Homemade Christmas Fruit Cake Recipe
The traditional Christmas fruit cake is the cake to die for especially during the holidays. I mean, it is that one cake without which Christmas would feel incomplete. It is packed with fruits, nuts, raisins, warm spices and all that special goodies that make it something to look forward to.
If you’ve never had a bite of Christmas fruit cake, just imagine your favorite cake, but this time loaded with a lot of sweet dried fruits and nuts that I listed. And I remember you can tweak the ingredients list to only use the kind of dried fruits and nuts that are your favorite. Now take a bite of that cake and tell me you don’t like it.
This recipe is meant to put your through my steps of making really delicious Christmas cake that everyone would enjoy, I make the recipe in the most simple and easy to follow steps that even a first-time baker should be able to get a great result. With
Christmas around the corner, you need the kind of dessert everyone would say yes to, and first step is to follow the recipe card below and the guide in it.
Homemade Christmas Fruit Cake Recipe
Equipment
- 8-inch round cake pan
- Mixing bowls
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Kitchen scale
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Sieve
- Parchment paper
- Cooling rack
- Toothpick or cake tester
Ingredients
For the Christmas Cake:
- 2 cups mixed dried fruits (raisins, sultanas, and currants) 300g
- ½ cup chopped candied cherries 75g
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or almonds 50g
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened 225g
- 1 cup brown sugar 200g
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 280g
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 orange
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoons molasses or treacle this is optional
For the Decoration:
- 1 cup powdered sugar 120g
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice or water
- 2 tablespoons sliced almonds
- A few candied cherries for decoration
- Rosemary sprigs this is optional
Instructions
Prepare the Ingredients
- Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C). Grease an 8-inch round cake pan and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the raisins, sultanas, currants, candied cherries, and chopped nuts. Set aside.
Cream the Butter and Sugar
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar until light, fluffy, and creamy. This should take about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract, orange zest, orange juice, and molasses if using.
Combine the Dry Ingredients
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground ginger.
- Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Add the milk and stir until everything is just combined.
Add the Dried Fruits and Nuts
- Add the prepared dried fruits and chopped nuts to the cake batter. Gently fold until the fruits are evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
- Avoid overmixing, as this can make the cake dense.
Bake the Christmas Cake
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and spread it evenly with a spatula.
- Bake for approximately 1 hour 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- If the top begins browning too quickly, loosely cover it with aluminium foil.
Cool the Cake
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes.
- Carefully transfer it to a wire rack and let it cool completely before decorating.
Decorate the Christmas Cake
- Mix the powdered sugar with lemon juice or water until you get a thick but spreadable icing.
- Spread the icing over the cooled cake, allowing some to drip naturally down the sides.
- Finish with sliced almonds, candied cherries, and rosemary sprigs for a festive appearance.
- Allow the icing to set before slicing.
