Christmas cake is a festive favourite for a very good reason. Rich and full of flavour, it’s definitely a dessert that delights.
Impress guests this Christmas with Mary Berry’s rich fruit Christmas cake, shared by delicious.
delicious stated: “Mary Berry’s rich traditional Christmas cake recipe is filled to the brim with fruit, as well as almonds, brandy and treacle. It’s one of the absolute best if you’re after a rich fruity bake.”
It serves 30 so is perfect if you’re hosting a lot of people come December 25. Alternatively, be the most popular guest going at your loved ones’ Christmas party.
The recipe takes 20 minutes to make and four to five hours to cook, plus overnight soaking.
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Ingredients
- 25g currants
- 250g each sultanas and raisins
- 300g glacé cherries, quartered, rinsed and drained
- 150g ready-to-eat dried apricots, snipped into small pieces
- 75g mixed candied peel, roughly chopped
- Four tbsp brandy, plus extra for pouring
- 300g plain flour
- One tsp ground mixed spice
- Half tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 300g softened unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
- 300g dark muscovado sugar
- Five medium free-range eggs
- One tbsp black treacle
- Finely grated zest of one large lemon
- Finely grated zest of one large orange
- 60g whole unblanched almonds, roughly chopped
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Method
The day before
1. Pour the dried fruit and candied peel into a large bowl. Add the four tbsp brandy and stir in, ensuring you mix well. Cover and leave overnight.
On the day
1. Preheat the oven to 140°C/fan 120°C/gas one. Put the rest of the ingredients (aside from the almonds) in a large bowl. Use a hand-held electric mixer to beat the mix until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Add the nuts, stir them in, then add the soaked fruit with any soaking liquid.
2. Grease a deep 23cm round tin or 20cm square cake tin with butter, line with a double layer of baking paper and grease the paper. Gently pour the mixture into the prepared tin, using a spoon to get it all out. Level the top with a spatula and cover with baking paper.
3. Bake for four to five hours until the cake is firm to the touch. Test to see if it’s cooked by pushing a skewer into the middle – it should come out clean. Allow the cake to cool as it is.
4. Once cooled, remove the baking paper, pierce the top several times with a skewer, then pour over a dash of brandy. Carefully take the cake out of the tin but keep it in the baking paper. Wrap the cake with more baking paper, then foil. Store in a cool place for a maximum of three months. This will allow it to mature. From time to time, unwrap the cake and carefully pour over one to two tbsp brandy.
5. To serve, decorate with glacé fruit, marzipan or ready-to-use icing. For an extra special finishing touch, tie a ribbon around the cake – make sure it’s a festive colour.
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Help from delicious
Tips
1. Soak the fruit overnight for increased absorption of alcohol. If you’re pressed for time, warm everything a little in a microwave instead – this will also increase absorption. Let the fruit totally cool before you start making the cake.
You don’t have to use brandy. Instead, bakers might want to feed their cake with alcohols such as spiced rum, sloe gin, whisky, sherry or madeira.
Know-how
Double-line the cake tin with generously buttered baking paper. This will prevent the outside of the cake from drying out.
Place a circle or square of greased baking paper on top of the cake. This will stop the upper surface from becoming too brown.
What better way to enjoy your Christmas cake than with a glass of homemade mulled wine?
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