Classic Christmas Cake Recipe
14 Reviews
About our Classic Christmas Cakes
This classic Christmas cake recipe is packed with rich, festive flavours and beautifully decorated with Silver Spoon white ready to roll icing, Silver Spoon ready to roll golden marzipan, and topped with edible holly decorations. Perfect for your holiday table, this easy classic Christmas cake is sure to be a showstopper.
Why do you feed a Christmas Cake?
To "feed a cake" typically refers to the process of adding liquid, usually alcohol, to a cake after it has been baked to keep it moist and enhance its flavour over time. This practice is commonly associated with fruit cakes, which are often stored for weeks or even months. The cake is "fed" by periodically brushing or pouring small amounts of alcohol, like rum, brandy, or whiskey, onto it, allowing the liquid to soak into the cake.
How to Feed a Christmas Cake
To ensure your cake stays rich and moist, “feed” it with brandy or rum. After your cake has cooled, use a skewer to poke small holes across the top. Spoon a few tablespoons of alcohol over the cake, then wrap it tightly in parchment and foil. Repeat this process every week until you’re ready to decorate.
When to Feed a Christmas Cake:
- After Baking: Once your cake has cooled after baking, it’s usually fed for the first time. You’ll make small holes in the cake with a skewer and drizzle or brush alcohol over the top.
- During Maturation: Ideally, Christmas cakes are made well in advance (several weeks or even months before Christmas). During this period, the cake is fed about once a week or every two weeks. You can continue feeding it until a week or so before you plan to decorate or serve it.
- Right Before Serving: Some people like to give the cake one final feed just before serving, but this is optional, especially if the cake is already rich and moist enough.
Top Tips on How to Decorate a Christmas Cake
- Prepare your cake: Brush your cake with a little apricot jam to help the marzipan stick.
- Roll out marzipan: Dust your surface with Silver Spoon icing sugar and roll out the Silver Spoon ready to roll golden marzipan to cover the cake smoothly.
- Smooth the icing: Roll out the Silver Spoon white ready-to-roll icing and gently lay it over the Silver Spoon ready to roll golden marzipan, smoothing out any creases for a professional finish.
- Add festive touches: Use coloured icing to create edible holly leaves and berries for a beautiful, seasonal touch.
Make a Mini Christmas Cake
Mini Christmas cakes make great gifts. To make mini versions of this easy Christmas cake try our Mini Christmas Cake recipe.
For more Christmas cake decoration ideas, get creative with Silver Spoon’s ready to roll icing and marzipan range and transform your cake into a festive centerpiece.
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1.25kgDried mixed fruits
- 100mlBrandy (or rum, plus extra for feeding)
- 1Orange(s) (juice and zest)
- 1Lemon (zest)
- 125gGlacé cherries
- 275gAllinson's Plain White Flour
- 2 tspMixed spice
- 225gButter (unsalted) (softened)
- 225gBillington's Unrefined Light Muscovado Sugar
- 5Egg(s) (free range) (large)
- 100gAlmonds (ground)
For the decoration
- 2 tbspApricot Jam
- 1kgSilver Spoon Golden Ready to Roll Marzipan
- 1kgSilver Spoon White Ready to Roll Icing
- 200gRed fondant icing
- 200gGreen fondant icing
- 3 tbspSilver Spoon Icing Sugar
Method
Step 1
Place the mixed dried fruit in a large bowl, then add the brandy, the juice and zest of an orange and zest of a lemon. Cover with clingfilm and let it sit for 24 hours, giving it a shake now and then.
Ingredients for this step
- 1.25kgDried mixed fruit
- 100mlBrandy
- 1Orange
- 1Lemon
Step 2
Line a 23cm round cake tin or a 20cm square tin with three layers of greaseproof paper.
Step 3
Preheat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan, gas mark 3).
Step 4
Rinse the cherries in warm water to remove any syrup or coating that can affect the texture of your cake. Dry them thoroughly and cut into quarters, so they distribute evenly in the batter.
Ingredients for this step
- 125gGlace cherries
Step 5
Sift the flour and mixed spice together. Sifting not only ensures the ingredients are well-combined, but it also aerates the flour, giving your cake a lighter texture.
Ingredients for this step
- 275gAllinson's Plain White Flour
- 2 tspMixed spice
Step 6
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy—this step is crucial for trapping air, which will help your cake rise. Add the eggs one at a time, followed by a tablespoon of the flour mix to prevent curdling and keep the batter smooth.
Ingredients for this step
- 225gButter
- 225gBillington's Unrefined Light Muscovado Sugar
- 5Medium eggs
Step 7
Gently fold in the remaining flour, ground almonds, cherries, and soaked dried fruit. Folding keeps the air in the batter, ensuring a light, fluffy texture, while evenly distributing the fruits.
Ingredients for this step
- 100gGround Almonds
Step 8
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, leveling the top with the back of a spoon. Create a slight well in the middle to ensure an even rise during baking.
Step 9
Wrap brown paper around the tin and secure with string to protect the cake from browning too quickly. Bake for 1 hour, then lower the oven temperature to 140°C (120°C fan) and bake for another 3 hours, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. If the top browns too much, cover loosely with foil.
Step 10
Once baked, leave the cake in the tin to cool slightly then remove the cake from the tin and cool completely on a wire rack, leaving the baking paper on. Cooling it slowly helps retain moisture in the cake.
Step 11
When fully cool, wrap the cake in foil and store. To feed the cake, poke a few holes with a skewer and drizzle 2 tbsp brandy over the top. Re-wrap the cake and store. Repeat this process every few weeks for a rich, moist cake.
Step 12
Before adding marzipan to the cake, warm the apricot jam until melted. Remove the paper from the cake, place it on a cake board, and use a small piece of marzipan to fill gaps between the cake and the board. Brush the warm jam over the cake to help the marzipan stick.
Ingredients for this step
- 2 tbspApricot Jam
Step 13
Dust the work surface with icing sugar and roll out the marzipan to cover the cake. Lift it using a rolling pin and lay it over the cake, smoothing it down the sides to avoid air pockets.
Ingredients for this step
- 1kgSilver Spoon Golden Ready to Roll Marzipan
Step 14
Trim the excess marzipan, then dust your hands with icing sugar and gently rub the surface to ensure a smooth finish. Allow the marzipan to set for 1-2 days at room temperature for the best result.
Step 15
To ice the cake, lightly brush the marzipan with a bit of alcohol or boiled water. Dust the surface with icing sugar.
Step 16
Knead and roll the icing to 5mm thickness, large enough to cover the cake. Lift the icing with a rolling pin and place it over the cake, gently easing it down the sides to prevent air pockets or creases.
Ingredients for this step
- 1kgSilver Spoon White Ready to Roll Icing
Step 17
Trim off the excess icing with a sharp knife and lightly dust the cake with icing sugar. Use your hands to polish the icing and smooth out any imperfections.
Ingredients for this step
- 20gSilver Spoon Icing Sugar
Step 18
Finish with a ribbon around the base and decorations of your choice. We used a cutter to press out holly shapes using green coloured icing and rolled tiny balls of red coloured icing to add as berries.