A Time-Tested Recipe to Make the Perfect Christmas Cake (2024)

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Elaine Lemm

Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking.

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Updated on 10/8/22

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Diana Rattray

Tested byDiana Rattray

Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.

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Prep: 45 mins

Cook: 4 hrs 30 mins

Cool Time: 60 mins

Total: 6 hrs 15 mins

Servings: 12to 16 servings

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There are some parts of a Christmas celebration in Britain which just don't change, especially the traditional Christmas cake. A British Christmas isn't complete without this classic treat on the table. At first glance, making this cake may look complicated because it seems like a lot of ingredients, but it's actually very easy. The secret is to prepare and weigh all the ingredients, and line the tin before you start any mixing. The assembly is straightforward.The rest is an exercise in patience; the wait begins.

The cake needs a long, slow bake and a little TLC. It is packed with sugars, fruits, and brandy, and if the temperature is any higher, the outside of the cake will burn and the inside will be undercooked. Additionally, the cake benefits greatly from resting on a layer of newspaper while it's in the oven; this helps insulate and protect the cake so it cooks evenly. While it's baking, avoid opening the oven door too often, as this may cause the cake to collapse.

Ideally, Christmas cake shouldbe made at least two months before Christmas, which allows ample time for the cake to be fed at regular intervals with brandy, which, in turn, helps to mature the cake. However, if you are making it closer to the holiday, you can be assured the cake will still taste as good, though it may not store as long as a mature one (the brandy helps keep it moist).

If you have time, you can also soak the dried mixed fruits the night before in a little extra brandy and proceed with the recipe the next day, which creates an even more moist cake.

A Time-Tested Recipe to Make the Perfect Christmas Cake (3)

"This cake was excellent. My 9-inch cake pan was not deep, so I used a 9-inch springform pan, which was the perfect size and worked well. Wrapping the pan with parchment was a little tricky, but paper clips helped hold the paper while I tied the twine. It was perfectly baked in 4 hours." —Diana Rattray

A Time-Tested Recipe to Make the Perfect Christmas Cake (4)

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups (525 grams) currants
1 1/2cups (225 grams) golden raisins/sultanas
1 1/2cups (225 grams)raisins
3/4 cup (110 grams) mixed candied peel, finely chopped
1 cup glace (candied) cherries, halved
2 1/3cups (300 grams) all-purpose flour
Pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
See Also
Grandma's Old-Fashioned Peanut Brittle Recipe
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
10 ounces (300 grams)butter, slightly softened
1 1/3cups (300 grams) soft brown sugar
1/2 lemon, zested
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons brandy, plus extra for feeding

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients.
Heat the oven to 300 F/150 C/Gas 2.
Line a deep 9-inch cake pan with 2 thicknesses of parchment or greaseproof paper. Tie a double band of brown or newspaper paper around the outside. This acts as an insulator and helps prevent the cake from burning on the outside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the currants, sultanas, raisins, candied peel, and cherries with the flour, salt, and spices.
In another large bowl, cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the lemon zest. Add the beaten egg to the butter mixture slowly a little bit at a time, beating well after each addition; otherwise, the mixture could curdle. If it does, simply add a tablespoonof flour and mix to bring it back together. If it doesn't, don't fret; the cake will still be delicious.
Carefully fold in half the flour and fruit into the egg and butter mixture, and repeat until fully incorporated. Add the brandy.
Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared cake tin, making sure there are no air pockets. Smooth the surface with the back of a spoon and make a slight dip in the center—this will rise again during baking to create a smooth surface for icing the cake.
Use a paper towel to clean up any smears of cake batter on the parchment so they don't burn. (It won't affect the cake; it just doesn't smell good.)
Stand the tin on a double layer of newspaper in the lower part of the oven. Ifyou have a gas oven, ensure the paper is well away from any flame. Bake in preheated oven for 4 1/2 hours. If the cake is browning too rapidly, cover the tin with a double layer of parchment paper after 2 1/2 hours.
Check the cake after 4 1/2hours. It should rise well and be a deep brown all over. Insert a skewer or fine knife into the center of the cake; it should be clean when you pull it out. If the dough sticks when you pull it, return the cake to the oven for a little longer.
Cool the cake on a wire rack for an hour, then remove it from the pan to cool completely. Then, prick the surface of the cake with a toothpick or skewer and slowly pour over 2 to 3 tablespoonsbrandy. Repeat this feeding every two weeks up until Christmas.
Store the cake wrapped in greaseproof or parchment paper in an airtight tin, until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Tips

The cake is lovely with aglass of port.In northern England, Christmas cake is often served with a slice of cheese, preferably Wensleydale or a crumbly cheddar.
If mixed spice isn't available or you don't have the ingredients to make your own, you can use pumpkin pie spice mix instead. They're very similar.
The difference between raisins and sultanasis important to theChristmas cake, as each brings something different to the cake.
Christmas cake is often made with brandy, but rum, whiskey, and sherry are common, too.
If you don't have a deep 9-inch round pan, you may use a 9-by-3-inch springform pan.

Recipe Variations

Replace the lemon zest with the finely grated zest of a large orange.
Add about 3/4 to 1 cup of finely chopped almonds (about 75 grams).
For an alcohol-free cake, replace the brandy with apple juice or fresh orange juice.

Can You Freeze Christmas Cake?

Whether making the cake well ahead of the holidays or preserving leftovers, Christmas cake freezes beautifully. Wrap it well in plastic wrap and then wrap it in heavy-duty foil. Place the frozen cake (or slices) in zip-close freezer bags and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
If the Christmas cake is iced, freeze the cake or slices first and then wrap.
Defrost frozen wrapped Christmas cake at room temperature for at least 4 hours or overnight.

What's the Difference Between Fruitcake and Christmas Cake?

