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Ever since the Victorian era Christmas cake has been a big part of British holiday celebrations. Many families have a traditional recipe for Old Fashioned British Christmas Cake and ours is no exception. Our recipe comes from my husband’s late paternal Grandmother, who we all knew as ‘Nana’. She was a cook in a stately home when she was young and she had some fabulous traditional recipes including a fantastic Authentic Victorian Christmas Pudding.
Of course, family recipes do evolve. One year our nephew Ashley made Nana’s Old Fashioned British Christmas Cake, and it was extra delicious. I asked Ashley what he had done to make it so exceptional. Turns out the original recipe only calls for a tablespoon of rum, but Ashley soaked the fruit overnight and used ‘about a quarter of a bottle’ (about ¾ cup). As a result the cake was much moister than I ever remember it being and not surprisingly, the rum gave it a wonderful boozy hit that really enhanced the flavour. I’ve followed his lead ever since!
When Should I Make My Christmas Cake?
Homemade Christmas cake should be made a month or two before Christmas if possible and ‘fed’ weekly by poking a few holes in it and sprinkling more alcohol over top, but pre-soaking the fruit means you can probably get away with making it a little closer to the time. I’m told that Nana pre-soaked her fruit for much longer than the recipe calls for, in fact for at least a week before she made it. I have never soaked the fruit for more than a day though as I’ve never been far enough ahead with my preparations!
Of course, it’s better to put the marzipan and icing on the cake closer to when you are going to serve it. I usually wait until a day or two before Christmas.
Hints and Tips for Making Old Fashioned British Christmas Cake
You need a very deep round cake pan for this recipe. Nana used an 8 inch (20 cm) pan, but I have used a 10 inch pan with great success. Provided the cake pan is at least 2½ inches (6 to 7 cm) deep, it should be fine. (The baking time may be slightly reduced as the cake is not as thick.) If you can find a pan that has a loose bottom it really is much easier to get the cake out. This is the pan I use.
Don’t be tempted to rush the cooking time – it’s the long, slow cooking that helps to give this traditional British Christmas cake its wonderful flavour. Christmas cake batter is dense, meaning it needs lower heat for a longer time. However, cooking times are a guide. Baking pan density varies as do oven temperatures. It’s important to keep an eye on any baking, particularly when making a new recipe. The cake is done when a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Nana originally covered the cake with marzipan and then frosted it with royal icing. You will see the recipe for royal icing below. However in latter years, she used ready to roll fondant, and I now do the same.
Although this Old Fashioned British Christmas Cake recipe does include ingredients and directions for homemade marzipan and royal icing, you can of course use store bought versions if you prefer or if you are trying to avoid raw eggs. I’ve included Nana’s recipes if you want to be strictly traditional.
Can I Make Substitutions With The Dried Fruit?
Sultanas and currants may be unfamiliar to you. Sultanas are raisins made from seedless green grapes. Despite their name, currants are made from tiny seedless black grapes. If you have trouble sourcing any of these particular varieties, you can substitute any raisin varieties you prefer in the same quantities. Or use an equal weight of a mixed dried fruit mixture. As with most traditional British recipes, this one is in ounces, but you can buy cooking scales very easily online now, and many good cooking stores (Williams Sonoma, Crate and Barrel among them) stock them as well.
Is Old Fashioned British Christmas Cake Gluten Free?
This recipe is not gluten free. Follow the link to get my easy recipe for Gluten Free Christmas Cake.
How Can I Decorate My Christmas Cake?
As I mentioned above, Nana originally covered the cake with marzipan and then frosted it with royal icing. However in latter years, she used ready to roll fondant, and I now do the same. It takes a lot less time and I love the finish.
Recently I’ve started rolling my fondant with an embossed rolling pin to make a pretty pattern in the fondant on top of the cake. It was so easy and I have had lots of compliments on the results. However, if you enjoy cake decorating you can get really creative with icing techniques, cut outs or figurines. My cake decorating skills are still developing, so I tend to keep it simple!
How Long Will My Christmas Cake Last?
Depending on what kind of icing you use, your Christmas cake could last for about a month after you have decorated it. In most cases, it’s the icing on a Christmas fruit cake that can cause it to begin to be past its best. A plain fruit cake will keep for literally months wrapped in a sealed at room temperature.
