Description
This easy moist Christmas fruit cake is packed with a rich blend of soaked dried fruits, warming spices, and nuts, baked to perfection and traditionally served with custard. It features options for classic marzipan and fondant decoration to make your holiday celebrations extra special.
Ingredients
Scale
Fast Soaked Fruit
- 300g raisins
- 150g diced dried apricots, chopped 8 mm / 1/3"
- 75g mixed peel, diced 5 mm / 1/5"
- 150g glace cherries, chopped 8 mm / 1/3"
- 180g dates, diced 5 mm / 1/5"
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp apple juice, OR 1/3 cup brandy + 2/3 cup juice
Cake
- 120g unsalted butter, softened (1 US stick)
- 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or canola, peanut, grapeseed)
- 3 tbsp molasses or golden syrup
- 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)
For Serving (Optional)
- 500ml pouring custard, homemade or store bought
White Christmas Cake Decoration (Optional)
- 250g "ready to roll" marzipan
- 250g "ready to roll" white fondant
- Cherries dusted with icing sugar
Other Decorating Options (Optional)
- Cherries or other fruit dusted with icing sugar
- Drippy white glaze (plain sweet white glaze)
Instructions
- Prepare Soaked Fruit: Place all dried fruits and apple juice or brandy mixture into a large microwavable container. Microwave on high for 1 1/2 minutes until hot. Stir to coat all fruit in liquid. Cover and set aside for 1 hour to soak and cool, allowing the fruit to plump up.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat oven to 160°C / 320°F (140°C fan). Grease and line a 21–22 cm (8–9 inch) round cake pan with baking paper, about 7 cm (2.75 inch) tall sides.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Using an electric mixer, beat the softened butter and dark brown sugar on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.
- Add Oil and Molasses: Beat in vegetable oil and molasses (or golden syrup) until fully combined.
- Incorporate Spices and Leavening: Beat in salt, all spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking powder until just incorporated.
- Add Eggs: Add eggs one at a time, beating briefly after each until just combined.
- Mix in Flour and Fruits: Stir in the plain flour until mostly combined. Then fold in the soaked fruit mixture, including any remaining liquid, and walnuts if using, ensuring even distribution.
- Bake the Cake: Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Cover the top with foil and bake for 2 1/2 hours. Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Check for doneness starting at 30 minutes after foil removal.
- Cool the Cake: Remove the cake from oven, let cool in pan for 20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving or decorating.
- Cutting the Cake: For serving, slice into thin wedges or cut into thin strips about 2 cm wide then cut into smaller servings as desired.
- Decorate the Cake (Optional): For a traditional finish, cover the cooled cake with a rolled layer of marzipan, then a layer of white fondant. Use a decorating tool to create a quilted diamond pattern on the fondant sides, and add silver balls at intersections. Top with cherries dusted with icing sugar. Alternative decorations include fresh fruit dusted with icing sugar or a drippy white glaze.
- Serve: Serve plain or accompanied by pouring custard for an authentic Christmas experience.
Notes
- Dried fruit may be any combination totaling 855g finely chopped; the listed fruits provide balanced flavor and moisture.
- Fruit soaking can be done with juice only for non-alcoholic version or with brandy plus juice for traditional flavor.
- Dark brown sugar lends a deep color; substitute with regular brown sugar for a lighter hue.
- Molasses or golden syrup enhances richness and color, interchangeable year to year.
- Serving custard can be homemade (crème anglaise) or store bought; elevating store bought with vanilla bean paste adds flavor and appearance.
- The cake is quite dense and rich; small serving sizes yield 20 to 25 portions.
- Store the cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months or freeze for up to a year without alcohol.
- Marzipan helps create a smooth surface under the fondant; cracks in marzipan are not an issue as fondant covers imperfections.
- Wet the knife used to smooth fondant and marzipan to patch any tears or rough spots for a flawless finish.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 80g)
- Calories: 400 kcal
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 58 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
