Who said you can’t have your cake and eat it too? Sweet, spicy and studded with fruit, Christmas cake is a true classic. Mastering this traditional treat isn’t as daunting as it seems. This guide covers everything you need to know to make your own this festive season.
What’s in a traditional Christmas cake?
01
Fruit
Traditional Christmas cake is densely packed with unsweetened dried fruit that has been soaked in alcohol for at least 24 hours, or up to one week, adding moisture and richness to the cake. If you don’t have this much time, try a shorter recipe. You can use one type or a mixture of dried fruits, but steer clear of fresh fruits as they become too soft while baking.
02
Alcohol
Soaking your fruit in alcohol adds flavour, keeps the cake moist and extends its shelf life. Popular options include rum, brandy, whisky or Cognac. Non-alcoholic substitutes include strong black tea, fruit juice or flavoured syrup. If soaking your fruit in fruit juice or tea, make sure you keep it refrigerated.
03
Spices
Mixed spice – a blend that can contain allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, coriander and ginger – gives Christmas cake its signature flavour. You can also choose to use citrus zest, crystallised ginger and candied peel to spice up a Christmas cake.
04
Royal icing
Many fruit cakes are covered in royal icing which is made from a few simple ingredients: whisked egg whites, lemon juice and icing sugar. Cakes iced with royal icing are best eaten within a few days. You can also cover the cake with a layer of marzipan or fondant.
Christmas cake recipes
Enjoy sweet fruit cake recipes, from miniature to spiced and all things nice.
More Christmas cake ideas
Put a twist on your Christmas cake with these fun and festive ideas.
Make a chocolate Christmas cake by adding cocoa to the batter. Swap out 1/2 cup flour for 1/3 cup cocoa.
Bake in a novelty pan like a star-shaped tin. Smaller-sized tins, like muffin pans, make cute individual cakes that can be gifted. Cooking time may vary depending on the pan used.
Don’t like icing? Decorate your Christmas cake with toffeed nuts or a dusting of icing sugar.
How to store Christmas cake
Christmas cakes made a month in advance should be stored un-iced. To help it stay moist, drizzle it with 1-2 tbs alcohol every fortnight until the week before you serve it.
To store, wrap cooled, un-iced cake in a double layer of baking paper, followed by a double layer of foil. Keep in an airtight container in a dark place for up to 2 weeks, in the fridge for up to 6 months or up to 12 months in the freezer. Don’t be concerned if the colour of your cake starts to change. Christmas cake will turn darker as it matures.
What’s the difference between a Christmas cake and Christmas pudding?
While both are steeped in holiday tradition, Christmas cake is a dense, fruit-filled sponge typically covered in marzipan and icing and served as a sliceable tea-time treat. In contrast, Christmas pudding is a dark, spiced dessert that is steamed for hours, then doused in brandy and set aflame for a dramatic finale to the main feast.