Old Fashioned British Christmas Cake – Printable Recipe
Created by: April J Harris
Traditional British Christmas Cake
Course Cake
Cuisine British
Servings 20 or more servings
Prep Time 30 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
Total Time 5 hours hrs
Ingredients
- 1 pound currants
- 6 ounces sultanas
- 4 ounces raisins
- 4 ounces mixed peel also known as candied peel, this is widely available in the UK and Europe and available in the baking aisles of some North American grocery stores
- 4 ounces glacé cherries not maraschino cherries, halved
- ¾ cup dark rum or sherry original recipe calls for 1 tablespoon
- 1 ounce almonds, chopped
- 1 ounce ground almonds ground almonds are also known as almond flour
- 9 ounces plain flour plain flour is also known as all purpose flour
- 2 level teaspoons cocoa
- 1 level teaspoon salt
- 1 level teaspoon baking powder
- 2 level teaspoons mixed spice
- 9 ounces butter, softened
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 9 ounces soft brown sugar
- finely grated rind of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon coffee essence this is optional
- For the Almond Icing If you prefer you can use ready made Marzipan, available in most grocery stores
- 8 ounces ground almonds ground almonds are also known as almond flour
- 4 ounces caster sugar caster sugar is also known as superfine sugar
- 5 ounces sifted icing sugar icing sugar is also known as confectioner’s sugar
- 2 ounces butter
- 2 egg yolks (reserve the whites for the Royal icing)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 3 to 4 tablespoons sieved apricot jam to make the almond icing stick
- For the Royal Icing You can also use ready made fondant to cover the cake as I do if you prefer.
- 4 egg whites
- 1½ pounds sifted icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon glycerine available from some supermarkets, pharmacies & cake supply stores
Instructions
Mix the currants, sultanas, raisins, mixed peel and glacé cherries together and pour the rum over top. Cover and set aside for a few hours or overnight. If there is a large amount of alcohol in the bottom of the bowl or pan when you go to make the cake, drain a bit of it off, but if there are only a couple of tablespoons you can safely leave it.
To make the cake, preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C or 150°C for fan ovens).
Grease an 8 to 10 inch (20 to 24 cm) in diameter, at least 2½ inches (6 to 7 cm) deep) cake pan with butter and line with baking parchment. (The smaller pan will cook more slowly as the cake will be thicker.) My favourite pan is 10 inches in diameter. I like to use a springform pan as it makes the cake easier to remove from the pan.
Mix the soaked dried fruit with the chopped and ground almonds. Set aside.
Sift the flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder and mixed spice together..
In a separate bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar.
Add the lemon rind.
Add the beaten eggs a little at a time, beating after each addition.
Fold in the flour mixture, the coffee essence and then the dried fruit and nuts.
Turn the mixture into the prepared cake pan and smooth over the surface, making a slight hollow in the centre so the cake will rise evenly.
Bake at 325ºF (160ºC or 150ºC for a fan oven) for 45 minutes, and then reduce the temperature to 300ºF (150ºC or 140ºC for a fan oven) for a further 40 to 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Do keep an eye on the cake while it is baking as oven temperatures do vary radically and you don't want it to burn. Equally you do not want the cake under-cooked, so be sure that the skewer is coming out clean from the centre of the cake. That is when it is done, regardless of baking time.
Cool the cake in the pan for at least an hour and then carefully remove it to cool on a wire rack.
After the cake is completely cook you can wrap it in foil. If you are making it well ahead of time, you can keep it in a cool dry place for six to eight weeks, feeding it once a week with a bit more rum. Of course, if you make the cake closer to the time you want to serve it, you can still 'feed' it in this way once a week until you cover it with marzipan.
A day or so before serving, we traditionally cover our Christmas cakes with marzipan and royal icing. You can use store bought marzipan and royal icing if you prefer (and I always do!) but the traditional recipes follow.
To make the marzipan from scratch, mix the ground almonds, sugar and icing sugar together.
Rub or cut the butter into this mixture until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs.
Mix the egg yolks and lemon juice and add them to this mixture.
Work the paste to a stiff but pliable consistency, adding a bit more lemon juice if it seems dry.
Divide the almond paste in half.
Using a light dusting of corn flour (corn starch) to prevent sticking, roll the first half into a circle that will cover the top of the cake.
Brush the top and sides of the cake with the sieved apricot jam, and apply the circle to the top of the cake, pressing firmly.
Using your hands, roll the second half of the almond paste into a long roll and then flatten it as evenly as you can with a rolling pin. This piece needs to be wide enough to cover the sides of the cake.
Press the flattened roll along the sides of the cake, pressing firmly and sealing the joins between the top and sides with your fingers.
Leave the cake in a cool airy place for several hours so the almond paste can dry out a bit.
To make the royal icing, beat the egg whites lightly.
Add the lemon juice and glycerine.
Beat in enough icing sugar to make a thick coating consistency that rolls easily off a wooden spoon, but leaves it coated.
Place the marzipan topped cake on a piece of greaseproof or waxed paper. Have a palette knife to hand to help guide the icing. Pour the icing bit by bit over the top of the cake, spreading it with the knife. Let it find its way down the sides, guiding it with the knife until the cake is completely covered. Leave the cake in a cool airy place overnight, or until the icing has set.
did you make this recipe?
Make sure to tag #apriljharris on Instagram and follow @apriljharris for more.
