Classic Christmas cake recipe
A classic Christmas cake topped with marzipan and royal icing. This recipe scorches the royal icing top with a blowtorch but you could finish with a spritz of edible gold spray and a scattering of sparkly snowflakes if you wish.
Ingredients
- 250 g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
- 200 g dark brown muscovado sugar
- 750 g vine fruit mix
- 250 g chopped, dried, pitted apricots
- 100 g dates, chopped
- 200 g glacé cherries, halved (we like Cooks’ Ingredients Provencal Glacé Cherries)
- 1 orange, grated zest and juice
- 100 ml brandy, plus extra for feeding
- 200 g mixed peel (we like Cooks’ Ingredients Italian Cut Mixed Peel)
- 150 g almonds, chopped
- 5 large eggs, beaten (we like British Blacktail Large Free Range Eggs)
- 300 g plain (all-purpose) flour
- 2 tsp mixed spice
- 0.5 tsp grated nutmeg
- 8.8 oz unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
- 7.1 oz dark brown muscovado sugar
- 26.5 oz vine fruit mix
- 8.8 oz chopped, dried, pitted apricots
- 3.5 oz dates, chopped
- 7.1 oz glacé cherries, halved (we like Cooks’ Ingredients Provencal Glacé Cherries)
- 1 orange, grated zest and juice
- 3.5 fl oz brandy, plus extra for feeding
- 7.1 oz mixed peel (we like Cooks’ Ingredients Italian Cut Mixed Peel)
- 5.3 oz almonds, chopped
- 5 large eggs, beaten (we like British Blacktail Large Free Range Eggs)
- 10.6 oz plain (all-purpose) flour
- 2 tsp mixed spice
- 0.5 tsp grated nutmeg
- 8.8 oz unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
- 7.1 oz dark brown muscovado sugar
- 26.5 oz vine fruit mix
- 8.8 oz chopped, dried, pitted apricots
- 3.5 oz dates, chopped
- 7.1 oz glacé cherries, halved (we like Cooks’ Ingredients Provencal Glacé Cherries)
- 1 orange, grated zest and juice
- 0.4 cup brandy, plus extra for feeding
- 7.1 oz mixed peel (we like Cooks’ Ingredients Italian Cut Mixed Peel)
- 5.3 oz almonds, chopped
- 5 large eggs, beaten (we like British Blacktail Large Free Range Eggs)
- 10.6 oz plain (all-purpose) flour
- 2 tsp mixed spice
- 0.5 tsp grated nutmeg
- 1 amount of icing (confectioners') sugar, for dusting
- 500 g marzipan (we like Cooks’ Ingredients Golden Marzipan)
- 3 tbsp apricot jam (jelly), warmed and sieved
- 400 g royal icing (we like Cooks’ Ingredients Royal Icing)
- 1 amount of icing (confectioners') sugar, for dusting
- 17.6 oz marzipan (we like Cooks’ Ingredients Golden Marzipan)
- 3 tbsp apricot jam (jelly), warmed and sieved
- 14.1 oz royal icing (we like Cooks’ Ingredients Royal Icing)
- 1 amount of icing (confectioners') sugar, for dusting
- 17.6 oz marzipan (we like Cooks’ Ingredients Golden Marzipan)
- 3 tbsp apricot jam (jelly), warmed and sieved
- 14.1 oz royal icing (we like Cooks’ Ingredients Royal Icing)
Details
- Cuisine: British
- Recipe Type: Cake
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation Time: 20 mins
- Cooking Time: 150 mins
- Serves: 24
Step-by-step
For the cake
- Grease a deep, 20cm (8in), loose-bottomed cake tin. Cut 2 circles of baking parchment to fit the base. Cut a double strip of parchment to fit around the inside of the tin, making it 2.5cm (1in) taller than the height of the tin. Make a 2.5cm (1in) fold along the length of that strip, then cut from the edge to the fold at 2cm (0.7in) intervals. Put one circle of parchment in the tin, then press the strip around the inside. The snipped section will flatten on to the base of the tin. Place the second circle of parchment on top.
- Put the butter, sugar, dried fruits, cherries, orange zest and juice and brandy into a large saucepan. Heat gently until the butter melts, then bring to the boil. Simmer gently for 5 minutes. Leave to cool for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 150°C/300ºF/gas mark 2.
- Mix the remaining ingredients with the fruit mixture until well combined. Spoon into the prepared cake tin and smooth the surface. Bake in the centre of the oven for 2–2.5 hours. If the top gets too brown, cover it with scrunched-up baking parchment. After 2 hours, test with a skewer inserted into the centre to see if it is done – it should come out clean. If not, cook for another 15 minutes and test again. Repeat if necessary.
- Cool in the tin for 30 minutes. Remove from the tin, peel off the paper. Prick the top of the cake all over with a skewer. Drizzle over 2tbsp brandy. Leave to cool completely.
- Wrap in 2 layers of greaseproof paper and a layer of foil. Put in an airtight container. Feed with brandy every 2 weeks until Christmas. It will keep for 2–3 months.
To decorate
- When you are ready to ice the cake, dust the work surface with icing sugar and roll out the marzipan into a large enough circle to cover the top of the cake.
- Heat the jam in a small saucepan until it is liquid, then use a pastry brush to cover the top of the cake with a thin layer of jam. Then place the disc of marzipan on top. Allow the marzipan to dry completely before icing, ideally overnight.
- Take the tub of royal icing and spoon it over the marzipan. Finish with a swirl pattern. Using a blowtorch, lightly scorch the surface of the icing to give a golden finish and tie a wide gold ribbon around the edges.
This recipe is courtesy of Waitrose & Partners.
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