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christmas fruit cake

CHRISTMAS FRUIT CAKE

Jane Hornby
A Christmas Fruit Cake is a traditional bake for the festive season in the UK. This step by step recipe makes it an easy bake even if you have little experience. 
5 from 5 votes
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Plus soaking time for fruit 1 hour
Total Time 4 hours 40 minutes
Course afternoon tea, Baking, Tea Time
Cuisine British
Servings 18
Calories 350 kcal

Equipment

  • 20 cm (8 inch) cake tin
  • electric mixer
  • Large bowl
  • Metal spoon
  • weighing scales
  • Measuring spoons
  • Lemon squeezer
  • Fine grater or lemon zester
  • Skewer
  • parchment paper
  • Aluminium Foil

Ingredients
 

  • 1 lemon
  • 100 grams glace cherries drained
  • 250 grams raisins
  • 250 grams sultanas
  • 100 grams currants
  • 100 grams candied mixed citrus peel
  • 120 millilitres brandy or dark rum or black tea/orange juice
  • 225 grams soft butter plus extra for greasing
  • 225 grams light brown soft sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 eggs
  • 225 grams plain flour
  • 2 teaspoon ground mixed spice
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 50 grams toasted flaked almonds optional

Instructions
 

Prepare the fruit

  • Put 250 grams (1½ cups) raisins, 250 grams (1½ cups) sultanas and 100 grams (¾ cup) currants into a large saucepan.
  • Add 100 grams (½ cup) of halved glace cherries and 100 grams (½ cup) of candied peel to the saucepan.
    dried fruit with cherries and peel.
  • Finely grate the zest from the lemon and squeeze the juice add these to the saucepan.
  • Add 100 ml (7 tablespoons) of the brandy or rum to the dried fruit.
  • Cover, then bring it to a simmer. Remove from the heat and leave to stand for at least an hour, or overnight if you can.  The fruit will plump up and absorb the liquid.

To line the cake tin (pan)

  •  Double-line a deep 20cm (8 in) round cake tin with baking parchment.  
    To do this, fold a 65 x 30 cm (25 ½ in x 12 in) piece of parchment in half lengthways.  On the folded side, make a fold about 2 cm (¾ in) of the way in.  Snip at 2 cm (¾nin) intervals along the length of the seam, up to the fold, a make a frill. Cut 2 circles for the base.
  • Grease the tin with butter, then line the sides with the frilled paper, with the frills at the base of the tin, overlapping slightly.  Grease the circles with butter, then sit them on top trapping the frill below.  This preparation is needed to protect the cake during the long baking time.
  • If using a non-stick cake tin then you only need to grease the sides and line the base. And place the cake tin on a baking tray (sheet).

Make the cake

  • Preheat the oven to 160℃/140C℃ Fan/325℉).
  • Put 225 grams (1 cup) butter and 225 grams (1 cup) soft brown sugar in a large bowl, then beat with an electric mixer until pale and creamy.  
  • Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, then beat in 1 egg.  When the mixture is fluffy and light, add the next egg and repeat.  If the batter starts to look a little lumpy, beat in 1 tablespoon on the flour.  Repeat with the remaining eggs.
  • Sift in 225 grams (2 cups) plain (all purpose) flour, 2 teaspoons ground mixed spice and ½ teaspoon of salt into a bowl.
  • Fold into the batter with a spatula or large metal spoon.
  • Now fold in the soaked fruit, plus 50 grams (½ cup) flaked almonds (if using).  The batter should be stiff.
  • Scrape the batter into the prepared tin and level the top.  
  • Make a an indentation in the middle of the batter with the spatula.  This will  help the cake rise more evenly.
  • Bake for 1½ hours, then turn the oven down to 150℃/130℃ Fan/300℉ and bake for another 1¼-1½ hours. Check the cake after 1¼ hours.
  • When ready, the cake will be dark golden and a skewer inserted into the centre will come out clean.  If not bake for another 15 minutes and check again.  
  • Leaver to cool in the cake tin (pan) on a rack.  When still warm, prick holes all over it with a cocktail stick and spoon in the rest of the alcohol, black tea or juice.  
  • Once cool, remove from the tin then wrap carefully in clean baking parchment and foil and store in an airtight container in a cool place. for up to 3 months.
  • Unwrap the cake and cover with marzipan (almond paste) and either fondant or Royal Icing (frosting) and decorate as you wish.

Notes

SOAKING ALTERNATIVES
If you'd rather not use alcohol, strong black tea makes a good substitute, as does orange or apple juice.  Alcohol is added to act as a flavouring as well as to preserve the cake until Christmas.  Any dried fruit can be substituted, although I'd recommend a balance of sweet and tart fruit for a more interspersing end result. 

Nutrition

Calories: 350kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 4gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 63mgSodium: 145mgPotassium: 290mgFiber: 4gSugar: 36gVitamin A: 371IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 76mgIron: 2mg