More Christmas Recipes
Maple Fudge Recipe
Aunt Dorothy’s Butterscotch Squares
Coconut Date and Cherry Christmas Squares
Brandy and Mincemeat Cake
Old Fashioned Mincemeat Oat Squares
Reader Interactions
wendy saysHi April I want to make this cake its beautiful but having trouble finding deep pan the deepest pan is 4 ins deep here in USA will that work how deep is your pan thanks Wendy
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- April Harris says
Hi Wendy, I’m so sorry, I just realised I haven’t included the pan size in the recipe! Nana’s recipe doesn’t include the size and I’ve always just used the deep cake pans I have. My pans are both just under four inches deep so yours should be fine. I have both a nine x just under four inch round pan and a ten by three and a half inch pan and I’m almost sure I have used both for this recipe. Of course, you do need to leave room for the cake to rise a bit (although fruit cake doesn’t rise that much). I wouldn’t fill the cake tin more than just under three quarters full just for safety’s sake. (You could always make little cakes if you have any mixture left over, although of course they will take much less time to bake.) Do be careful when baking the cake as oven temperatures can vary radically so it’s a good idea to check it frequently while it’s baking, and pan size can affect the baking time.
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- JOHN JOE WALSH says
Hi April, Beautiful Recipe. Very Close to a recipe I use. I was surprised the ingredients did not include a level teaspoon full of both, Cinamon and Nutmeg. Just wondering. Thank you very much. JJ Walsh, Galway Bay, Ireland.
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- April Harris says
Hi JJ, thank you for the compliment. It’s a treasured family recipe from my husband’s paternal Grandmother. I never adjusted the spices as I was following her recipe pretty much to the letter (except for adding a bit more rum as my nephew suggested).
You can absolutely add a full teaspoon of Cinnamon and Nutmeg if you prefer. It might not taste exactly like Nana’s did, but I’m a big fan of both Cinnamon and Nutmeg and I’m sure it would be very delicious. To be honest, I personally usually follow a pattern of adding slightly less nutmeg than cinnamon, but it’s all a matter of taste. In most cases, you can safely adjust spicing in baking recipes without risking the recipe, so please feel free to do that if you prefer. Thank you for your comment and I hope whatever pudding recipe you make, you have a lovely Christmas.
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- JOHN JOE WALSH says
Thank you so much, April. it tells a lot about you as a person replying so patiently to comments. I think I will add a bit of both in one cake and bake another without. Plenty of time during these strange times to be experimenting at my favourite hobby. The smell of Cinamon always brings back childhood memories of Christmas. I really wish you and yours a happy Christmas April and thankyou so much. Bless you. JJ
- April Harris says
It’s a pleasure, JJ. Thank you for your kind words. Wishing you and yours a very Happy Christmas too!
- wendy says
Thank you April I have a springform pan that is dark will I need to lower temperature thank you so much its a beautiful cake .Reply
- April Harris says
It will depend on your oven but I think the temperature will be okay as it’s so low to start with, Wendy. I’d just keep an eye on the cake, especially in the last 30 to 45 minutes of baking. Springform pans are definitely best to make it easy to get the cake out of the pan. And thank you for the compliment! 🙂
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- Nora says
I have noted all the ingredients of this traditional cake and I will try to make this cake in my home.
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- April Harris says
I hope you enjoy it, Nora!
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- Create With Joy says
April you cake looks amazing!
Thanks for sharing at Inspire Me Monday at Create With Joy –
Congrats on being featured this week!(PS – I’ve added this to the list of recipes I want to try!)
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- April Harris says
Thank you so much, Ramona, and thank you for the feature too!
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- Miz Helen says
Thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with us at Full Plate Thursday,505. Hope you are having a great week and come back soon!
Miz HelenReply
- April Harris says
Thank you, Miz Helen. I hope your week is wonderful too!
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- Veenas says
This Christmas Cake is Old Fashioned but It’s Unique. Outside design Print is Getting more Beauty to this Cake. Really This Cake Marvelous. I’ll definitely be making this One Time in Christmas Festive. Thank You.
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- April Harris says
Thank you so much, Veena!
See Also20 Cookies That Will Make You Christmas Cookie QUEEN!!!Mom’s Classic Southern Deviled Eggs - Family Food on the TableHoney Sriracha Brussels SproutsJulia Child's Quiche - Plain ChickenReply
- Marilyn Lesniak says
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Thank you for sharing at #OverTheMoon. Pinned and shared. Have a lovely week. I hope to see you at next week’s party too! Please stay safe and healthy. Come party with us at Over The Moon! Catapult your content Over The Moon! @marilyn_lesniak @EclecticRedBarn
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- April Harris says
Thank you, Marilyn!
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- Simone H says
Hi! It looks like fondant icing on top, but that is royal icing? I didn’t realize you could roll royal icing. The cake is beautiful!
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- April Harris says
It is fondant, Simone. Thank you for the compliment!
