Christmas Fruit Cake is a traditional bake for the festive season in the UK. This step by step recipe makes it an easy bake even if you have little experience. I’ve been baking fruit cakes at Christmas for many years and have used several different recipes. This is the one I would recommend as the most reliable.
I make my cake at the end of October and have it wrapped up and maturing until it is iced a couple of weeks before Christmas.
I was sent a copy of What to Bake and How to Bake it by Jane Hornby to review so I decided to make Jane’s Festive Fruit Cake.
About the Author
Jane Hornby is an experienced food writer, baking expert and cookery teacher.
She has spent many years working on bestselling food magazines where she has honed her clear, friendly, step-by-step style, and her passion for real home cooking.
The book begins with a comprehensive chapter full of techniques, tips, and answers to frequently asked questions.
The Recipes
Simple Family Baking contains recipes such as Golden Citrus Drizzle Cake, Peanut Butter Cookies, Favourite Swiss Roll, Lemon, and Raisin Pancakes, Rocky Road and Classic Crusty Bread.
Morning Coffee and Afternoon Tea, just imagine a tiered cake stand loaded with Classic Shortbread, Jaffa Marble Loaf, Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, Lemon Glazed Ginger Cake and Seriously Chcolately Cookies.
Special Bakes contains even more delicious celebration bakes. The Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake looks pretty special and the Coconut Layer Cake is really pretty with its toasted coconut chip decoration.
Angel Cake with berries and Pumpkin Pie are classic US celebration cakes and almost everyone loves Frosted Cupcakes.
The Festive Fruit cake comes into this chapter (recipe below) as does another winter feast bake, Cranberry Stollen.
Desserts and After Dinner is the final chapter. The Flourless Chocolate Cake is a decadently rich and gooey dessert. I’m definitely going to try the Tart au Citron, it’s one of my favourites.
Another citrus favourite is Whole Orange and Almond Cake, the instructions look incredibly easy.
Want to master choux pastry? Jane provides the perfect step by step Chocolate Profiterole recipe. Pastry is also de-mystified in the recipe for One-Crust Apple and Blackberry Pie.
Macarons, biscotti and Salted Caramel Shortbread bites complete this indulgent chapter.
Index of bakes by occasion
There is a really useful index of bakes by occasion, for example, Bake-sale bestsellers and Mother’s Day. There is a standard index as well, so you can easily find your favourites.
Who is it for?
You would think this is a book for beginners, the step-by-step photos and instructions certainly make it ideal for a beginning baker.
However, although I have many years of baking experience, I probably made the best fruit cake I have ever made using the Festive Fruit Cake recipe. So if you want to improve your baking, this book is t is well worth buying.
The Christmas Fruit Cake (Festive Fruit Cake) recipe in the book also includes instructions for how to marzipan and ice your cake.
Pros
It’s a beautiful book and would make a great gift. The photographs are clear without too much styling to get in the way of what you need to do.
The illustrations at the start of each chapter are so delightful you could frame them and hang them on your wall.
The written instructions are very detailed and neatly laid out down the side of the photos. I found that the recipes really work.
Cons
There are an awful lot of baking books on the market, and I seem to own quite a few of them.
Many of the bakes in What to Bake and How to Bake it are standards such as Victoria Sponge, Swiss Roll, Shortbread and Brownies which will feature in other books you own,
It is the detailed step-by-step format which makes this book different.
The Verdict
It’s a beautiful book, with well-written recipes. I’m not sure I could resist if I didn’t already have a copy.
What to Bake and How to Bake It by Jane Hornby
Photographs by Liz and Max Haarala Hamilton
Illustrations by Kerry Lemon
Published by Phaidon
RRP £19.95
How to make Christmas Fruit Cake
Bring the dried fruit, cherries and mixed citrus peel lemon juice, zest and brandy or rum to a simmer, then leave to soak overnight.
If you don’t want to use alcohol, use one of the alternatives suggested in the recipe.
