Easy Christmas Cake Recipe (UK)
Ever since I first started making my own Christmas cakes a few years ago, I’ve been using spiced rum instead of the traditional brandy. Unlike most people, I also don’t ‘feed’ my Christmas cake with additional alcohol after it’s been baked, as I just don’t think it’s necessary. This way you don’t have to make it months in advance either 🙂 So here is the recipe for my Spiced Rum Christmas Cake.
Ingredients
- For the cake
- 1 kg Good Quality Dried Mixed Fruit Sultanas, Currants, Raisins with Peel
- 50 g Glace Cherries Quartered
- 200 ml Spiced Rum I use Bacardi Oakheart
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 225 g Butter Softened
- 225 g Plain Flour I use Homepride
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 2 tsp Ground Mixed Spice
- 225 g Soft Brown Sugar
- 2 tbsp Black Treacle
- 4 x Eggs
- 1 x Orange Juice & Zest
- 100 g Ground Almonds
- 100 g Flaked Almonds
- To cover
- 4 tbsp Smooth Apricot Jam / Glaze
- 500 g Marzipan
- 1 kg Sugarpaste
Instructions
- 2-3 days before you intend to make the cake, place the dried mixed fruit & peel in a bowl with the rum and stir it until all the fruit is well covered. Cover the bowl with clingfilm or foil and leave to soak, stirring again each day.
- Line an 8” round tin with a double thickness of baking paper and preheat the oven to 300° F / 150° C / 130° Fan / Gas 2.
- Place the flour, baking powder, mixed spice, & ground almonds into a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly to combine.
- Then add the soaked mixed fruit (and any rum left in the bowl), cherries & flaked almonds to the flour mixture and mix together.
- In a separate bowl cream together the butter & sugar then stir in the treacle.
- Add the eggs, vanilla, orange juice & zest and beat together until smooth.
- Finally add the wet mixture to the flour and fruit mixture and mix together until completely combined.
- Spoon the mixture into the tin and flatten out with the back of the spoon.
- Tap the tin on the work surface a few times to remove any air bubbles and then place in the oven and bake for around 2.45-3hrs or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- When baked leave the cake to cool in the tin for an hour before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely, leaving a layer of the baking paper still attached.
- When completely cool, heat the apricot jam / glaze and brush over the cake before covering with the marzipan and sugarpaste. Always try and cover as soon as possible to stop the cake from drying out.
Made this recipe? Don't forget to tag me!@itssarahsibley I love to see all your tasty creations!