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- Ann Coffey says
Hello April,
Encouraged by all the positive comments here, I am going to make your recipe tomorrow. Just wondering if I could add molasses (treacle) and, if so, how much. If I added molasses, would I need to reduce the amount of sugar? My mother’s Xmas cakes were so dark they were almost black so I am guessing that she added molasses to hers.
I am also wondering about the dried fruit. I have sultana raisins but not the darker Sunkist style of raisin. I have seen some Xmas cake recipes with a few ounces of chopped dates so could I use dates instead of the dark raisins, do you think?
Many thanks, and I will let you know how the cake turns out.
Ann
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- John Walsh says
Hi Anne, I always add a good Tablespoon of black treacle, beautiful colour, and really adds to the cake. A few dates is definitely ok, as long as the combined weight of the fruit remains proportional. I know you didn’t ask for my advise, but just sharing my experience. Good luck, Happy Christmas.. J
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- Ann Coffey says
Hello John,
Thank you! Good advice is always welcome! When you add black treacle, do you reduce the amount of brown sugar? I guess treacle isn’t really very sweet but I was just wondering about the proportion of sugar to the other ingredients.
Thanks again, and Happy Christmas to you too.
Ann
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- John Joe walsh says
Hi, Anne, I leave the sugar as it was. J
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- April Harris says
Hello Ann,
I have never added molasses or treacle to the cake as I always stick to Nana’s recipe. However it looks like John has added treacle successfully so I would give it a try if you fancy it.
You could definitely substitute the same amount of finely chopped dates for the darker raisins, or even use more sultanas in a pinch.
I look forward to hearing how you get on with the cake!
AprilReply
- Ann Coffey says
Hello April,
I asked about the treacle because my mother always added it to her Christmas cakes. I am almost sure that she added some finely grated carrot as well.
I made the cake yesterday adding a good tablespoon of treacle, as John suggested, and using dates instead of dark raisins. One ingredient that puzzles me is the cocoa. I added it anyway but I am not sure why it’s in the recipe. As a kind of “spice” or to give the cake a darker colour?
Anyway, the cake turned out well as far as the baking is concerned but, as they say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. The cake cutting might happen either in early January or else Christmas 2021 so it will be a while before I find out.
Thanks for the recipe!
Ann
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- April Harris says
It’s really lovely to incorporate some of your own food memories into recipes, Ann. I’m glad you tried the treacle. It is entirely possible your mother added grated carrot as carrot was a popular ingredient for this sort of pudding. As I mentioned in the post, this is a vintage recipe from my husband’s family. My family’s Christmas pudding was in fact an actual carrot pudding (which also contained lots of other things, but one of the main ingredients was grated carrot). We served it with butterscotch sauce. I have my Auntie’s recipe for both the pudding and the sauce and I’m working on it for next year. To be fair, it could be served all year round, although we only had it at Christmas and New Year.
My husband’s Nana has of course passed on so I can’t ask her, but I suspect the cocoa was to add a certain depth of flavour. I think it’s a bit like when people add cocoa to chili recipes, something that has always puzzled me too.
I’m really glad the cake baked up well. Be sure to keep it tightly wrapped and “feed” it at least once a week with more of whichever alcohol you chose to use in the recipe (as I describe in the recipe). It does make a real difference to the flavour. To be fair, it’s good you are not planning to eat the cake before January as I like to feed mine for at least a couple of weeks before serving.
Although my husband’s Grandmother and my late Mother in Law did keep Christmas puddings from year to year, I don’t remember them ever keeping a cake made from this recipe for more than a year – or perhaps it was just that they only made one cake and we generally ate it all!
When you do get round to eating the cake, please do pop back and let me know what you think. Happy Christmas!
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- Ann Coffey says
Hello April,
Thanks for your informative response.
I would love to have your recipe for a carrot steamed pudding! My mother used to make a lot of steamed puddings – golden syrup, lemon, date, fruit, chocolate, etc., but I’ve never even heard of carrot pudding before.
Yesterday I made holes in my cake with a thin skewer so that the rum would soak into it well. It seemed that the smell of spices and fruit was enhanced when I fed it some rum. Can’t wait to try it! I’ll let you know what I think when the cake is cut.
Thanks again, and a Happy Christmas to you too!
Ann.
- April Harris says
Hello Ann,
I’m so glad your cake is developing well! They do love to be ‘fed’ 🙂 It sounds lovely and I really hope you enjoy it.I will definitely prioritise the carrot pudding in the New Year. My husband is also very keen for me to revive his Great Auntie Connie’s recipe for steamed pudding. She was a wonderful lady and gave me the recipe herself. I imagine it will be similar to what you remember your mother making as steamed puddings were so very popular. I’m very excited to get going on these ‘new’ vintage recipes.
I hope your Christmas season has started off well, and I look forward to hearing what you think of your cake!
Warm Regards
April
- Ann Coffey says
Thanks again! I have added the treacle to the mixed fruit and now the mixture is busy soaking up the rum for a few hours.
