe old age of 52, the time has come for me to have a go at baking my own cake! I am not averse to cooking & baking – but when your Mum makes such a heavenly cake, there has never been a reason to make one myself. I’ve really enjoyed reading through the comments and I think this looks like the cake for me. I’m going to go for pre-soaking the fruit overnight in some Bushmills that I found in hubby’s whisky cupboard! (He sneered at me when I suggested using one of his vintage scottish malts!). Baking tomorrow assisted by my daughter. Quite excited about it now! ps> my Mum also made the best mince pies ever – the pastry was so short it just melted away in your mouth! Lovely memories!
I came across this recipe by accident whilst looking for some alternate Christmas cakes to bake (am an ex-pat living in Poland) and just love the look of it. Although I have made my traditional cake already (which is busy pickling in a lot of whisky), I’m going to try this one too as I think it’ll be more suitable for children and those who like a lighter cake.
Hi:)
Just a quick question: What is in “mixed spice”?
I live in Denmark…
I’m hosting a cake-party for the family on Boxing day and would love to treat them to something new;)
Tried it and loved it! So did my husband. Used a square tin for easier cutting. Didn’t bother with the lemon zest but put a good squeeze of fresh lemon in the royal icing. Will be making this one from now on. Thanks for the recipe.
this cake was amazing im not gifted at baking and i don’t even eat christmas cake but i made this for my mother and she said it was amazing and surgested i brought from a shop. thanks to the large size it ended up being split into 3 parts and sent to grandma, aunt and mother and they’ve all told me to make them one next year so ive got my work cut out next year thank you so much.
This is the recipe I have been searching for!
Thank you so much. I came across it as I was so late making my Christmas cake this year (the actual week of Christmas !)
I loved the cake so much that I shall use this recipe again next year, whether I am short of time or not!!
I was in the Middle East when I made it and couldnt get my hands on a bottle of ‘Speckeled Hen’ or similar beer to put in, so I had to use a bottle of Heineken that was lying around! It turned out great in any case – eventhough the beers are so different!
I’m looking forward to trying the recipe with the real beer next year – This is such a wonderful site, I’m glad I found it, and is one of the few that I have bookmarked and actually gone back to time and time again.
Do you have any photographs showing how this cake looks. I am wanting to make a wedding cake using this recipe and would like to see how light it is as would like to keep it looking traditional but do not have a lot of time.
Yes I’d like to see a picture too please…. I’m also making a wedding cake and LOVE the sound of this recipe… If I added cherry brandy would that be ok? and would it make it slightly darker? as this would help make it look more traditional.
I am sooooo impressed with this cake, it is proper scrumscious and moist and sweet and just delicious, even those in the family who don’t like fruit cake tried and actually liked… looks like I’m going to be busy at christmas
)
My cake lasted only 3 days as everyone wanted some LOL
I stuck to the recipe except I used dark sugar, just to make it look a little darker.
I didn’t feed it with any whisky or anything but to be honest I am happy with the way it tastes but I will feed the next one just to see what difference it makes.
Thank you for the recipe x
I just had to leave another comment about this cake… probably just talking to myself lol but if anyone does drop by soon then this’ll be worth it. The 1st cake I bade was excellent and I was really happy with it, as were my family, I made it again but doubled the recipe to make a 12″ base for a wedding cake for my cousin. I laced it with cherry brandy the next day and wrapped it up to store for 3 weeks. I have to say what a difference it made with after it had been left to mature
) and it was loved by everyone at the wedding! I was sooooo proud 
) so Thank you so much for this recipe and if anyone is worried about how this will turn out…… don’t be!!! it’s fabulous!
Thank you! It’s the only fruit cake that Danny happily eats – shame as everyone else loves it too
Great Recipe post thanks
Christmas Fruit Cake Recipe
Hi
This recipe sounds lush I have never made a fruit cake before and am relatively new to baking. I do not like dark fruit cakes so this sounds perfect!! I love the marzipan layer my mum puts through her simnel cake do you think this would work with this recipe or even using marzipan chunks mixed through? Can’t wait to have a go at cake this weekend!!
Many thanks
Hi there,
I just had to leave a comment. I just took this fruit cake out of the oven late last night and I am lost for words. A beautiful perfectly level hazelnut brown sweet smelling miracle. I searched the web high and low to find a recipe for a fruit cake that isn’t as rich as the traditional Christmas cake.
My 40th birthday is next week so I wanted to bake a nice cake and as soon as I saw this recipe I thought “this is for me”. I used a coring tool and removed a sample from the centre of the cake and I am delighted with the texture and it has cooked perfectly. Sample back in place now and once iced, no one will be any the wiser. It will be a true test for me not to make a start on it before the big day.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I will not use another one now. I work as an engineer at sea, and when home I love to bake as it is therapeutic. Even more so when you find a great recipe which incorporates your favourite beer.
