This Easy Peasy Christmas Cake is a well tried and tested family recipe that has stood the test of time (several decades in my family). It doesn’t need feeding and so is suitable to give to kids – if they’ll eat it!!
My parents tell me have been cooking since I could hold a spoon. And one of the first things my parents got me making, believe it or not, was a Christmas Cake. There is a wonderful photograph of me aged about 2 in the kitchen with my Dad, barely able to see over the bowl, with my hands right in the Christmas cake mixture helping to ‘stir’ – if you want to see it, I’ve put it on Facebook and Instagram 🙂
Growing up there was always quite a strict division of labour in our house. Dad made the cakes and the roast dinners. Mum made the rest of the dinners, the bread and the non-cake puddings. And I’m not convinced there was ever any crossover! So consequently it was Dad who always made the Christmas cake. (With a little help, of course!)
And I have lots of happy memories of helping him. Now I have kids of my own and Dad is now the Grandpa, he has been passing on his Christmas Cake making wisdom to his grandchildren. We spent a lovely time one morning during half term this year making this Christmas cake together, all pitching in and having a stir – especially my daughter, who I think will be making Christmas cakes single-handedly in a year or two!
Naturally, I spent the whole time taking photographs. I think my family must have thought I was a bit bonkers by the end! But it did mean I caught this wonderful image of my father helping my daughter. It really captures the spirit of the morning.
In truth, there is never going to be a really easy peasy Christmas cake recipe, they all involve a certain amount of work. But as Christmas Cake recipes go this is definitely one of the easiest I’ve seen.
Plus as a bonus (or not, depending on how you look at it), this cake doesn’t need feeding with alcohol as other recipes do. I’m sure you could feed it, if you really wanted to, but it’s not necessary – meaning this one is suitable for kids and those avoiding alcohol. There is a small amount of alcohol in the mixture, but cooking for such a long time in the oven means this should all cook off. If you are worried about it, you could substitute with apple juice.
It might not be loaded with booze, but this cake is still full of flavour and has a wonderful texture. It’s great eaten just as it is, or with a chunk of cheese as my family have always done. (Please don’t tell me we’re the only ones?? My husband thought we were all bonkers the first time he spent Christmas with us.)
Or you could decorate this cake simply with marzipan and icing. I like to use the ready-rolled marzipan and icing, glued on with just a smidgen of apricot jam or shredless marmalade.
This cake is edible from the day you make it, but improves if kept wrapped in tin foil for a few weeks or more. I think Mum and Dad once managed to keep a cake until Easter and it still tasted good!
If you are planning to decorate the cake, it’s best to do so no more than a few days before you plan to start eating it, as the cake stores best without the icing.
And the best wine matches for Christmas cake? Well, in my opinion, it has to be sweet and preferably fortified. A sweet sherry or a tawny port are perfect. My absolute favourite sweet sherry is Lustau East India Solera Sherry, which you can get from Waitrose and goes brilliantly with Christmas cake – it’s a match I’ve tried on many occasions and it always works brilliantly!
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Easy Peasy Christmas Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 250 g softened butter
- 250 g light soft brown sugar
- 250 g sultanas
- 250 g seedless raisins
- 250 g currants
- 60 g ground almonds
- 125 g diced mixed peel
- 125 g glace cherries
- 3 large eggs
- 50 ml sherry (or apple juice if you want to make this alcohol free)
- 1 very heaped tablespoon golden syrup
- 250 g self-raising flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
Icing (optional)
- Shredless marmalade or sieved apricot jam
- Ready-rolled marzipan
- Ready-rolled white icing
- Decorations (optional)
Equipment
- A large mixing bowl
- Two smaller mixing bowls and a little bowl for the cherries
- A jug
- A 20cm / 8 inch cake tin
- Greaseproof paper
- Brown paper
- Baking sheet
- A skewer
- A cooling wire
Instructions
Preparation
- Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until pale.
- In a separate bowl mix together the flour, ground almonds and spices.
- Wash the sultanas, raisins and currants and place in a third bowl together with the chopped mixed peel.
- Rinse and dry the cherries. Place in a small bowl and dust with a little flour (to stop them sinking in the cake).
- In a jug, mix the eggs, golden syrup and sherry (or apple juice).
- Line the base and sides of a 20cm / 8inch cake tin with a double layer of greased greaseproof paper, having greased the tin first. Make sure the paper which lines the sides stands 7cm above the rim of the tin.
- To ensure the cake does not have a hard base, line a baking sheet with 4 layers of thick brown paper.
- Preheat your oven to 165C / 145C fan / gas mark 3 / 325F.
Assembly
- Add a handful (or large spoonful) of flour to the creamed butter and sugar. Then add a small amount of the egg mixture and a handful of the fruit mixture and work together well, ideally with your hands (but you could do it with a wooden spoon if you don’t fancy the idea of getting your hands messy).
- Repeat this process until all the ingredients are well mixed, then finally add the cherries and mix again.
- Put the mixture in the prepared tin and flatten down evenly.
Baking
- Place the cake tin on the prepared baking sheet and put into your preheated oven for 1 hour.
- Reduce the heat to 150C / 130 fan / gas mark 2 / 300F and cook for a second hour.
- Cover with a little hat of greaseproof paper and bake for a third hour.
- Remove from the oven and check it is cooked properly by inserting a skewer – the skewer should be clean when removed.
After Baking
- Trim the greaseproof paper back to the level of the tin’s rim and place on a cooling wire upside down still in its tin.
- Leave until completely cold (ideally the next day).
- Slide the cake out, wrap securely with foil and store in a cake tin until Christmas.
Icing (optional)
- Cover the entire cake in warmed shredless marmalade (or sieved apricot jam).
- Place the ready-rolled marzipan onto the cake and gently smooth down the sides. Trim off any excess. Lightly cover and leave for 1-2 days, ideally.
