Christmas Cake
A delightful and easy recipe for a moist fruit cake, perfect for holiday celebrations.
Ingredients
Dried fruits
- 300 g raisins
- 150 g diced dried apricots, chopped (8 mm / 1/3")
- 75 g mixed peel, diced (5 mm / 1/5")
- 150 g glace cherries, chopped (8 mm / 1/3")
- 180 g dates, diced (5 mm / 1/5")
Liquids
- 1 cup apple juice OR 1/3 brandy + 2/3 juice
Fats and sweeteners
- 120 g unsalted butter, softened (1 US stick)
- 1.5 cups dark brown sugar, packed
- 0.5 cup vegetable oil (or canola, peanut, or grapeseed)
- 3 tbsp molasses or golden syrup
Dry ingredients
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp all spice
- 0.5 tsp cinnamon
- 0.5 tsp nutmeg
- 3 large eggs
- 0.5 tsp baking powder
- 1.67 cups plain flour (all-purpose flour)
Optional ingredients
- 0.75 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
Decoration and serving
- 500 ml pouring custard (homemade or store-bought)
- 250 g "ready to roll" marzipan
- 250 g "ready to roll" white fondant
- Cherries dusted with icing sugar
- Drippy white glaze
Instructions
Preparation
- Place dried fruit and juice/brandy in a large microwavable container. Microwave for 1 1/2 minutes on high or until hot.
- Stir to coat all fruit in the liquid. Cover and set aside for 1 hour to plump up and cool.
Baking the cake
- Preheat the oven to 160°C / 320°F (140°C fan). Grease and line a 21-22 cm / 8-9" round cake pan with baking paper.
- Using an electric beater, beat butter and sugar until smooth and creamy (about 1 minute on speed 5).
- Add oil and molasses, and beat until combined.
- Add salt, spices, and baking powder – beat until incorporated.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just incorporated.
- Stir in the flour.
- When mostly incorporated, stir in the fruit mix and walnuts (if using).
- Pour into the cake pan, cover with foil, and bake for 2 1/2 hours. Remove the foil and bake for another 30 to 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and cool for 20 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Cool completely before serving.
Notes
Store this cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. If you want to keep it longer, consider freezing it. Make sure the fruits are properly soaked to enhance the flavor and moisture of the cake. Don’t rush the baking time; a longer bake ensures a soft and moist cake. You can add more spices according to your taste for an extra kick!