The recipes for these two traditional holiday baked goods can be very similar. (And then there's Christmas pudding, which confuses, too.) Christmas cake and fruitcake often refer to the same thing: a cake with lots of candied dried fruits in them, a spicy-sweet flavor profile, and the presence of an alcohol such as rum. However, the American version of fruitcake often differs significantly from British Christmas cake, which is typically a moist, dense fruitcake draped in fondant and often decorated festively for the holiday season. American fruitcake is often maligned because it's often associated with the mass-produced types that line grocery store shelves; homemade fruitcake is far superior.

Fruitcake Recipes and Tips

British Desserts
Cakes
Fruit Recipes
Christmas Desserts
British Food

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
585	Calories
17g	Fat
107g	Carbs
7g	Protein

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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12to 16
Amount per serving
Calories	585
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g	21%
Saturated Fat 10g	49%
Cholesterol 108mg	36%
Sodium 168mg	7%
Total Carbohydrate 107g	39%
Dietary Fiber 4g	14%
Total Sugars 75g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 2mg	12%
Calcium 74mg	6%
Iron 3mg	17%
Potassium 571mg	12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

cake
christmas cake
dessert
british

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FAQs

How long before Christmas should you start making Christmas cake? ›

Some say you should make your Christmas cake 6 weeks before eating, but the advice given on Nigella.com is that 12 weeks before is the optimum time to get baking. Your Christmas cake should be fed every 4 to 6 weeks but in the meantime, after baking, it should be stored away in a secure, air tight container.

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How long should you leave a Christmas cake to mature? ›

Our answer. Opinions on the "maturing" of Christmas cakes does vary and is partly an issue of personal taste, but for the rich fruit type of Christmas cakes we would suggest making them up to 3 months ahead of Christmas.

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What alcohol is good for fruit cake? ›

Other good choices of booze include brandy, rum, or whiskey. Feel free to use one or a mix of these to best complement your fruitcake. Once you've chosen the liquor, bake the cake, poke holes throughout the whole thing, and pour a few tablespoons of the alcohol over it. Or, you can brush the cake with the alcohol.

Learn More ›

How do you keep Christmas cake moist? ›

Feeding the cake

To keep the cake moist, dark and packed full of flavour, you can 'feed it' by applying additional alcohol every month. Simply unwrap the cake, remove the plastic wrap and leave the baking paper in tact.

Learn More Now ›

How often should you moisten a Christmas cake? ›

Method

It is best to feed your cake, every fortnight from when it has been baked. ...
Using a skewer, prick several holes into the top of your cake. ...
Spoon over 1-2 tbsp of the alcohol/fruit juice of your choice ensuring that the whole cake is evenly covered.

More items...

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Should I leave Christmas cake in tin to cool? ›

Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin.

Can you leave Christmas cake batter overnight? ›

The mixture can easily survive overnight.

Get More Info ›

Can Christmas cake be too moist? ›

You may find that the cake is damp but still edible. If you feel it is too underdone to eat then you can cut the properly cooked outside pieces off and just discard the very wet centre.

How long to soak fruit in alcohol for Christmas cake? ›

You can soak the fruit for days (or weeks) by adding alcohol and mixing as you go, allowing the dried fruit to soak up all the liquid. We do this by adding alcohol (or fruit juice or even a mix) bit by bit until the fruit is plump, or you can just soak overnight and add the rest of the alcohol after the cake is baked.

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How do you add moisture to fruitcake? ›

Wrap it in several layers of cheesecloth and saturate the cheesecloth with rum or brandy. Place in a sealed container or zip bag. If the cloth starts to dry out, add more booze. Your fruitcake should be ready to eat in 7–10 days but it will keep for many weeks when properly aged in alcohol.

Read On ›

What is the best alcohol to soak fruit in for Christmas cake? ›

What alcohol should you use? Strong, flavourful spirits with a high ABV are ideal for feeding fruitcakes. You can use rum, brandy or whisky for spice, or if you like citrus flavours, try an orange liqueur. Cherry brandy and amaretto will also work well if you prefer these.

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Why is my Christmas cake so dry? ›

Baking a cake in a too-hot oven for the recommended time will dry it out. And baking a cake in a not-hot-enough oven will dry the crust before the center is fully baked.

Can you overfeed a Christmas cake? ›

Might just give one last go this week then leave it til ready to ice it. I overfed mine last year. It tasted fine (I love a boozy cake!) but it was very very soggy.

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Why is the bottom of my Christmas cake soggy? ›

Soggy bottoms

This normally happens when the oven is not hot enough or the pastry is not baked for long enough. However, it can also be because too much water was added to the dough.

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How far in advance should you make a cake? ›

Ideally, make an iced cake on the day to keep it fresh. Refrigerated: Your cakes will last longer in the fridge, but for an event, you won't want to push it longer than about 3 days. Make sure you wrap them carefully and take them out for an hour to return to room temperature before you serve.

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Why are Christmas cakes made so early? ›

The reason why they are traditionally baked so early is so the fruit mixture can mature in the tin and be 'fed' with alcohol before it is enjoyed during the festive season. Therefore, the longer you are able to do this, the richer and more delicious it will be.

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When should you start making a Christmas pudding? ›

Traditional Christmas pudding is the original make-ahead dessert. It is meant to be made on the last Sunday before Advent, or five weeks before Christmas. The pudding should be stored in a cool, dry place until Christmas day. All you need to do is reheat it before serving.

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How do you store fruit cake after baking? ›

Wrap each cake in several layers of cheesecloth and then in plastic wrap. Store the cakes in airtight containers in a cool dry place, but not in the refrigerator or freezer. Check carefully at least once a week, as rich, moist cakes mould very easily. If you see any mould, throw out the cake.