Christmas Cake
Shopping List
- 300g plain flour
- 250g unsalted butter
- 250g dark brown sugar
- 850g mixed dried fruits
- 120g chopped mixed peel
- 150g glacé cherries, halved
- 4 medium eggs
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 tbsp black treacle
- 1 tbsp marmalade or apricot jam
- 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
- Brandy (You can use as much or as little as you like. I put in about 4-5 tablespoons in the cake and use 3-4 tablespoons to pour over the top.)
With only a few weeks to go until Christmas and the chilly temperatures outside, it’s a perfect time to stay in, keep warm, get the oven on and bake your Christmas cake!
This can be made weeks in advance. Store in two layers of greaseproof paper and a layer of foil.
I like to pre-soak my fruits in brandy for a few days before I bake, at least overnight. But if you’re short on time you can buy pre-soaked fruits.
Heat the oven to 140C (130C fan)/Gas 1. Grease a 20cm/8inch round cake tin and line the bottom and sides with greaseproof paper
Put the flour, salt, mixed spice and cinnamon into a bowl and mix.
Cream the butter and the sugar.
Mix in the treacle, marmalade and vanilla essence.
Mix in the eggs.
Add in the flour, salt and spices. Mix well.
Then add the mixed peel, glacé cherries and brandy. Mix well.
Finally add in the mixed fruit.
Turn the mixture into the prepared tin. Bake in the oven for 3 ½ – 4 hours or until the skewer comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes.
Turn out on to a sheet of greaseproof paper. This helps create a nice flat base for the cake (I don’t recommend levelling Christmas cake) as on a cooling rack you are likely to get lines.
While the cake is still warm, make a few holes in the cake with a skewer.
Pour over 3-4 tablespoons of brandy. Let the brandy soak into the cake.
Double wrap in greaseproof paper.
Then wrap in a layer of foil.
To flash-mature your cake, pop it in the freezer for a day or so and then take it out and let it defrost before doing anything with it. The process of defrosting matures the cake fast.
If feeding with alcohol 1-2 tablespoons per week should be enough.
When ready to decorate cover with a layer of marzipan, then sugar paste/royal icing and decorate as desired!
Give it a try and let me know how you get on either on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram.
If you want to turn your baking hobby into a career, check out my book Cakes, Bakes & Business for everything you need to know about running a successful baking business, including pricing, marketing, insurance and much more!
Merry Christmas and happy baking!
Britt xo
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