I’m not organised enough to start a Christmas fruit cake the traditional way, by soaking the fruits for weeks, and then feeding the cake with rum for another few weeks before slicing into it. If you can relate, this recipe is for you! Made just a few days before Christmas by cooking the fruits in alcohol concentrates the flavour and the result is still a rich, citrusy, boozy cake that would rival any other. I hope you love this one!
Since sharing it here five years ago, I’ve planned to update the photos and revisit the recipe every year and always, always postponed it. This time I decided I absolutely had to, no matter what else was going on in December and I’m so glad I did! It’s incredibly fun to make and is actually very easy because the cake batter is super straightforward.
The cake is from my Mom’s collection of scribbled recipes and one that she makes almost every year. Last time I’d made it in a too-small tin resulting in huge crack down the center, so this time I used a standard 9 inch round tin and that was a lot better. Some cracks may still form, they mostly close up as the cake cools down, so don’t worry. And once you poke holes on top and drizzle some rum on top, it becomes softer and more moist and is basically a heady fragrance all over the house every time you unwrap the tin!
The decoration on top is certainly optional, you can skip it or simply add some sliced nuts just before baking. Either way, it will taste phenomenal! Finely chopped nuts can also be added to the batter, I just happen to prefer the cake without them.
It is dense, rich, spiced, citrusy and fruity all at once. Everything you want in a good Christmas cake, just in time for the holiday, even if you start a few days before. Happy baking and I hope you guys have the loveliest Christmas weekend!
Please read the recipe notes before beginning.
The Last-Minute Christmas Cake
Ingredients
For the fruit
- 400 gms mixed candied peel (I used lemon and orange, use any variety you like! see notes for more)
- 50 gms dried cherries or glace cherries
- 200 gms dried cranberries
- 50 gms raisins
- 3/4th cup plus 2 tbsps beer (225 ml; any kind is ok)
- 1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp whiskey or dark rum (100 ml)
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice (60 ml)
- Zest of 1 orange
- 2 tbsps honey or molasses
For the cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (240 gms)
- 1 tbsp baking powder (sounds like a lot but the cake is dense with the alcohol and fruit, and needs help to rise)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1/4 tsp ginger powder
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
- 1/4 tsp clove powder
- 3/4 cup butter, room temperature (200 gms)
- 1 cup dark brown sugar (215 gms, see notes)
- 5 eggs, at room temperature (I don't have an eggless version)
Instructions
- You can start this recipe 3 days before you plan to cut the cake, or if you would like to feed it with rum a little longer, bake it a few days earlier than that. On the first day, prepare the fruit. In a food processor (that can handle some heavy chopping!), add all of the dried fruit and blitz till finely chopped. A few larger pieces are great for texture, don't worry about mincing it completely. Add to a a large, deep saucepan with all the other ingredients for the fruit.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes on low heat, stirring often. Set aside to cool completely at room temperature, then cover and refrigerate overnight.
- On the second day, when ready to bake, grease a 9" springform tin with sides at least 3" high, then line with three layers of baking paper (see notes). Preheat the oven to 150 C. Take the cooked fruit out of the fridge and allow it to sit at room temperature while you make the batter.
- In a large, deep mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar with a hand mixer on medium speed till pale and creamy, then gently beat in the eggs one at a time. The batter is thick and heavy so if you have a stand mixer, it's useful in this recipe.
- Sift in the flour, spices and baking powder in a large bowl. Fold gently to incorporate about halfway through, then add the fruit along with any liquid that may have released. Now fold again to combine, running the hand mixer through the batter if needed until fairly smooth. The batter is quite thick.
- Spoon into the prepared tin and smoothen the top. At this stage you can add some sliced almonds or other nuts to decorate the top if you wish.
- Bake for 2 hours, then cover the top loosely with foil and continue baking for another 15 to 20 minutes until a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean. Ovens vary and this batter is dense and heavy so if you need to add to the baking time, that's absolutely fine. In my experience the top does develop some cracks as it rises, but they mostly close up as the cake cools.
- Let the cake cool completely at room temperature (could take about 6 hours), then poke holes in the top with a toothpick or broader instrument, and drizzle two to three tablespoons of rum, brandy or whiskey over the holes and through any cracks on the surface. Allow to soak, then cover the surface of the cake with the paper overhang, and close the tin tightly with foil. Let it rest overnight. I started this cake a few days earlier and continued to feed it with rum for 3 nights before slicing it. But, even if you rest it only overnight, that's fine too!
- On the third day, after the overnight rest, decorate the cake! Cut out paper stars (I used one of the sheets of baking paper used to line the pan), place them on the top of the cake and dust icing sugar all over the top. Lift the stars off and you'll have a pretty pattern! Do this just before serving, because the sugar gets absorbed into the top of the cake once it's covered and stored. The texture and flavours get better the longer it lasts! Cut into it and enjoy the rich, moist slices 🙂 It will stay at room temperature for 2 to 3 weeks in an airtight tin and longer if it's cool where you live (ideally, it shouldn't be refrigerated). Merry Christmas!
Notes
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You have mentioned peels, do we boil these with the fruits and discard them and the Alcohol is to be put while simmering or only poured when the cake is ready?
As written, all the ingredients for the fruit get cooked together so yes, the alcohol is cooked with them, and extra alcohol is put after the cake is baked. The candied peels are not discarded, they go into the cake.
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Hey!
Could you suggest an alternate gluten free flour? Like a mix of oat flour and almong flour? Would it work well for this cake??
Hey since I don’t work much with gluten free flour I can’t say for sure, it sounds unlikely for this particular recipe , but you can check out some blogs like Minimalist Baker for guidance
You say you recommend a 9″ cake tin, but I only have a 6″ small tin at hand, will this mean mine will ruin or be dry?
It might not cook through, so I would suggest halving the recipe to fit your pan. Hope that helps!
You have mentioned peels, do we boil these with the fruits and discard them and the Alcohol is to be put while simmering or only poured when the cake is ready?