Keep up the good work, and thanks again.
Tom
Hi Tom…. isn’t it an excellent cake!!!! I was so impressed with it, although unlike you I wasn’t able to resist temptation
/ but because it was so delicious and everybody liked it it is now the official family recipe to be used through generations to come 
) I’m going to write a little diary to hand down with it starting with my search for a good recipe and this website 
) so hopefully this web site/page will be going for many years to come! I’ve recommended this page & it’s recipe to everyone I know who bakes cakes at Christmas.
Happy 40th Birthday for next week Tom…. I hope you have a great celebration and everyone enjoys the cake! … post a pic for us all to see yea?
Take care… K
I like the sound of this cake and would like to try it, how long would you bake the cake for if you used this amount in 2 smaller cake tins?
Hi Chris
Sorry but I have no idea
All I know that this mix/tin works. Tin came from Tesco basics range and was v cheap!
Hello Katrina,
Many thanks for your birthday wishes. The celebrations have now come and gone and the cake was an amazing success. The party was a small intimate gathering of 10 people including my good lady andI. As a result, I now have 3 orders for Christmas cakes. That is just under 40% of the guests, so that is what I call success. It is simply a great recipe.
As per your request, nothing would please me more than to post a pic or two, but I don’t appear to heve the facility to do so. Perhaps there is an e-mail address to which I can send them? Then you could post them for me as I am sure you have more administrative privileges than the rest of us.
Once again, thank you for the birthday wishes and the fantastic recipe.
Kindest regards,
Tom
Fruit soaking in brandy,tomorrow i will make this cake if it turns out well i will be making ten more for family and friends.I will let you know how it goes.This is my first ever xmas cake .thanks for the recipe kind regaurds Linda
I am a Brit living in Canada and want to make this amazing sounding cake. I want to use a 9″x5″ and 8″x4″ loaf pan but could you tell me how long to bake the cake for? Thanks.
Hi Jane
I just don’t know. All that I can guarantee is that it works in my cake tin that I point to in the recipe. Sorry!
Hi Jane,
)
When you bake your cakes in the loaf tins, all you need to di is keep an eye on them, the colour isn’t dark like a usual christmas cake so testing with a wooden skewer in the middle to see if it comes out clean. I’m not sure if your aware of these two tips so i’ll mention them anyway, when you turn the oven on, place an oven proof container, such as a loaf tin, 1/4 – 1/2 filled with water, this prevents anything you bake from drying out, also wrap brown paper or news paper around the outer of your cake/loaf tins, secured with string, this is to protect the outer of your cakes from burning or becoming too brown whilst the middle is still cooking.
I’ve not baked this cake in a laof tin as yet but it’s bound to be quicker than in the size tin Fiona used. I did mine in a 12″ round tin and it took a good few hours, I also placed water on the bottom of the oven and wrapped my cake tin in paper. The cake turned out perfect and was absolutely delicious
Hope you get on ok with yours.
x
Jane, fruit cakes are very adaptable, and ovens vary, so times in recipes are only guidelines. If you change the tin size, the cooking time will definitely change, but it just means you need to check it early and often.
If you’re baking 2 smaller ones, they’ll take less time. So check after an hour, an hour and a half, and so on, until they passes the skewer test. When I baked my cakes yesterday I used my mother-in-law’s recipe, which is for a size of tin I don’t have. She told me to bake it for 4 hours (!) at 120C, but when I checked, they weren’t cooked, so I just carried on until they were, about 5 hours for the larger one!
Dear Fiona, (cottage Smallholder extraordinare)
Thanks again for your lovely website – a three-year thread on this particular topic shows just how good you and your readers are. Forget Delia! Good bye Mary Berry – we have all the answers here with you.
I’ll be making mine in a deep square tin. No marzipan. No icing. Just fruity, boozy glorious Christmas cake! All our friends from overseas love it, and Ooop North, where some of my family come from, it goes down a treat with a slice of Wensleydale cheese.
Fiona and everyone who has contributed to this thread,
This year I’m going to do it. I’m going to bake my first Christmas cake and if it looks good I might bake a few for friends too. I’ll get the ingredients this week and I’ll be very choosey. But first, a few questions. What does the beer do? Can I change it for mead, as I like the sound of that. but it may be too sweet. Has anyone tried feeding with amaretto instead of brandy/whisky. And finally can you recommend where I might purchase cheap cake tins?
