The Ultimate Christmas Cake - Traditional Fruit Cake Recipe

This is the festive showstopper of the season! Packed with dried fruits, warming spices, and a generous splash of brandy, this traditional Christmas cake is the perfect centerpiece for your holiday table. Make it a month ahead and feed it weekly with brandy for the ultimate boozy, moist celebration cake.

Recipe Details:

• Prep Time: 30 minutes (plus 24 hours fruit soaking)
• Cook Time: 3.5-4 hours
• Total Time: 4-4.5 hours (plus feeding time)
• Serves: 12-16
• Difficulty: Medium
• Special Equipment: 20-22cm round cake tin, baking paper, airtight container

This is the Christmas cake recipe you'll make year after year. Dense, rich, and absolutely packed with a mixture of dried fruits that have been soaked in brandy overnight, this traditional fruit cake is everything the festive season should taste like. The beauty of Christmas cake is that it actually improves with age. Make it a month before Christmas, then feed it weekly with brandy, rum, or whisky to keep it incredibly moist and develop those deep, complex flavors. The combination of dried apples, apricots, dates, cranberries, and crystallized ginger creates layers of flavor, while warming spices like cinnamon, five-spice, and allspice add that unmistakable Christmas warmth. You can customize the dried fruits to whatever you have or prefer, as long as you maintain the total weight. And if you can't wait a month, this cake is also delicious eaten fresh with a generous spread of butter.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Make-ahead perfection: Best made a month before Christmas and fed weekly with brandy for ultimate moisture and flavor
• Deeply flavorful: Packed with a variety of dried fruits and warming spices that create complex, festive flavors
• Completely customizable: Swap the dried fruits for whatever you have or prefer, as long as you keep the same total weight
• Traditional and impressive: A classic festive showstopper that looks and tastes spectacular
• Improves with age: Unlike most cakes, this one gets better the longer you keep it (up to 3 months!)

Ingredients

For the Fruit Mixture (prepare the day before):

• 100g dried apples, chopped
• 300g dried apricots, chopped
• 200g raisins or sultanas
• 150g dates, chopped
• 125g dried cranberries
• 50g glacé or crystallized ginger, chopped
• 150g mixed peel
• 425g can diced pineapple, drained well
• 1 cup (250ml) brandy (for soaking)

For the Cake Batter:

• 250g unsalted butter, softened
• 250g dark brown sugar (or 125g dark brown sugar + 125g light brown sugar)
• 4 large eggs
• 40g marmalade or apricot jam
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Zest of 1 orange
• 420g plain flour
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
• Pinch of salt

For Decoration:

• Glacé cherries
• Whole blanched almonds
• Any other nuts or dried fruits of your choice

For Feeding the Cake (optional but recommended):

• 3-4 shots (75-100ml) of brandy, rum, or whisky (for weekly feeding over 3-4 weeks)

Instructions

Day Before Baking - Prepare the Fruit:

1. Soak the dried fruit: In a large bowl, combine all the chopped dried fruits (apples, apricots, raisins, dates, cranberries, ginger, and mixed peel) along with the well-drained pineapple. Pour 1 cup of brandy over the fruit mixture and stir thoroughly to ensure all the fruit is coated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean tea towel and leave at room temperature for 24 hours. Stir once or twice during this time if possible. The fruit will absorb the brandy and plump up beautifully.

Baking Day:

2. Prepare the oven and tin: Preheat your fan-forced oven to 140°C (160°C conventional/280°F). Line a 20-22cm round cake tin with two layers of baking paper, making sure the paper extends well above the sides of the tin by at least 5cm. This protects the cake during the long baking time and prevents the edges from burning.

3. Prepare the dry ingredients: Sift the flour, black pepper, Chinese five-spice powder, cinnamon, allspice, and salt into a medium bowl. Set aside.

4. Cream the butter and sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and dark brown sugar together with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for 3-5 minutes until the mixture is pale, fluffy, and increased in volume. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

5. Add the eggs: Add the eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Make sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. The mixture should remain smooth and creamy. If it starts to look curdled, add a tablespoon of the flour mixture.

6. Add the fruit mixture: Add all the brandy-soaked fruit (including any liquid left in the bowl), the marmalade or jam, lemon zest, and orange zest to the butter and egg mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula to combine everything evenly.

7. Fold in the flour: Add half of the sifted flour mixture to the bowl and fold it in gently with a large spoon or spatula until just combined. Add the remaining flour and fold again until no streaks of flour remain. The mixture will be very thick and may look slightly dry, but this is normal. Don't worry, the cake will be beautifully moist after baking and feeding. This folding process may take a few minutes.

8. Fill the tin: Spoon the thick batter into your prepared cake tin, pressing it down firmly with the back of a spoon to eliminate any air pockets. Smooth the top with a spatula, creating a slight dip in the center (this helps the cake bake more evenly and prevents a domed top).

9. Decorate the top: Arrange glacé cherries, whole almonds, or your choice of nuts and dried fruits decoratively on top of the cake, pressing them gently into the surface.

10. Bake: Place the tin on the middle or lower rack of your preheated oven. Bake for 3.5-4 hours, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean with no wet batter. The exact time will depend on your oven and the depth of your tin. Start checking after 3 hours. If the top is browning too quickly, cover loosely with foil. The cake should be deep golden brown and smell incredible.

