Easy Peasy Traditional Christmas Cake
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
1 hr
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Cook Time
3 hrs
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Total Time
4 hrs
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Servings
30 slices
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Calories
241 kcal
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Course
Dessert, Snacks, Baked Goods
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Cuisine
British
Easy Peasy Traditional Christmas Cake
Description
The Easy Peasy Traditional Christmas Cake uses a combination of dried fruits mixed with ground almonds and fragrant spices to create a deeply flavored batter. The inclusion of golden syrup adds sweetness and moisture, while eggs and sherry (or apple juice for a non-alcoholic version) help bind the cake and enrich the flavor. The flour and self-raising agents give structure.
The cake is baked in a lined deep 20cm tin after careful preparation, including coating cherries with flour to prevent sinking. The slow baking temperature and protective lining of greaseproof and brown paper ensure even cooking without hard bases or edges. The result is a dense, moist texture packed with fruits and nuts, perfect for a traditional holiday dessert.
This cake can optionally be decorated with marzipan, white icing, marmalade or sieved apricot jam, and various festive decorations for an attractive presentation. It can be served as part of Christmas celebrations or given as a seasonal gift.
The recipe notes recommend freezing the cake for preservation. Nutrition information is approximate. The oven and lining preparations help ensure consistent baking results.
Ingredients
Cake
- 250 g butter softened
- 250 g light soft brown sugar
- 250 g sultanas
- 250 g raisins seedless
- 250 g currants
- 60 g ground almonds
- 125 g mixed peel diced
- 125 g glace cherry
- 3 egg large
- 50 ml sherry (or apple juice if you want to make this alcohol free)
- 1 golden syrup very heaped tablespoon
- 250 g self-raising flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
Icing (optional)
- marmalade or sieved apricot jam
- marzipan ready-rolled
- white icing ready-rolled
- Decorations (optional)
Equipment
- A large mixing bowl
- Two smaller mixing bowls and a little bowl for the cherries
- A jug
- A 20cm / 8 inch cake tin
- Greaseproof paper
- brown paper
- baking sheet
- A skewer
- A cooling wire
Instructions
Preparation
- Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until pale.
- In a separate bowl mix together the flour, ground almonds and spices.
- Wash the sultanas, raisins and currants and place in a third bowl together with the chopped mixed peel.
- Rinse and dry the cherries. Place in a small bowl and dust with a little flour (to stop them sinking in the cake).
- In a jug, mix the eggs, golden syrup and sherry (or apple juice).
- Line the base and sides of a 20cm / 8inch cake tin with a double layer of greased greaseproof paper, having greased the tin first. Make sure the paper which lines the sides stands 7cm above the rim of the tin.
- To ensure the cake does not have a hard base, line a baking sheet with 4 layers of thick brown paper.
- Preheat your oven to 165C / 145C fan / gas mark 3 / 325F.
Assembly
- Add a handful (or large spoonful) of flour to the creamed butter and sugar. Then add a small amount of the egg mixture and a handful of the fruit mixture and work together well, ideally with your hands (but you could do it with a wooden spoon if you don’t fancy the idea of getting your hands messy).
- Repeat this process until all the ingredients are well mixed, then finally add the cherries and mix again.
- Put the mixture in the prepared tin and flatten down evenly.
Baking
- Place the cake tin on the prepared baking sheet and put into your preheated oven for 1 hour.
- Reduce the heat to 150C / 130 fan / gas mark 2 / 300F and cook for a second hour.
- Cover with a little hat of greaseproof paper and bake for a third hour.
- Remove from the oven and check it is cooked properly by inserting a skewer – the skewer should be clean when removed.
After Baking
- Trim the greaseproof paper back to the level of the tin’s rim and place on a cooling wire upside down still in its tin.
- Leave until completely cold (ideally the next day).
- Slide the cake out, wrap securely with foil and store in a cake tin until Christmas.
Icing (optional)
- Cover the entire cake in warmed shredless marmalade (or sieved apricot jam).
- Place the ready-rolled marzipan onto the cake and gently smooth down the sides. Trim off any excess. Lightly cover and leave for 1-2 days, ideally.
- Lightly brush the marzipan with water and place the ready-rolled icing on top of the cake. Gently smooth down the sides and trim off any excess.
- Decorate if desired.
Notes
- The cake is suitable for freezing to keep it fresh for extended periods.
- Using a double lined greaseproof paper in the tin with brown paper on the baking sheet prevents hard bases and overbrowning.
- Coating cherries lightly in flour before folding into the batter keeps them suspended throughout the cake.
- Slow baking at 165C / 325F ensures even cooking of the dense fruit-laden cake without drying.
- Optional icing and decoration can be added after cooling to enhance presentation for Christmas.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 30slices
Amount Per Serving
Calories 241 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 241kcal | 12% |
| Carbohydrates | 40g | 13% |
| Protein | 2g | 4% |
| Fat | 8g | 12% |
| Saturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Cholesterol | 34mg | 11% |
| Sodium | 76mg | 3% |
| Potassium | 236mg | 5% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 24g | 48% |
| Vitamin A | 240IU | 5% |
| Vitamin C | 1.1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 33mg | 3% |
| Iron | 0.9mg | 5% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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