- Lightly brush the marzipan with water and place the ready-rolled icing on top of the cake. Gently smooth down the sides and trim off any excess.
- Decorate if desired.
Notes
Get More Easy Peasy Christmas Recipes here…
Pin Easy Peasy Christmas Cake for later
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Jessica Cantoni says
This looks lovely Eb 🙂 I don’t think a cake needs alcohol to make it taste nice! It’s great that this one is child-friendly, and how lovely thy your children helped make it! What a lovely tradition to have made 🙂 x
Eb Gargano says
No me neither – this one tastes good just as it is!! And it means I can let the kids eat it. It would be sad for them to have made it and then not be able to eat it!! I love traditions like this – it always makes Christmas feel so special 🙂 Thanks for your kind comments. Eb x
Kate - gluten free alchemist says
I do have a bit of a love-hate relationship with Christmas Cake. I love a little bit, but hate it hanging around for months (after I get bored with it. Last year I made one cake and then split it into 4 and decorated each individually and gave 3 of them away as presents. A quarter cake was just about right!
Yours looks lovely and moist and perfectly cooked! xx
Eb Gargano says
Send it all to me!!!! I have a love/adore/devour relationship with Christmas cake!!! 🙂 But that may be because my Dad’s recipe for Christmas cake is just so lovely. And also because I mostly eat it with cheese rather than icing, so it doesn’t get to sickly. That and the sherry which makes it go down very nicely 🙂 Thanks for all your lovely kind comments. Eb x
Angela / Only Crumbs Remain says
I absolutely love that image of your dad holding the bowl whilst your daughter mixes – it’s wonderful in so many ways 🙂 I love Christmas cake, we always made one too every year with mum – it smelt amazing whilst it baked. Dad loves his fruit cakes with a good wedge old of cheese too (me not really) so you’re definitely not on your own there, and your not on your own not feeding the cake – we;ve never done that and have never found a need to. I love how long fruit cakes last when they’ve been stored well – someone I knew many years ago was about to celebrate her Silver wedding anniversary and was going to serve a tier of the fruit cake she had reserved from her wedding!! Yup it was 25 yrs old. The marzipan and icing was peeled off and the cake redecorated – the report on the Monday after the party was that the cake was great!
Angela x
Eb Gargano says
Isn’t it just such a sweet image? I just love it – it reminds me of a very special morning when 3 generations baked together and also of my daughter’s enjoyment of learning to make Christmas cake from her Grandpa 🙂 And isn’t it amazing how long fruit cake lasts – I’ve heard about people serving up the top of a wedding cake for their first baby’s christening, but I have to say I’ve never heard of it being served up for a 25th anniversary – that’s impressive. I’m afraid our wedding cake (made to this recipe by my Dad, decorated by my Mum) is long gone – far too yummy!! Eb Xx
Charlotte Oates says
I haven’t made my Christmas cake yet and I need to as my Mum offered and I told her there was no need (regretting that now!). The recipe I usually use need feeding as so it’s a bit late for that one now. I may well give this one a go instead.
We always have our with marzipan and fondant but I have seen it served with cheese before so it’s not just you 🙂
Eb Gargano says
Haha – I’m glad the cheese is not just me! I just love a big hunk of cheddar with my Christmas cake. I’m less bothered about the icing! Would love to know how you get on, if you try this recipe!! Eb x
Corina Blum says
I love how your daughter is helping your dad to make the Christmas cake. I think it’s a lovely recipe to make together and it’s great that it doesn’t have lots of alcohol in so it really is child-friendly. Thanks for sharing with #CookOnceEatTwice x
Eb Gargano says
It was a really special moment – there are photos of me doing the same with my Dad too at a similar age! It’s a really lovely recipe to all make together – we were literally all involved doing something! Eb x
Monika Dabrowski says
Looks magnificent! With a cake like this you don’t need any other dessert for Christmas. Thanks for bringing it to #CookBlogShare
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Monika 🙂 Eb x
Michelle Frank | Flipped-Out Food says
What wonderful memories of cooking with your dad! I’m intrigued by the idea of a cake that improves with age—especially if it pairs well with sherry. Sign me up!
Eb Gargano says
Haha – thanks Michelle 🙂 Eb x
Tracey says
Could I feed this little with brandy
Eb Gargano says
Absolutely! It doesn’t need to be fed – it’s a great cake without feeding. But if you want to feed it with brandy, go right ahead! Eb 🙂
Hermy says
I want to make this cake with half the ingredients. What would the cooking times be?
Eb Gargano says
Hi Hermy, I’ve not tried this with half the ingredients, but I am pretty confident it will work. My guess on timings would be about 1h45, but if I were you I’d start checking after 1h30. Let me know how it goes! Eb 🙂
Janet Duncan says
Hi , i have made this Christmas cake without alcohol as my husband can’t have it with alcohol, but I have cut into it today and it is very crumbly can you tell me why please?
Eb Gargano says
Hi Janet. I am sorry to hear that your cake is crumbly. There are a couple of possible reasons. The first could be that you cooked it was cooked a little too long, which would dry the cake out. The second could be how the cake was stored. The cake is likely to dry out if it is not well wrapped in foil. Also, it makes a difference if the cake is iced. Christmas cake doesn’t last as long once iced. I hope this helps you for next year! Eb 🙂
Tracy says
Hi Eb
I made your Christmas cake recipe last year 2020 with great success, this years cake is in the oven.
Thank you so much for such a lovely recipe and sharing your gorgeous memories.
Hope this year will be a good one cake and all 🙂
Best wishes
Tracy x
Eb Gargano says
Yay! That’s so good to hear… bet your kitchen is smelling gorgeous right now. Enjoy the cake! Eb 🙂