I haven’t made a Christmas cake for ages because I was unable to find all the ingredients in Canada. Marzipan, for example, is an alien species in grocery stores so I used to make my own – as if Christmas cake were not already time-consuming enough! I also had to make my own mixed peel for the same reason. The peel has been available here for a few years now, but it is not the same and nowhere near as good as it is in the UK. I recently came across some “proper” marzipan imported from the UK in the Scottish and Irish Store, which inspired me to make another one.
Unless I missed it, this recipe doesn’t say much about lining the cake tin both inside and outside so I went looking online and found this: https://www.amummytoo.co.uk/idiots-guide-to-lining-a-christmas-cake-tin/
They even “line” the top of the cake! So now I’ve made a double lining of parchment paper, a triple lining of brown paper, and a parchment hat. A little overdone, perhaps. 🙂
Ann
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- John Walsh says
Great work Anne, lining the tin is important. I cut a strip of a paper box, you know brown thick paper food boxes, and put it on outside. I then did the double of grease proof paper thin paper inside with a bit of butter. I didin’t bother covering the top, if you stick to the temprature recomended for oven, you shouldn’t have to…… I
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- Ann Coffey says
Using thick paper food boxes didn’t occur to me but I used a triple layer of paper from large brown paper bags. The hat on top probably isn’t necessary.
I already knew that traditional dark fruit cakes can be kept for 25 years but today I have a whole new respect for their keeping abilities. I was reading up about them and found that the oldest known cake was discovered in a hut in the Antarctic wrapped in paper inside a decrepit tin. The cake was said to be in “excellent condition.” It is believed that British explorer Capt. Robert Falcon Scott probably brought the cake, made by the British biscuit company Huntley & Palmers, to Antarctica during their 1910-1913 Terra Nova expedition. The expedition’s Northern Party took shelter in the Cape Adare hut, which had been built by Norwegian Carsten Borchgrevink’s team in 1899, and left the fruitcake behind.
106 years old and still good even though it was not completely encased in icing sugar or doused with rum every few weeks! I don’t think anyone tried eating it, but I would have. 🙂 I mean, how often in life can one sample a cake of that vintage?
I’ll let you know how the cake turns out.
Ann
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- John Joe Walsh says
Great Story, good luck
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- Lenka says
Dear April, please may I have a question – this year it was the 1st year I made a Christmas cake myself, found your wonderful recipe too late so did Delia’s with my tweaks (always more brandy etc.). Anyway, Delia recommends to bake her for 4 hours, and reading your recipe, you recommend to bake it for 3. Thing is – my was ready in less than 2 hours, on 140C, and I think my oven is pretty accurate and not overheating (baked in the middle, not top). Even comparing it to other cakes, 3 hours sounds just too much (and 4 hours sounds completely off to me). So I took mine of the oven when it was done, the screwer was coming out dry and the cake was visibly done. It’s now maturing so have not tasted it yet. I would definitely want to try your cake first, maybe for b’day as I don’t want to wait that long, but re the baking – what’s going on, any idea? I don’t think the difference should be so dramatic, you saying 3 hours and mine (just as big if not bigger) baked in less then 2 which was less then half the recommended time does not sound right. Am I doing something wrong? If your cake looks done and screwer dry after 2 hours, what should I do, take it out of keep it in the oven for another hour? I don’t want the bitter burned taste. Many thanks, LenkaReply
- April Harris says
Hi Lenka,
If the skewer comes out clean with no batter sticking to it and the cake is visibly done, then it is absolutely done. You are right to get it out of the oven. Please don’t feel you have to leave any recipe in longer than that.
There are so many reasons this could be happening, but you haven’t done anything wrong. There are so many different kinds of ovens, and oven temperatures and performance vary radically, even when the oven is set at the same temperature. This can affect baking times profoundly, as can the location where you are baking, and even the barometric pressure. I tend to set a timer about a third of the way through baking anything and have a look at how things are going. Please never feel you have to leave a cake in longer than when a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. I hope this helps.Reply
- Wendy Holmes-Link says
Hi April I made your Christmas Cake its wonderful may have fed it to much Rum as it was wet underneath but dried out after I put it on a plate .Love it so moist and wonderful Thank you Happy New Year.
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- JOHN Joe WALSH says
Did you eat it or drink it? LOL, Well done
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- Wendy Holmes-Link says
Thanks John thats great I did eat it but some left for a drink or two.Reply
- April Harris says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Wendy! Thank you for letting me know 🙂 Happy New Year!
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- rehman says
Hello
I asked about the treacle because my mother always added it to her Christmas cakes. I am almost sure that she added some finely grated carrot as well.Reply
- james says
thanks i have try last christmas and everyone just love
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- April Harris says
I’m so glad you and yours enjoyed the recipe, James!
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- Alta M. Johnson says
I can not find a chart that converts ounces to cups. Would love to make this recipe, but how?