When you are ready to make your cake, put on the oven at 160C (140C Fan/Gas 3)
Cream together the softened butter and sugar. You can do this with a wooden spoon but, if you have a stand mixer, it makes it much easier to do.
Add the eggs one at a time beating to ensure they are mixed with the creamed butter and sugar. If the mixture curdles (goes lumpy) beat in a tablespoon of flour.
Add the flour, spice, and salt to the mixture and gently fold it in with a spatula or metal spoon.
Stir in the dried fruit mixture until it is well combined.
Put the mixture into the prepared cake tin and smooth the top.
Test the cake by inserting a skewer into the centre. If it comes out clean and not sticky the cake is baked.
Leave the Christmas Fruit Cake in the tin and prick holes all over then spoon in more of the brandy, rum or alternatives into the cake.
Let the cake cool completely before removing from the tin. Warp in baking parchment. I also overwrap the baking parchment with foil.
Store in a cool dry place until you are ready to cover with marzipan and decorate it. This is a simple decoration I made using cookie cutters for gingerbread mean.
More Christmas Cake Recipes at Farmersgirl Kitchen
Last Minute Whisky Marmalade Christmas Cake
Black Bun, Traditional Scottish Fruit Cake for Hogmanay (New Year)
Homemade Marzipan Stollen is a delicious semi-sweet bread studded with dried fruits and nuts and filled with marzipan. It is a traditional Christmas holiday bread from Germany and this festive loaf has a long and interesting history and it is simple to make.
Other Christmas Cake Recipes
Fig and Mincemeat Christmas Bundt Cake – Tin & Thyme
Amaretto Christmas Cake – Something Sweet, Something Savoury
Gluten-Free Christmas Cake – Gluterama
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Christmas Fruit Cake
Equipment
- 20 cm cake tin
- electric mixer
- Large bowl
- Metal spoon
- weighing scales
- Measuring spoons
- Lemon squeezer
- Fine grater or lemon zester
Ingredients
- 1 (1) lemon
- 100 grams (0.6 cups) glace cherries drained
- 600 grams (15 cups) dried mixed fruit such as raisins, sultanas or currants
- 100 grams (0.6 cups) candied mixed citrus peel
- 120 millilitres (4 fl oz) brandy or dark rum
- 225 grams (1 cups) soft butter plus extra for greasing
- 225 grams (1 cups) light brown soft sugar
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
- 4 (4) eggs
- 225 grams (2 cups) plain flour
- 2 teaspoon (2 teaspoon) ground mixed spice
- 1/4 teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) salt
- 50 grams (0.3 cups) toasted flaked almonds
Instructions
- 1 lemon, 100 grams glace cherries, 600 grams dried mixed fruit, 100 grams candied mixed citrus peel, 120 millilitres brandy or dark rumFinely grate the zest from the lemon and squeeze the juice. Cut the cherries in half. Put them into a large saucepan with the dried fruit and peel and 100 ml of the alcohol.
- Cover, then bring it to a simmer. Remove from the heat and leave to stand for at least an hour, or overnight if you can. The fruit will plump up and absorb the liquid.
- When ready to make the cake, preheat the oven to 160C (140C fan/gas 3).
- Double-line a deep 20cm round cake tin with baking parchment. To do this, fold a 65 x 30 cm piece of parchment in half lengthways. On the folded side, make a fold about 2 cm of the way in. Snip at 2 cm intervals along the length of the seam, up to the fold, a make a frill. Cut 2 circles for the base.
- Grease the tin with butter, then line the sides with the frilled paper, with the frills at the base of the tin, overlapping slightly. Grease the circles with butter, then sit them on top trapping the frill below. This preparation is needed to protect the cake during the long baking time.
- 225 grams soft butter, 225 grams light brown soft sugarPut the butter and sugar in a large bowl, then beat with an electric mixer until pale and creamy.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 4 eggsAdd the vanilla, then beat in 1 egg. When the mixture is fluffy and light, add the next egg and repeat.