11. Cool in the tin: Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a wire rack. Leave it to cool completely in the tin, which may take several hours or overnight. Don't rush this step.

12. Wrap and store: Once completely cool, leave the baking paper on the cake and wrap it tightly in an additional layer of baking paper, then wrap in foil or place in an airtight container. Store in a cool, dark place like a cupboard or pantry.

Feeding the Cake (Optional but Highly Recommended):

13. Weekly feeding: One week after baking, unwrap the cake and use a skewer to poke 10-15 holes evenly across the top of the cake, going about halfway down. Slowly drizzle 1 shot (25ml) of brandy, rum, or whisky over the top, allowing it to sink into the holes. Wrap the cake back up tightly and return it to its dark storage spot. Repeat this process once a week for 3-4 weeks. This keeps the cake incredibly moist and develops those deep, boozy flavors.

14. Final rest: After the final feeding, leave the cake wrapped for at least one more week before cutting. This allows all the flavors to meld together beautifully.

15. Serve: Slice and serve at room temperature. Some people like it plain, others enjoy it with a thick spread of butter, and it's also delicious with a wedge of sharp cheddar cheese.

Chef's Tips

For the best results: Make this cake at least one month before Christmas. The longer it has to mature, the better it tastes. Some people make theirs up to 3 months in advance!

Fruit flexibility: You can swap the dried fruits for whatever you have or prefer, just maintain the same total weight (about 1.2kg of dried fruit). Try figs, prunes, dried pears, or more of what you already have.

Oven temperature matters: The low, slow baking temperature is crucial. Don't be tempted to turn up the heat or the outside will burn before the inside is cooked.

Check for doneness: After 3.5 hours, insert a long skewer into the center. It should come out clean or with just a few dry crumbs. If there's wet batter, continue baking and check every 15 minutes.

Storage is key: Always store your Christmas cake wrapped and in a cool, dark place. Never refrigerate it as this will dry it out.

Can't wait? If you don't want to do the feeding process, this cake is also delicious eaten straight away, though it won't be quite as moist. Just slice and enjoy with butter!

Substitutions & Variations

No brandy? Use rum, whisky, bourbon, or even orange juice for soaking the fruit if you prefer a non-alcoholic or less boozy version.

Sugar options: You can use all dark brown sugar for a deeper molasses flavor, or a mix of dark and light for a slightly milder taste.

Spice adjustments: Adjust the spices to your preference. Add more cinnamon, include ground ginger, or add a pinch of cardamom for different flavor profiles.

 Icing options: While traditional Christmas cakes are often covered with marzipan and royal icing, this cake is beautiful served plain with its decorated top. If you want to ice it, do so one week before Christmas.

Smaller cake: You can halve this recipe and bake it in a 15cm tin for 2-2.5 hours for a smaller cake.

Vegan adaptation: Use vegan butter and egg replacer (follow package instructions for 4 eggs). The texture will differ slightly but will still be delicious.

Storage & Reheating

Storage: Once completely cool, wrap the cake tightly in its baking paper, then wrap in foil or place in an airtight container. Store in a cool, dark cupboard or pantry. Do not refrigerate. If feeding weekly with alcohol, rewrap tightly after each feeding. The cake will keep for up to 3 months when stored properly.

Freezer-Friendly: Yes! Christmas cake freezes beautifully for up to 6 months. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil before freezing. Thaw overnight at room temperature before serving.

Serving temperature: Serve at room temperature, never cold from the fridge. If you've been feeding it with brandy, let it breathe for 30 minutes after unwrapping for the best flavor.

Leftover ideas: Toast slices of leftover Christmas cake and serve with butter, or crumble it over ice cream for an indulgent dessert.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I have to soak the fruit for 24 hours? A: While 24 hours is ideal for the fruit to fully absorb the brandy and plump up, you can reduce this to a minimum of 4-6 hours if you're short on time. The longer soak does give better results though.

Q: Can I make this cake without alcohol? A: Yes! Substitute the brandy with orange juice, apple juice, or strong tea for soaking the fruit. You can also skip the weekly feeding process entirely. The cake will still be delicious, just less traditional and not quite as moist.

Q: How do I know when the cake is done? A: Insert a long skewer into the deepest part of the cake. It should come out clean or with just a few dry crumbs. If there's wet batter, continue baking. The cake should also pull away slightly from the sides of the tin.

Q: My cake looks dry on top during baking. Is that normal? A: Yes, Christmas cakes can look dry during baking, especially with the long cooking time. The weekly feeding with brandy will add moisture, and the inside should be moist. If you're worried about the top burning, cover loosely with foil.

Q: Can I use self-raising flour? A: No, use plain flour only. This cake doesn't need raising agents beyond what's naturally created by creaming the butter and sugar. Self-raising flour would create the wrong texture.

You Might Also Like

Mince Pies - Perfect alongside your Christmas cake, these sweet, spiced pastries filled with fruit mincemeat are a holiday essential.

Brandy Butter - Make this rich, boozy butter to serve alongside your Christmas cake and pudding for the ultimate festive treat.

Enjoy!

Del x

This is the ultimate make-ahead Christmas treat. Make it one month before the big day and feed it weekly with brandy, rum, or whisky. Let the flavors develop and enjoy a slice on Christmas Day! Happy Baking!