Very excited!
Hi Karen
This cake is delicious. But I reckon that it’s not a keeper.
The beer and whisky will give it a longer life span. It’s designed to be just what it says on the tin – a two month cake. Mead would work but it doesn’t have the umph of beer. Ameretto would also work but make the cake much sweeter. Cheap cake tins? Tesco did me proud.
I’d be cautious about using mead, unless you have a very sweet tooth. I think it could turn out sickly. You’d have to radically cut down the sugar, but that might have other effects.
I feel the taste of amaretto would be overpowering too, but hey, if you like the flavour, why not try it?
I’m going to take your good advice and be cautious. As this is my first attempt I shall stick to the recipe. I’ll get experimental in 2012 with next years batch!
Thank you
Wise move!
Best Xmas cakeive ever made so easy.
Hi Jackie
Great news. I love it too!
Hi.
Its my first time to bake a christmas cake, never really enjoyed eating them before. Tried half the recipe and made it with Guiness Beer, turned out absolutely amazing. Sweet and divine. We have already eaten two thirds of it. Thank u for sharing this, its great.
I live in South Africa and bake for a living.
I made this cake last year and it was really good. All my family loved it and my Mother in Law asked for the recipe.
Sorry to be an idiot but I have never made ANY type of cake before. I have just followed your recipe really carefully and it is currently in the oven. Just one question HOW MUCH Irish Whiskey should I use? I have a 1ml syringe to inject it with but I have no idea how much to give it – please advise me!!
Hi Jenny,
You are not an idiot. The amount of whiskey is entirely up to you! I use a half to a full average wine glass of whiskey depending on how generous I feel.
MANY THANKS, I THINK THAT I WILL FOLLOW YOUR ELAD AND BE GENEROUS!!
Ok I made my first Christmas cake. To my horror the mixture curdled after the third little bit of egg went in, I put in a tsp of flour and continued to put in alternating eggs then flour until all the eggs were in. The mixture looked a little moist when I poured it in the cake tin and it would not hold the hollowed shape. It seemed to cook well, the skewer was clean after dipping in. It looked pretty good with its raised top and it mostly looked good when I cut it. Except it was ever so slightly doughy/not cooked in the very centre. I tasted lovely (everyone said so and they came back for more, which is pretty brilliant) It just looked a bit messy as the centre didn’t want to slice nicely. Could it be that I used a spreadable type of unsalted butter, instead of the traditional?
Hi.
I used marzipan and iced cake with royal icing yesterday. I have not poured whiskey over cake once baked, as I loved the taste as it was. How long will I be able to keep this cake and what would be the best way to store it. I used your wonderful marzipan recipe and made royal icing using egg whites. Thanks again for this wonderful recipe and may u have a blessed Christmas!
Hi Diana
When I make this cake it is eaten within six weeks or so I’ve not had the chance to test out how much longer that it will keep. It’s not a traditional Christmas cake that will keep for months but it will keep for a few weeks. I wrap mine loosely in grease proof paper and store mine in an airtight tin in a dry place away from direct sunlight.
Happy Christmas!
I LIVE IN CYPRUS AND OUR TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS CAKE -BROUGHT BY THE BRITISH-IS VERY VERY HEAVY AND IT IS FEET WITH CONIAC I ALWAYS HATED IT LAST YEAR I WANTED AN ALTERNATIVE RECIPE AND I FOUND YOURS I MADE IT TWO DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS I BAKED IT IN 3 SMALLER PANS AND IT WAS FABULOUS I GAVE THE TWO CAKES TO MY MOTHER AND MOTHER-IN-LAW FIRST THEY LAUGHT AT ME BUT WHEN THEY CUT IT THEY WERE FIGHTING FOR THE LAST SLICES WE ARE ALL VERY ANCTUS TO MAKE IT AGAIN THESE YEAR THANK YOU FOR THAT GREAT RECIPE
After all of the wonderful comments you have all inspired me to make my first Christmas cake in many many years, my husband and I are not fond of dark rich fruit cake so I was delighted to find a lighter version to try.
I baked it today and it smelt delicious, I am Type 2 diabetic so I will resist temptation to try some now and treat myself to a slice at Christmas!
Only one question on “feeding” the cake I do not like whiskey will the cake taste of it or is it more of a preservative and would sherry be an alternative or does it need to be a spirit?
Hi Clemintina
Danny is Irish and I wanted to tempt him to try this cake so I used Irish Whiskey. The cake should not taste of the alcohol. Any substantial alcohol would do – whisky, sherry, brandy, rum etc. In stretched years I’ve just added the beer in the cooking and left out the whiskey. It lasted for several weeks and tasted fine! The added alcohol will add to the lifespan of the cake.
