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5.0 from 3 votes

Easy British Christmas Cake

An easy recipe for a traditional British Christmas cake. Classic make ahead recipe for a dense flavorful fruit cake. Fed weekly with bourbon until ready to assemble with marzipan and fondant.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs 15 mins
Additional Time
30 mins
Servings: 16 slices
Calories: 334 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: British

Ingredients

  • 7 cups mixed dried fruit raisins, sultanas, currants, chopped candied peel, chopped dried prunes, dried cranberries. etc.
  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup light brown sugar firmly packed
  • ½ cup bourbon plus extra for feeding the cake
  • 1 lemon zest and juice
  • 1 orange zest and juice
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1¼ cup all purpose flour or plain flour
  • 1½ cup ground almonds or almond flour
  • 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon ground allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Ingredients for Assembly
  • 16 oz marzipan or almond paste (either golden or natural)
  • 16 oz ready to roll fondant or white sugar paste, plus extra for decoration
  • powdered sugar or icing/confectioners sugar - for dusting
  • ¼ cup rindless orange preserve or apricot jam

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Begin by rehydrating the dried fruits. Place these in a large pan and add the butter, sugar, lemon juice and zest, orange juice and zest, and bourbon. Cook over a medium heat until the butter has melted and the mixture is boiling. Lower the temperature and simmer for about 5 minutes. Then tip the contents into a large mixing bowl and allow to cool for about 30 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300°F (150C/130C Fan) and line the bottom and sides of a deep sided 8" or 9" cake pan with a double layer of parchment paper.
  3. Once the fruit mixture has been allowed to cool, add the flour, ground almonds, spices, vanilla and eggs to the mixing bowl and stir thoroughly with a spatula or wooden spoon to combine. Take care to ensure there are no clumps of flour left unmixed.
  4. Pour this into the prepared cake pan and bake in the lower half of the oven for 2 hours until a skewer comes out clean.
  5. Remove from the oven and use a toothpick to make holes all over the top of the cake. Spoon a couple of tablespoons of rum over the top and brush so that this soaks into the holes.
  6. Allow the cake to cool in the pan, before removing and peeling away the parchment paper.
  7. Store the cake in an airtight container, wrapped in parchment and feed with 2 tablespoons of rum every week until about a week before you are intending to serve.
Instructions for Assembly
  1. A few days after your last feed, roll your marzipan out on a countertop dusted with powdered icing sugar until it is about ¼" thick and large enough to cover your cake.
  2. Heat the orange preserve in a small saucepan to melt. Use this to brush all over the top and sides of your cake.
  3. Carefully transfer the marzipan on to the cake and press to cover the top and sides smoothly. Trim any edges to fit.
  4. Roll the fondant in a similar way. Brush the marzipan layer again with the warmed preserve and cover with the fondant.
  5. Use any excess fondant for decorating the cake in a festive pattern such as holly leaves and berries. These can be attached to the cake with some more preserve or just a bit of water.

Notes

  • Note that Nutrition Values are quoted for the cake and do not include the decoration.
  • Keep an eye on the cake while it bakes - if it appears to be burning on the top, cover with aluminium foil to prevent it catching.
  • Fruitcakes are very dense, so the skewer may still have a couple of small flecks when using this to test doneness. If you have baked for 2 hours and the cake still has a couple of small flecks, this is fine. If larger bits are sticking, continue to bake.

Nutrition Information

Calories 334kcal (17%) Carbohydrates 36g (12%) Protein 6g (12%) Fat 18g (28%) Saturated Fat 8g (40%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 3g Trans Fat 0.5g Cholesterol 71mg (24%) Sodium 23mg (1%) Potassium 193mg (6%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 23g (46%) Vitamin A 437IU (9%) Vitamin C 8mg (9%) Calcium 81mg (8%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 16slices

Amount Per Serving

Calories 334

% Daily Value*

Calories 334kcal 17%
Carbohydrates 36g 12%
Protein 6g 12%
Fat 18g 28%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 3g 15%
Trans Fat 0.5g 25%
Cholesterol 71mg 24%
Sodium 23mg 1%
Potassium 193mg 4%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 23g 46%
Vitamin A 437IU 9%
Vitamin C 8mg 9%
Calcium 81mg 8%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.