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- April Harris says
Hi Alta,
This is a vintage recipe and was unfortunately only written in ounces. I’m currently working on making all my recipes available in weights and cups, but it’s a slow process as using a conversion tool does not always give the best results. I like to be absolutely sure my recipes work every time so I need to test each and every one at least twice after conversion.
I do recommend that everyone own a kitchen scale in addition to cup measures (they are available very reasonably these days). The reason for this is I honestly believe that a recipe is always best made in the original measurements. I’m going to be doing a video about this subject next week. It’s something I am quite passionate about.
That said, my Gluten Free Christmas Cake recipe is available in both cups and weights. The recipe is almost the same and you can substitute all-purpose flour for the gluten-free flour. https://apriljharris.com/gluten-free-christmas-cake-recipe/
The Old Fashioned Christmas Cake recipe is definitely on the list for conversion to cups and metric weights but I hope the Gluten-Free recipe will make things easier in the meantime.
Best wishes, AprilReply
- Robyn says
Hi can you please seperate the ingredients from the marzipan and icing by a big space.
Scrolling via mobile app on a phone its a bit confusing to read flicking back and forward from method to ingredients.
Im currently cooking a cake with 8 ounces of almond flour – I’m expecting a dry disaster.
Back to tje drawing board tomorrowReply
- April Harris says
I’m so sorry, Robyn, the WordPress Recipe Maker does not allow me to do that. (You have to use a plugin for recipes or Google doesn’t index recipes properly.) This is the first time this issue has been raised with me, but I’m sorry it was a problem for you.
I have sent an email to you with the ingredients listed separately. I hope this is helpful.
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- Debbi says
The only query I have is that I thought currants were dried blackcurrants, Sultanas driedwhite grapes and raisins dried black grapes.
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- April Harris says
Hi Debbi, Despite their name, currants are actually made from tiny seedless black Corinth grapes. Sultanas are made from dried Thompson grapes which are referred to as both white and green. Most white grapes look green in colour and some people don’t even realise they are called green. Raisins are actually made from white/green grapes too. Here’s an article which explains more https://www.thespruceeats.com/raisins-sultanas-and-currants-435341 I hope this helps.
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- Delbert Allan says
I made this cake last year, being totally faithful to the recipe with the exception of using brandy rather than sherry or rum suggested. It turned out so well, and I got so many compliments, even from people who traditionally do not like Christmas cake.
I’ve just made the cake again now for this year, and will let it rest (feeding it weekly :)) until Christmas! Thank you so much for this recipe, it is fantastic!!
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- April Harris says
Thank you so much for letting me know, Delbert! I am so glad you got such good results from the recipe and especially that you have made it again. That is a wonderful compliment! Thank you again! I hope you and yours enjoy the cake even more than last year 🙂
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- Julia says
Since this is a “British” and “Traditional” then let’s get one thing straight. Royal Icing does not have the glycerine in it. So, your cake has Fondant Icing on it, not Royal Icing. Royal Icing cannot be rolled out. Royal Icing is much nicer in flavour and texture, when eating the cake. Must be the glycerine that spoils it. But Royal Icing is often not used now, because Fondant Icing is easier.
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- April Harris says
Thank you for your comment, Julia. Yes, the cake in the photograph has fondant on it. It would have been impossible to use the embossed rolling pin if it didn’t. As I explain in the blog post itself (in the “How Can I Decorate My Christmas Cake” section) and I quote “Nana originally covered the cake with marzipan and then frosted it with royal icing. However in latter years, she used ready to roll fondant, and I now do the same. It takes a lot less time and I love the finish.”
The Royal Icing recipe I provided was the one written in Nana’s hand and this did include glycerine (as do most of the royal icing recipes you will find). That said, I have never made Nana’s royal icing, but include the recipe for the sake of her memory with the note that I always use fondant icing (“You can also use ready made fondant to cover the cake as I do if you prefer” is written in the recipe).
The recipe dates from the early 1900’s and as I explain in the post, was from Nana’s time working as a cook in a stately home in England. I will not share the name of the property for the sake of the family’s privacy, but I assure you they were and are very British, as are the cake and I 🙂
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- Wendy Holmes-Link says
Hi April hope you are well. I made your cake 3 times last year and we love it so much just made it again yesterday. I commented how wonderful it is last year my son wanted it for his birthday cake in the summer. We love the icing love it all thanks againReply
- April Harris says
Hi Wendy, I am well, thank you so much! I hope you are too. Thank you for your very kind comment and the compliments on this recipe! I think there is no truer compliment on a recipe than someone making it multiple times, and no truer compliment on a cake than someone requesting it for their birthday! You have made my day, and I know Nana would have been pleased as well 🙂 Thank you!