Hi Fiona,
Thanks for that, I will probably go with Sherry as I have some already in stock and I also prefer the flavour.
Cannot wait to marzipan and ice it with your recommendations!
thankyou soo much, iv’e always wanted to make a xmas cake but never had time. well last week me and my children made this cake and really enjoyed the experience. cant wait to marzipan it and ice it, then my kids(9yrs and 4yrs) can decorate it! hope everyone enjoys a slice! thankyou once again
Hi Lianne
It’s so good to hear that you made this cake with your children. Everyone seems to like this cake as it’s not too dark and heavy. In fact it’s perfect for a celebration cake any time of the year. It’s the only fruit cake that D enjoys so it’s a pleasure for me to make at Christmas as I love it too. A slice just fills that ‘i need something sweet’ gap for weeks!
Hello, I am definately making this cake this year and following the exact recipe, however, I would like to soak my fruit in alcohol first. Does this alter the recipe at all? Thank you x
Hi Jenni
I haven’t tried soaking the fruit myself but I know that others that have made this cake have soaked their fruit without disastrous results. So I’d go ahead!
Please advise how to stop the egg adding process not to curdle and how to adjust at the end if the mixture looks very ‘wet’ as I’m sure that is why my first attempt has a doughy centre!
thank you, i will post to let you know how it went
wow cake just out of oven, smells and looks amazing. i was so unsure when mixing ingredients as they looked awful and then my electric mixer broke but it looks fab… soaked fruit for 48 hours in brandy… will deffo be making more of this cake
Hi Jenni
This is the only cake that I make – all year, it’s always a hit
[...] would be fine and it keeps well – if you can stop people eating it! Shamelessly lifted from cottagesmallholder.com and minimally edited. Last minute Christmas cake recipe:Equipment:8? round cake tin (4? deep), [...]
[...] Of course, it’s strictly a bit late to be creation your cake now, though there are tricks to assistance those vigilant on baking during a eleventh hour (any tips you’ve gleaned over a years are welcome). Jane Asher’s last notation recipe has it that heating and shower a fruit in a boozy glass gives an overnight coming and ambience of maturity. Using dim brownish-red sugarine helps. Delia offers a final notation sherry mincemeat cake recipe that can be done on a day itself (if we don’t have adequate to do already) Or try making a lighter version, as a Cottage Smallholder suggests. [...]
I made this cake last year for my parents and they loved it so have made another one this year. I found I had to cook it for longer as it was still doughy in the centre. I give it a couple of feeds of brandy and it tastes delicious.
I’ve just put mine in the oven! Not enough raisins in the cupboard so put in some prunes as well. Fingers crossed…
Hi, I am a 58 yr old man and have never cooked anything more adventurous than beans on toast before. Until I suddenly decided that I wanted to make a xmas cake. Bought all ingredients yesterday, made the cake today and took out of oven 3hrs ago and it looks and smells absolutely gorgeous. Being a non frequent user of our mixer, scales and oven, I found this recipe so easy, and so enjoyable to make. Tomorrow will be attempting to make the marzipan, then icing on Wed, so thank-you for this, now cannot wait until tasting day on the 25th !!.
I made your xmas cake (11th December) and it was an absolute winner. I hate traditional xmas cake and normally it is only hubby that eats it, however, this year the whole family plus guests were tucking in. It’s my first ever attempt at making one and it will be your recipe from now on!!
We are not great fans of Christmas cake and the last one I made many many years ago ended up on the bird table and even the starlings refused to eat it!
So I decided to make this one as we especially do not like rich dark Christmas cakes, this evening we decided to cut into it and try it and to my amazement my Husband said it was the best Christmas cake he has ever had, very moist, light and lots of fruit and cherries, absolutely delicious roll on November so that i can make another one!
Thank you Fiona.
Just wanted to say thank you for this recipe.
Made my first ever Christmas cake as we had the family round this year and hubby and I both cant stand the MILs traditional cake.
I took out the cherries and currant but put in dried apricot instead.
YUM gone before new years….
well- the cake was well recieved by all and didnt last long! took some into work and gave everyone a copy of your recipe and your page. cant thankyou enough.
Just wanted to say a big thank you for this excellent recipe.
I can honestly say this is the best Christmas cake I have ever had. Mosit, light and delicious, must find an excuse to make another one soon!
I’ve made many Christmas cakes over the years – this is definitely the best ever. Luckily no one else in the house likes fruit cake so I’ve had it mostly to myself (!) I still have a few crumbs left but I don’t think I’ll be able to wait till Christmas to make another one!