A quick Christmas Cake sounds like a contradiction but this cake can be made at the last minute, marzipanned and iced on Christmas Eve, ready for eating on Christmas Day.
Of course, you could make the cake earlier, bearing in mind that it keeps for up to 6 weeks, but I tend to make this only a week before Christmas because then I can eat it throughout January.
It isn’t a traditional rich, mature cake. It’s light and moist and you could easily eat it without adornment, but over the next two days, I’ll post on how to marzipan and ice it with least effort.
Some years it’s really nice to make your own Christmas Cake. I’ve had plenty of times when I just bought the best that Waitrose had to offer, and very nice it was too. It also meant three fewer things to do on my list. Other years I went the whole hog and made the cake in October and elaborately decorated it. You might guess those days were some time ago. Now, I prefer a lighter cake anyway and this cake will still take marzipan and icing so, for me, it’s the best of both worlds.
This quick Christmas Cake is a variation on a Luxury Fruit Cake that I make whenever I want a fruit cake for a special event like a birthday or a wedding. I just vary the fruit, alcohol, and flavouring to suit the occasion.
I based the cake on a River Cottage Dundee Cake recipe that I found in their Cakes Handbook. For a Dundee Cake, use sultanas, whisky and orange. For Christmas Cake, raisins, cherries, brandy, and mixed spice. In fact, you can use what you like. Just make up the quantities to the right amount.
And remember, if it’s Christmas Eve, it isn’t too late to make your cake.
This is the first part of the Quick Christmas Cake series. The others are Part 2 – How to Marzipan a Christmas Cake and Part 3 – Royal Icing
Quick Christmas Cake
Ingredients
- 200 g glacé cherries
- 300 g raisins
- 75 ml brandy
- 50 g candied orange peel
- 2 unwaxed oranges, zested OR
- 2 teaspoons orange extract (10ml)
- 250 g light brown sugar
- 250 g butter
- 5 eggs
- 275 g plain/all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder (2.5ml)
- 2 teaspoons mixed spice (10ml)
- Pinch of salt
- 125 g ground almonds
Equipment
Instructions
Preparation:
- Wash, dry and halve the cherries
- 'Revive' the dried fruit:Put the cherries and raisins in a dish with the brandy. Heat in the microwave on MEDIUM for 3 minutes in total, stirring once or twice. Heat on HIGH for 30 seconds. Leave to stand for 30 minutes if possible
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 160°C fan/ gas mark 4/ 350°F
- Line the base of the tin with a parchment liner.Grease the sides (if it needs it) with butter paper (or a little butter on kitchen paper)Finely chop the candied peelZest the oranges, if using
For the cake:
- Put all the ingredients. except the fruit and peel, into a mixer or processor and mix well(Sugar, butter, eggs, plain flour, baking powder, spice, salt, ground almonds, orange zest or extract)
- Stir in the dried fruit and chopped candied peel and excess brandy
- Spoon into the cake tin and level the top with the back of the spoon. Make a slight depression in the middle to get a flatter top when it's cooked
- Cook for 1 hour and test with a skewer. If it comes out clean the cake is done, otherwise cook for 10-15 minutes longerIf you need to cook the cook for longer than an hour, cover the top lightly with greasproof paper or foil to stop the top darkening too much
- Take the cake out of the oven and leave in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool
- If you aren't going to ice the cake immediately, leave the liner on, wrap it in baking parchment and put in an airtight container until you need it.
Notes
- Use any fruit or alcohol that you like to vary the flavour
- Storage: This Christmas Cake will keep for up to 6 weeks in an airtight tin.
Cath H says
Like a number of others, my cake took over 2 hours to bake at 160 and is a bit too dark on outside. Middle still a tiny bit under baked. I followed all instructions faithfully so just think that this volume of mixture needs longer at a slightly lower temperature?
This is a shame as it tastes lovely, but I had been worried that I had wasted some expensive ingredients and quite a lot of time.
Susie says
Hi Cath. I’m not quite sure what’s happening here, although certainly 2 hours at 160 would brown the top too much. I’m going to add a note to the recipe to cover the top if it’s in the oven for over an hour. Can I check that you are using a fan oven?
Cheers – Susie
Rosemary says
I was most disappointed to find that the cake tin size is wrong, it should be a 22 centimetre
Tin . It took over 2 hours to cook so I hope it isn’t ruined, as I made it especially for Christmas!
Susie says
Hi Rosemary.
Sorry to hear the cake wasn’t as anticipated.
I’m not sure what happened to your mixture, but a 20cm deep round tin is the right size for this recipe, which I have made many times.
I made the cake again today for our Christmas cake and it’s definitely a 20cm tin.
Can I just check that you used 5 eggs and 275g flour, which is the standard recipe and didn’t inadvertently press the 2x button?
Other than that I’m afraid I don’t know what might have happened.
If you cooked the cake until a cocktail stick came out clean, it should be enough. If you’re concerned that it’s overcooked, you could prick the top with the cocktail stick and feed the cake with a tablespoon of brandy.
Carol says
Susie, I made your cake today but it took almost twice as long to bake as the recipe said. I put it in a 20cm tin at the temperature stipulated(160 C fan) but after an hour it was still raw. It’s darker on the outside than it should be, I’m sure. Fingers crossed it’s not too dry when we eat it.
Cheryl Launders says
Hi
If i added a little brandy to the top each week would this last a bit longer??
I really want to make it this week but theres still 9 weeks til Christmas
Yours impatiently
CHERYL XX
Susie says
Hi Cheryl.
If you’ve got room in your freezer, put the cake in there until you want to marzipan/ice it.
Otherwise, wrap it in foil and a plastic box or clingfilm and keep it in the fridge. Preferably at 2° or 3° (best temperature for the fridge anyway!)
Basically you want the wrapped cake to be airtight either way. You can take it out a week or so before hand and do the brandy thing (always a nice idea!)
Cheers – Susie
Lisa Feinson says
You are so going to laugh at me.
I made this today for 12th night.
1. Puts 12th night cake in oven.
2. Re-reads recipe.
3. Realises I missed out the 125g of ground almonds.
Well, it looks like a good fruit cake mix, tastes like a very good fruit cake mix, smells like frujit cake mix. I shall report back!
Susie says
Hi Lisa, I’m only laughing in a comradely way – we’ve all done it. Occasionally I’ve been in time to get the mixture out of the tin and mix in the missing ingredient!
Hope it turns out okay though.
Cheers – Susie
Lisa says
It’s delicious! A little crumbly, but still tender. Photos of it here.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BsWUA31Hitp/
Susie says
Hi Lisa – looking good!
Theresa Mayriello says
I, too, cannot understand the metric measurements. And, do not wish to take time to covert metric to regular measurements. So if you could give me the standard measurements, I would appreciate it. Otherwise, do not send me any other recipes. Thank you. Theresa Mauriello
Susie says
Hi Theresa,
All the recipes on this site only use metric measurements, which is the standard in Europe. A simple conversion doesn’t work well if you want to use Imperial or American units of measurement, and I wouldn’t be able to guarantee the integrity of recipes doing that.
Your best bet is to find a US site with similar recipes, which will be straightforward for you to use.
I’m a bit confused about sending you recipes as I don’t believe you are on my mailing list.
Cheers – Susie
Kathey says
I am American and I cannot understand the metric system..they tried to teach us back in the 70’s but gave up. With the help of Google, i will figure it out..but can you please tell me what is the conversion of 45 lbs. To American dollars? I want to price the bundt mold.
Ally says
It’s about $58, rounded up.