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- Wendy Holmes-Link says
April I am glad you are well. I am well Thank you . looking forward to the holidays eating the cake again . So glad you love that we love your cake .Nana must have been a great lady it is so wonderful to have family traditions to treasure. I must try some of your other recipes soon. - April Harris says
Thank you, Wendy! Nana really was lovely. I agree, it is wonderful to have family traditions to treasure. I hope you will enjoy some more of my recipes. Please let me know what you think if you try them. I look forward to hearing from you 🙂
- Lenka says
Dear April,
we are no fans of cake icings, we don’t enjoy eating just pure sugary things. Whenever served it, we end up peeling the sugary icing off (carefully to leave the marzipan layer as we love marzipan). Would your cake work just with marzipan layer (I would double or even triple the quantity), but without the sugar icing on top of it, or would it somehow throw it out of balance? Many thanks, LenkaReply
- April Harris says
Hi Lenka,
It would certainly taste delicious with just the marzipan topping. Simnel Cakes are topped with marzipan so I think you would be fine. Don’t put the marzipan on until the day before you serve it though, and it will then keep in a sealed container for about 5 days. I hope this helps 🙂Reply
- lenka101@hotmail.com says
Dear April, Thank you, that’s great.
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- April Harris says
My pleasure, Lenka!
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- Ann Coffey says
Hello Lenka,
I don’t like the royal icing either but I think whether you cover the cake with it or not depends upon how fast you are going to eat it. Perhaps the icing helps to seal in moisture and prevent the marzipan from drying out? Adults in my family remove the icing from their slice of cake and leave it on the edge of the plate whereas the children eat theirs and also that left on the adults’ plates. 🙂
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- April Harris says
Hi Ann,
I agree, I think the royal icing or fondant helps prevent the marzipan from drying out. That is a good idea about using it but removing it! I got a kick out of reading about the children eating their own icing and the adults’ as well! 🙂
This cake does taste great plain as well, but I have a feeling the children would be very disappointed!! 🙂
- Jackie says
Just made this cake today and it looks delicious, can you advise me on how much rum do I feed it weekly?Reply
- April Harris says
Hi Jackie, I”m so glad you are pleased with the cake 🙂 I usually give the cake about a tablespoon or two of rum (or other alcohol) every 7 to 10 days. You can put a few little holes in the cake with a toothpick if it doesn’t appear to be absorbing. Be careful not to over-soak the cake. Be sure the cake is wrapped up (I use aluminium foil) or in an air-tight container between feedings. Feed it for the last time about 7 days before putting marzipan and icing on it. I hope this helps. 🙂
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- Jackie says
Just made this cake today and it looks delicious, can you tell me the amount of rum should I feed the cake with each week ?Reply
- Eleanor Ferguson says
Reading the method it stated mix flour and cocoa, there is no mention of cocoa in the list of ingredients. Is this an error or am I missing it?
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- Wendy Holmes-Link says
Eleanor about four lines down it says about cocoa and its in the recipe ingredients think you missed it. I have made this cake 5 times you will love it .Reply
- Eleanor Ferguson says
Oh ! I’m so sorry…….another Senior moment!!. Thank you. I’m going to give it a try.
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- April Harris says
Thank you so much for responding, Wendy. That was really kind of you. I’m really grateful you saw the comment so Eleanor could carry on with the recipe 🙂 Thank you also for the wonderful positive feedback on the recipe. Wishing you and yours a very happy holiday season.
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- Wendy Holmes-Link says
April I am so happy could help cant wait for cake again on Christmas Happy holidays ,.I am coming to visit London in January cant wait .Reply
- April Harris says
How exciting you are coming to London, Wendy! It’s definitely one of my favourite cities in the whole world!
- April Harris says
I’m sorry I didn’t spot your comment earlier, Eleanor – with time zones I sometimes don’t see things until later. I’m really glad Wendy could help and I hope you enjoy the recipe!
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- Mary Love says
Hi April. I made this cake today, still cooling. My nephew is married to a lovely British lady, she misses being there so badly, I decided to make it for her. The flavor was amazing, did a little side dish for me, couldn’t help it. Cannot wait to deliver this to her. Thank You.Reply
- April Harris says
Hi Mary,
Your comment makes me so happy! What a lovely thing to do for your niece in law, so thoughtful. I am sure she will be pleased.
I’m also very pleased your mini cake turned out well too and that you like the flavour. It really is one of my favourite Christmas cakes ever.
Thank you so much for writing. Merry Christmas! xReply
- Paul Ollivett says
Hello April ,
Just found your recipe and it seems very close to one my parents did fifty years ago. So I made one in a ten inch round spring form pan. It looks great, is maturing right now and I will feed it with dark rum. Can’t wait to try it.
My first question is can I use rectangular loaf pans and is it alright to leave the cake in the refrigerator while it’s maturing and being fed ?Reply
- April Harris says
Hello Paul,
I’m so glad my recipe is close to your parent’s recipe. I have never baked the recipe in loaf pans, however it would definitely work. You would need to adjust the cooking times. I can’t say exactly by how much as I haven’t tried it though. I suggest you go carefully the first time, perhaps cooking for 30 minutes at the higher temperature, and then experimenting with the lower temperature, probably checking every 10 minutes and more frequently towards the end of cooking.
