Classic Christmas cake
A rich, dark fruit cake soaked in brandy, ready to feed in the weeks before Christmas. Mid-October to early November is the perfect time to bake it.
- Prep
- 40 mins
- Cook
- 4 hrs
- Total
- 4 hrs 40 mins
- Serves
- 20
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Cost
- A treat
Recipe: Classic Christmas cake
Classic Christmas cake
Ingredients
To soak (the night before)
- 1kg mixed dried fruit, currants, sultanas and raisins
- 100g glacé cherries, halved
- 50g mixed peel
- 150ml brandy, plus extra for feeding
- 1 orange, zest and juice
- 1 lemon, zest only
For the cake
- 250g unsalted butter, softened
- 250g dark muscovado sugar
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- 1 tbsp black treacle
- 250g plain flour
- 50g ground almonds
- 2 tsp mixed spice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 50g blanched almonds, chopped, optional
Kitchen kit
- 20cm round deep cake tin Search Amazon for 20cm deep round cake tin
- Baking parchment and brown paper Search Amazon for baking parchment paper
- Kitchen string Search Amazon for cooking twine
- Large mixing bowl Search Amazon for large mixing bowl
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Amazon links go to search results for the kit, never food.
Method
-
Step 1: Soak the fruit
The night before, mix the dried fruit, cherries, peel, brandy, orange zest and juice and lemon zest in a large bowl. Cover and leave overnight (or up to 3 days) so the fruit plumps up.
-
Step 2: Line the tin
Heat the oven to 140°C / 120°C fan / gas 1. Grease a 20cm deep round tin and double-line the base and sides with baking parchment, with the parchment standing 5cm above the rim. Wrap a double band of brown paper around the outside and tie with string – this protects the cake during the long bake.
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Step 3: Make the batter
Beat the butter and sugar until creamy. Gradually beat in the eggs, adding a spoonful of flour if it starts to curdle, then the treacle. Fold in the flour, ground almonds and spices, then the soaked fruit (and any liquid) and chopped almonds.
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Step 4: Bake
Spoon into the tin, level and make a slight dip in the centre. Bake for 3½–4 hours until dark golden and a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean. If the top darkens too quickly, cover with a sheet of parchment.
-
Step 5: Feed and store
Leave to cool completely in the tin. Prick all over with a skewer and spoon over 2 tbsp brandy. Wrap in fresh parchment, then foil, and store in an airtight tin. Feed with 1–2 tbsp brandy every week or two until you decorate it.
-
Step 6: Decorate
About a week before Christmas, brush with warmed apricot jam, cover with marzipan and leave to dry for a day or two, then ice with fondant or royal icing.
Tips
- Oven temperatures vary on long bakes – start checking at 3 hours.
- Don't overfeed: a couple of tablespoons every week or two is plenty, or the cake turns soggy.
- Wrapping in parchment before foil stops the fruit's acid reacting with the foil.
Storing & reheating
Well wrapped in an airtight tin in a cool, dry place, the undecorated cake keeps for up to 3 months. Once cut and iced, eat within 2 weeks.
Freezing
Freeze the undecorated cake, well wrapped, for up to 3 months.
Variations
- Alcohol-free: soak the fruit in orange juice or cold tea and skip the feeding; store in the fridge and eat within 2 weeks.
- Smaller cake: halve the quantities and bake in a 15cm tin for about 2½–3 hours.
Allergies: Always check the labels of the ingredients you buy for allergens — our dietary tags are a guide, not a guarantee.
From feeed.co.uk/recipes/classic-christmas-cake/ · Checked 17 October 2026
Questions people ask
When should I make my Christmas cake?
Ideally 6–8 weeks before Christmas – mid-October to early November – so it can mature and be fed. A cake made a week or two ahead is still lovely.
Can children eat Christmas cake fed with brandy?
Most of the alcohol in the cake mix evaporates during baking, but the brandy used for feeding isn't cooked. Make an alcohol-free version if it's for children.
Is it vegetarian?
Yes, as written. Check the glacé cherries and mixed peel labels – some coloured cherries use non-vegetarian colourings.
Sources & inspiration
Checked 17 October 2026. Written in our own words; we checked proportions, technique and food safety against:
See other recipes that use the same kit on our kitchen kit pages.
