3 ways with Christmas Cakes

3 Creative Ways to Decorate your Christmas Cake

 

We all have our favourite Christmas Cake recipe, this is mine  that belonged to my mother, and probably her mother before that.  I have been making it for as long as I can remember, and its foolproof. Fruit cakes do require a bit of time in the making, so prepare for a morning in the kitchen.   I normally make a really large one, but this year we will be in the USA for Christmas, so a little one will do just fine for the weeks before we go away. I like to make mine a month before Christmas and soak it each week with a little more brandy.  You don’t need to use any alcohol, but it definitely makes the cake moist and oh so festive.

Christmas cake

Christmas cake with gold decoration

It can be decorated the traditional way with marzipan and fondant and I made a wreath of rosemary and thyme with red stars. Just add a few Christmas decorations if you dont have time to do anything fancy. But I suggest you get baking now so that your cake is well soaked for Christmas Day.

Christmas cake with silver decoration

 3 Christmas cakes

Happy start to the Festive Baking Season

 

5.0 from 1 reviews
Christmas Cake
 
Author:
Cuisine: baking
Serves: 20
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
  • 875ml (500g packet or 31/2 cups) mixed cake fruit
  • 250ml (1 cup) brown sugar
  • 125ml (1/2cup) chopped dates
  • 125g (1/2 cup) butter
  • 250ml (1 cup) pure apricot juice in a box
  • 125ml (1/2cup) brandy or if you dont want to use alcohol apricot juice
  • 125ml (1/2cup) chopped glace cherries
  • 100g chopped pecan nuts
  • 2 eggs beaten one at a time
  • 500ml (2 cups) cake flour
  • 12,5ml (1 Tablespoon) cocoa powder
  • 5ml (1 teaspoon) mixed spice
  • 3ml (1/2teaspoon) salt
  • 5ml (1 teaspoon) baking powder
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 160ºC/320ºF.
  2. Boil mixed fruit, brown sugar , chopped dates, butter and apricot juice for 20 minutes.
  3. Cool slightly and then add the brandy, cherries and nuts into the fruit mix.
  4. Fold in the eggs, one at a time.
  5. Sift all the dry ingredients together.
  6. Fold the dry ingredients into the fruit mix.
  7. Turn the mixture into a lined 20cm (8in) round tin and bake for approximately 2 hours.
  8. Test with a skewer to see if the cake is cooked through before removing from the oven.
  9. This recipe can be doubled up and put into a 25.5cm(10inch) square tin.
  10. Allow to cool in the tin.

 

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8 Comments

  • Reply Mea December 3, 2014 at 1:18 AM

    I made this cake and it turned out perfect. Thank you so much it will now be my annual cake for Christmas. I used some of it as a dessert with custard

    • Reply Ev December 3, 2014 at 1:21 AM

      So glad you enjoyed it Mea

  • Reply Janey December 3, 2014 at 1:19 AM

    Great recipe and I love the decorations

    • Reply Ev December 3, 2014 at 1:22 AM

      Thanks Janey

  • Reply Priyankaa December 6, 2014 at 11:47 AM

    Hi.
    Really eager to try this recipe bur I only have a microwave oven.
    How can I do this in the micro?Plz suggest …thanks a bunch in advance n Merry Xmas.

    • Reply Ev December 6, 2014 at 12:34 PM

      I have to be honest with you, I have never made this cake in a microwave oven, but I suggest you look up microwave christmas cakes. There are a ton of them on the net. Maybe you could adapt the instructions to this recipe. Good luck with that, I would like to know how it turns out if you try it. Sorry I couldnt be of any more help. Happy Holidays to you too.

  • Reply kim December 9, 2014 at 5:02 PM

    Are there any assembly instructions?

    • Reply Ev December 9, 2014 at 10:31 PM

      Hi Kim, Assembling is very easy. I used a layer of marzipan (store bought) and then a layer of white fondant (also store bought) and rolled it out and covered the marzipan. If you don’t like marzipan , leave this part off. With red fondant – roll it out to the thickness you need and cut out stars, Christmas trees or any shape you like. Allow them to dry hard. The rosemary is from my garden, tied into a wreath shape. You could use any edible plant made into a wreath shape, or a store bought decoration as in the other two cakes. These were bought at Michaels in the USA. Hope that helps.

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