Christmas Cake - EASY moist fruit cake
Recipe video above. This is an easy Christmas Cake that requires no overnight fruit soaking. It's a fruit cake that's incredibly easy to make, with a rich, velvety texture that's full flavoured and so moist it can be eaten plain. (But no one turns away a slosh of custard!) Just as good made on the day - or weeks later.
- Prep time
- 30 min
- Cook time
- 3 hr 15 min
- Yield
- 20 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 300g / 10 oz raisins
- 150g / 5 oz diced dried apricots (, chopped 8 mm / 1/3")
- 75g / 2.5 oz mixed peel (, diced 5mm / 1/5)
- 150g / 5 oz glace cherries (, chopped 8 mm / 1/3")
- 180g / 6 oz dates (, diced 5mm / 1/5")
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp apple juice, OR 1/3 brandy + 2/3 juice ( (Note 2))
- 120g / 8 tbsp unsalted butter (, softened (1 US stick))
- 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar (, packed (Note 3))
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil ((or canola, peanut, grapeseed))
- 3 tbsp molasses or golden syrup ((Note 4))
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp all spice
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 2/3 cups plain flour ((all purpose flour))
- 3/4 cup walnuts (, chopped (optional))
- 500ml / 1 pint pouring custard (, homemade or store bought (Note 5))
- 250g / 8 oz "ready to roll" marzipan
- 250g / 8 oz "ready to roll" white fondant
- Cherries dusted with icing sugar
- Cherries or other fruit dusted with icing sugar ((on plain cake, looks very pretty!))
- Drippy white glaze ((directions below))
Instructions
- 1
Place dried fruit and juice/brandy in a large microwavable container. Microwave 1 1/2 minutes on high or until hot.
- 2
Stir to coat all fruit in liquid. Cover then set aside for 1 hour (to plump up/soak and cool).
- 3
Preheat oven to 160°C / 320°F (140°C fan). Grease and line a 21 - 22 cm / 8 - 9" round cake pan with baking paper (parchment paper) (7 cm / 2.75" tall).
- 4
Using an electric beater, beat butter and sugar until smooth and creamy (about 1 minute on speed 5).
- 5
Add oil and molasses, beat until combined.
- 6
Add salt, spices and baking powder - beat until incorporated.
- 7
Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just incorporated
- 8
Stir in the flour.
- 9
When mostly incorporated, stir in the fruit mix (including all the extra liquid in bowl) and walnuts (if using).
- 10
Pour into cake pan, cover with foil and bake for 2 1/2 hours. Remove the foil then bake for another 30 to 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into middle comes out clean with no batter on it (check first at 30 minutes).
- 11
Remove from oven and cool for 20 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Cool completely before serving.
- 12
Cake is moist and so full flavoured, it can be eaten plain. But see below for decorating and serving ideas (traditionally served with pouring custard).
- 13
Cutting: Either cut into thin wedges, or cut cake into thin strips (2cm / 0.75" or so), then cut those strips into serving size pieces.
- 14
Traditional White Christmas Cake (pictured in post) - Marzipan and fondant, see Decorating Note.
- 15
Simple - pile top with fresh cherries or other fruit, dust with icing sugar (powdered sugar). Wrap a ribbon around the cake for extra touch!
- 16
Drippy white glaze - use the glaze in this Lemon Cake recipe, but leave out the lemon juice (ie make a plain sweet white glaze). Flip cake upside down for flat surface then glaze per that recipe.
- 17
Serving - serve with custard for a traditional experience! Either homemade custard or store bought pouring custard (jazz it up by mixing in vanilla seed paste!).