Nothing says Christmas quite like the rich, indulgent aroma of a traditional fruit cake baking in the oven. Packed with juicy dried fruits, warming spices, and a splash of festive spirit, this timeless recipe is a Christmas classic. Whether you're a seasoned baker or trying your hand at this festive treat for the first time, our traditional Christmas fruit cake recipe will help you create a delicious, homemade centrepiece that’s perfect for sharing with loved ones.
Ingredients:
- 1kg mixed dried fruit (raisins, sultanas, currants, cherries, cranberries)
- 1 orange - juice and zest
- 1 lemon - juice and zest
- 150ml brandy, plus extra for feeding
- 250g softened butter
- 200g light soft brown sugar
- 175g plain flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp mixed spice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 100g ground almond
- 100g flaked almonds
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Prepare this delicious fruit cake around 6-8 weeks before Christmas Day.
Method:
Step one - In a large pan, add your mixed dried fruit, juice and zest of your orange and lemon, brandy, softened butter, and light soft brown sugar. Mix and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Once boiled, reduce heat and simmer for five minutes. Transfer the fruit mixture to a large bowl and cool for 30 minutes.
Step two - Whilst your mixture cools, preheat your oven to 150C, 130C fan, or gas mark 2. Line a deep 20cm cake tin with a double layer of baking paper.
Step three - Once your fruit mixture has cooled, add plain flour, baking powder, mixed spice, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground almonds, flaked almonds, four large eggs and vanilla extract and stir well, ensuring no pockets of flour.
Step four - Once thoroughly mixed, pour into your prepared tin and level with the base of a spoon. Bake in the centre of the oven for approx. two hours. If you notice your cake going darker than expected, cover the top with baking paper.
Step five - Once your fruit cake is cooked, poke holes in the top and spoon over your brandy. Leave the cake to cool completely.
Step six - Peel off your baking paper and store your cake in a cake tin. You should feed your cake with 1-2 tbsp of alcohol every fortnight - we prefer the traditional brandy.
Step seven - If you prefer, you can add icing to your cake or sprinkle over a dusting of icing sugar when ready to serve on Christmas Day.
