Related categories
Main ingredients
Recipe type
- Cake (2367)
Cuisine
- British (1715)
Other
- Christmas cakes (73)
- Low fat recipes (2800)
- High fibre recipes (1406)
- Christmas baking (182)
- Celebration cakes (218)
Related articles and cooking videos
Christmas Cake
Recipe by:
Carol
This cake is a rich, moist fruit cake, perfect at Christmas. Try icing with marzipan for a more festive touch. This recipe is started in October or November so as to let it mellow before the holidays.
Ready in 4 hours
Saved by 145 cook(s)
Ingredients
Serves: 16
- 450g (1 lb) glacé cherries
- 225g (8 oz) candied mixed peel
- 300g (11 oz) sultanas
- 150g (5 oz) dried currants
- 175g (6 oz) dates, pitted and chopped
- 125g (4¼ oz) blanched almonds, chopped
- 120ml (4 fl oz) brandy
- 4 tablespoons plain flour
- 250g (9 oz) plain flour
- 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 225g (8 oz) butter
- 450g (1 lb) dark brown soft sugar
- 6 eggs
- 175ml (6 fl oz) black treacle
- 175ml (6 fl oz) apple juice
Preparation method
Prep: 30 mins | Cook: 3 hours | Extra time: 30 mins1.
In a medium bowl, combine cherries, citrus peel, sultanas, currants, dates and almonds. Stir in brandy; let stand 2 hours or overnight. Dredge soaked fruit with 4 tablespoons flour.
2.
Preheat oven to 140 C / Gas mark 1. Grease a 20cm (8 in) round cake tin, line with baking parchment and grease again. In a small bowl, mix together 250g flour, bicarbonate of soda, cloves, allspice, cinnamon and salt; set aside.
3.
In a large bowl, cream butter until light. Gradually blend in brown sugar and eggs. Mix together black treacle and apple juice. Beat into butter mixture alternately with flour mixture, making 4 dry and 3 liquid additions. Fold in floured fruit. Turn batter into prepared tin.
4.
Bake in preheated oven for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of cake comes out clean. Remove from tin and lift off paper. Cool cake completely, then wrap loosely in greaseproof paper. Store in an airtight container.
And for the finishing touch...
For a traditional finish to your Christmas cake, use shop-bought marzipan or try this recipe. For a speedy finish, you can then top it with a variety of glace fruits, dried fruits and/or nuts, or use ready to roll icing. For a homemade touch, try this royal icing recipe.
Icing and decorating your cakeLook at our handy guide to Icing and decorating a Christmas cake to learn how to prepare your cake, ice it and decorate it!
Provided by:Allrecipes
Last updated:
03 Nov 2011
Easy
best christmas cake ever
Posted:
31 Dec 2011
Was this review helpful?
[YES]
0 user(s) found this review helpful
Easy
Hi, I have just made this cake for the first time and it has been in the oven for an hour and a half and smells gorgeous. Was easy to make but got the treacle everywhere lol. Will post again at Christmas to tell you what it tastes like (if I can keep myself away from it til then....) Debz x
Posted:
26 Oct 2011
Was this review helpful?
[YES]
1 user(s) found this review helpful
Altered ingredient amounts.
Im wondering if its ok to soak the fruit in the Brandy for a few days,I usually do this and it plumps up the fruit I love the look of this recipie,cant wait to try it!
Posted:
08 Jun 2011
Was this comment helpful?
[YES]
3 users found this comment helpful
Used different ingredients.
try swapping the black treacle for golden syrup, makes the cake lighter tasting.
Posted:
26 Mar 2011
Was this comment helpful?
[YES]
2 users found this comment helpful
Easy
amazing cake
made many times
highly reccommended
Posted:
26 Mar 2011
Was this review helpful?
[YES]
1 user(s) found this review helpful
Took shortcuts.
I used a sugar substitute blend of Brown Sugar and about 4 oz applesauce instead of apple juice and cut back on the butter used. Didn't alternate wet and dry ingredients. Took an hour to cook not three hours as used a Bundt ring cake pan and small loaf pan. Came out great - very rich tasting treat! Put royal icing with a bit of fresh squeezed orange juice with zest. Yum, Yum, Yum!
Posted:
04 Jan 2009
Was this comment helpful?
[YES]
3 users found this comment helpful
Easy
Thank you Carol for sharing a great recipe. I have been on the look out for a simple and good recipe for quite some time now. This cake turned out perfect, just the way I like it. Thanks for sharing the recipe with so many readers.
Posted:
07 Aug 2008
Was this review helpful?
[YES]
1 user(s) found this review helpful
Something else.
After 2.5 weeks I took this cake out of the air tight container and unwraped it from the double layer of foil and layer of greaseproof and it smells gorgeous, no more treacle smell just a lovely traditional christmas cake smell, almost like christmas pudding!! I skewered 50 times and poured over a tbls of each whisky and brandy. Update: Very moist but may add double the mixed spice next year. NOTE: this is for a 20cm square cake, but if you use a round pan you must use a 23cm one!!
Posted:
07 Aug 2008
Was this comment helpful?
[YES]
8 users found this comment helpful
Easy
Made a recipe very similar to this about 6 weeks before christmas and then resisted eating it until then. This is truly the best basic Christmas cake ever! It is really rich and moist. It did make a lot and I had to put it in a 26cm square tin which fit perfectly. We thought we would never get through it - it was so huge but it was gone within a week or so. It was so delicious. As my husband is allergic to almonds I substituted brazil nuts which worked just as well. Will definitely be making it again this year (and also planning on making smaller ones for gifts keeping the big for myself of course)- can't wait!
Posted:
07 Aug 2008
Was this review helpful?
[YES]
0 user(s) found this review helpful
Something else.
I let the cake cool in the tin with a tea towel over the top to keep the moisture in then when it was cool I basted it in brandy and wrapped up in greaseproof paper and tin foil.
Posted:
07 Aug 2008
Was this comment helpful?
[YES]
1 users found this comment helpful
Seasonal favourites
History
My recently viewed recipes
- Fresh Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
- Traditional Buttermilk Scones
- Victoria Sponge Cake
- Irish Stew with Parsnips
- Groovy Green Smoothie
- Salmon Croquettes
- Microwave Lemon Curd
- Cheesy Leek and Mustard Soup
- Easy Flourless Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake
- Christmas Pudding
- Clone of a cinnabon
- Classic Profiteroles
- Quiche Lorraine
- Mum's Apple Tart
- Rhubarb bread
- Plain and simple vanilla cake
- Vegan chocolate cake
- Easy Meatloaf
- Jamie's Cranberry Spinach Salad
My recent searches
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
©2012 Allrecipes.com
- Allrecipes International:
- Argentina
- .
- Australia/NZ
- .
- Brazil
- .
- China
- .
- France
- .
- Germany
- .
- India
- .
- Japan
- .
- Korea
- .
- México
- .
- Netherlands
- .
- Poland
- .
- Québec
- .
- Russia
- .
- Southeast Asia
- .
- USA/Canada