- If the batter starts to look a little lumpy, beat in 1 tablespoon on the flour. Repeat with the remaining eggs. This is one creaming-method cake that can't be sped up; don't try to make it using the all-in-one method.
- 225 grams plain flour, 2 teaspoon ground mixed spice, 1/4 teaspoon saltSift in the flour, spice and salt into the bowl and fold into the batter with a spatula or large metal spoon.
- 50 grams toasted flaked almondsNow fold in the soaked fruit, plus the nuts. It will make a stiff batter.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared tin and level the top. Make a depression in the middle of the batter with the spatula. This will help the cake rise more evenly.
- Bake for 1 1/2 hours, then turn the oven down to 150C (130C fan/Gas 2) for 1 1/4-1 1/2 hours more.
- When ready, the cake will be dark golden and a skewer inserted into the centre will come out clean. If not bake for another 15 minutes and check again.
- Leaver to cool in its tin on a rack. When still warm, prick holes all over it with a cocktail stick and spoon in the rest of the alcohol, tea or juice.
- Once cool, remove from the tin then wrap carefully in clean baking parchment and store in an airtight container in a cool place.
Notes
If you’d rather not use alcohol, strong black tea makes a good substitute, as does orange or apple juice. Alcohol is added to act as a flavouring as well as to preserve the cake until Christmas. Any dried fruit can be substituted, although I’d recommend a balance of sweet and tart fruit for a more interspersing end result.
Choclette Blogger says
Ah there is hope for me yet Janice. I don't think I've ever been as disorganised as I am this year.
Janice Pattie says
Yes, definitely still time, go for it!
Jean says
I have come across Jane Hornby's recipes on the Good Food website and they have always worked out well.
Having not made a Christmas cake yet, this recipe might come in handy. In fact I could put the nook on my Christmas list – I know that a Certain Person hasn't started his Christmas shopping yet!
Janice Pattie says
You won't be disappointed Jean.
belleau kitchen says
ahhh another great book review and a gorgeous cake. As Choclette says, there is still hope for us yet!
Janice Pattie says
I see you have made your cake Dom and it's Bundt shaped!
Alicia@ eco friendly homemaking says
This fruit cake looks really good and the book sounds like it would be a good one to have on hand!
Janice Pattie says
Thanks Alicia.
Heidi Roberts says
There is always room on this earth for a good fruit cake!!
Janice Pattie says
Having now eaten it, I can confirm that it is an excellent fruit cake.
Judith (Mostly About Chocolate) says
This does look like a slightly less-likely-to-fail recipe. I've been put off in the past as one expensive failure will tend to do for you >_< but he – I might give this a go yet!
Janice Pattie says
I hope you do try it Judith, it was very straight forward and the taste and texture is excellent.
Nazima Pathan says
I am very partial to a fruit cake and rather like this lighter looking one. Great book review too Janice x
Janice Pattie says
I have really enjoyed the lighter cake this year, it's still nice and moist.
Bintu Hardy says
This is the sort of cookbook that I need on my shelf as I really don't bake enough.
Janice Pattie says
This one would definitely help you do more baking Bintu.
Chloe Edges says
Your gingerbread man is soooo cute! I love it!
Janice Pattie says
Thank you. I liked him too.
Pauline Ungless says
I make a very similar cake every year it’s always on the Remembrance Day weekend. It was my mothers but I’ve no idea where she got the recipe. That weekend, along with remembering our war heroes on the 11th our family make both the case and puddings. I was going to have a problem this year because we had a long trip to New Zealand planned but with the covid pandemic that was all cancelled. so it’ll be the same as usual baking on the 11th.
Rebecca says
Hi there,
Once wrapped how long does this cake last for?
Thank you!
Janice Pattie says
Hi Rebecca, the cake will keep for about 3 months. Possibly longer but that’s how long I’ve kept it without any issues. Just make sure it’s tightly wrapped and kept in a coolish place.