A Christmas cake recipe that's easy, moist and delicious

A really good Christmas cake is within your grasp. This is a really easy recipe that is quite forgiving if you don’t have exactly the right ingredients. If you have to substitute anything, just ensure it weighs the same. First of all you gather all the ingredients and let them seep in alcohol for a week. You make an easy cake mix and combine the two and cook – simple. Do make this as soon as you can, to allow it to mature.

You’ll need a square cake tin about 20cm across and baking parchment or greaseproof paper.

Christmas Cake - no excuses, you can make your own

Save Print

Cooking time

2 hours 30 mins

Total time

2 hours 30 mins

It's well worth soaking the fruit before making this cake. The result is so moist and flavoursome. Cover with marziipan and ice close to Christmas.

Author: Edinburgh Foody

Recipe type: Christmas

Cuisine: British

Serves: 12

Ingredients

For the soak

500 grams of raisins
200 grams of currants
100 grams of chopped dates
50 grams of dried cherries (not glacé) if you can't find these, use dried cranberries
3 tablespoons of each of the following: brandy, kirsch, whisky, port and water. You can use rum, Cointreau, grand marnier or sherry instead. Or, if use the 12 tablespoons of one alcohol and 3 of water)
1 teaspoon each of ground cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence (the pure sort)
1 tablespoon of dark brown sugar (or demerara)

Cake ingredients

250 grams self-raising flour (or plain plus 2 tsp baking powder) This is equally good if made with Dove's farm gluten free self raising flour.
250 grams soft brown sugar (or Demerara)
250 grams of butter
5 large eggs beaten
50 grams of mixed nuts

Instructions

For the soaked fruit

In a saucepan, put all the ingredients and warm through until the sugar is dissolved. Take off the heat and let it cool.
Scrape all of the ingredients into a box with a lid and put into the fridge. Try to remember to shake the box each day.
A week later, you are ready to make the cake. You'll notice that the dried fruit has plumped up and smells wonderful!

To make the cake

Before you start making the cake, grease your tin and line it with greaseproof paper or parchment. Turn the over on to Gas mark 3, 170 degrees.
For ease, make the cake in a food processor or use a hand-held whisk.
Whisk the butter and sugar together until well mixed, Add a little flour. Add the eggs little by little until all used up. Spoon in the flour and mixed nuts. Put this mixture into a large mixing bowl with the fruit that's been soaking and mix well.
Whisk the butter and sugar together until well mixed, Add a little flour. Add the eggs little by little until all used up. Spoon in the flour and mixed nuts. Put this mixture into a large mixing bowl with the fruit that's been soaking and mix well.
The cake mixture in the lined tin
The cake mixture in the lined tin
Carefully spoon the mixture into the tin, making sure that your lining stays stuck to the edges of the tin.
Cook for approximately 2½ hours. PLEASE CHECK REGULARLY. The cooking time seems to vary greatly - particularly if you have a fan oven. Use a skewer to test if it is ready - it should come out clean.
When it is done, leave it in the tin until cold. Turn out and store in silver foil until needed.