The cake is actually better stored at room temperature while it is maturing and being fed. It is likely to get too moist if stored in the fridge.
I hope this helps.
Best wishes.Reply
- Paul says
Thank you for the info.
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- Marie Martin says
I have just found your recipe. I’m British and would like to make a Christmas Cake over here in Virginia. Your recipe looks close to what I’m used to back home.
However, I cannot seem to source the ingredients over here!
I know I can substitute the fruit using different types of raisins, but I can’t find mixed peel, glacé cherries and I’m having trouble locating marzipan and fondant icing!
I must not be looking in the right places!
Where do you guys purchase your ingredients, please?!
Thank you!Reply
- Paul Ollivett says
Hi Marie ,
I found all the ingredients in my local grocery store, check to see if they have a seasonal section or some might be with produce area. Here by me it’s a bit late to find some things. Amazon does have the candied fruit peele and cherries.Reply
- April Harris says
Thank you for your help, Paul. I appreciate it!
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- Ann Coffey says
I am English and live in Canada where I have the same problems with (decent) mixed peel and marzipan. This year I found commercial marzipan made in Quebec although it’s not like the British variety.
When I lived in the US I had to make my own marzipan because it was unavailable. In fact, it seemed that no one had even heard of it! . The mixed peel sold in Canada is vile, swimming in thick syrup and mixed with chopped green and red glacé cherries. It is almost completely tasteless. I found a recipe for homemade mixed peel and started to save orange, lemon, lime and grapefruit peels, which I froze until I had accumulated about 1.5 pounds. I sliced it as one would when making chunky marmalade, cooked it until most of the water had evaporated and then stored it in the fridge. When I need some for a recipe, I microwave the desired quantity with a little water to soften it before chopping it up into mixed peel sized pieces. It works perfectly, and BONUS! it actually tastes like mixed peel. As for the icing, I just use royal icing because this is what my family and everyone else I knew made when I was growing up in England. There are many fondant recipes online, so you could always make your own – if you can locate ingredients such glycerine, glucose syrup, and gelatin powder!
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- April Harris says
Thank you so much for your reply to Marie, Ann. I really appreciate your help. Your homemade mixed peel sounds delicious!
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- Wendy Holmes-Link says
Marie I buy all my fruit and Nuts from Nuts .com always fresh not so cheap but well worth it Cherries are fantastic and they have the best candied peel Walmart has candied peel but not as nice .Reply
- April Harris says
Thank you so much for your reply to Marie, Wendy. I appreciate your help 🙂
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- April Harris says
Hi Marie,
You can definitely substitute different dried fruits. Mixed peel is also known as candied peel. I don’t know if that helps? I found some on Amazon.com but it looks like it’s being shipped from the UK so I’m worried it wouldn’t arrive on time. I also found some glacé cherries which were called “holiday fruit”.I believe marzipan is sometimes called almond paste. I also had a look at the Walmart website and they list fondant icing – however I appreciate it may not be available at all Walmart stores. I hope this helps a little. I’m wondering if any other US based readers may be able to help?Reply
- Tina says
I am British and have made a traditional Xmas cake for decades- used this b.c lost recipe temporarily. Sorry, but this turned out to be the worst cake ever. It was dry and crumbly(almond flour is v. heavy), not at all moist. My usual recipe has no flour other than plain flour. Also it uses black treacle/no almond flour/plain flour( not ….the same as all-purpose flour), Def. NO cocoa powder or coffee essence , and the rind of a whole lemon and orange. I soaked the fruit for 3 days yet cake was still dry:-(. It did make a very dense rich fruit cake, which many may enjoy, just not like a traditional Xmas Cake in my opinion, and will start over tomorrow, having found said recipe!Will also start feeding the others, so by Xmas hopefully they will be good as extras!Reply
- April Harris says
I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy the results, Tina. As I was not with you when you baked it, I cannot explain why your cake was so dry. Results do vary with how the recipe is made, quality of ingredients, weather and different ovens.
Yours is actually the first negative comment I can remember. The cake has been a favourite in my husband’s family for over 70 years, and I have had so many positive comments on it. Several families now make it as their Christmas cake every year. Just today my friend’s husband mentioned that they had just got all the ingredients together and he was excited for her to make it again this year.
Of course, everyone has different tastes.
Incidentally, I am British, resident in England for more than half my life, and this is actually my British husband’s British Grandmother’s recipe. Most traditional recipes have a number of variations – for example treacle tart, Christmas pudding and apple crumble. Recipes vary depending on region, customs and age.
Again, I’m so sorry you were disappointed.Reply
- Wendy Holmes-Link says
Hi April this year will not be making your wonderful cake my son who loves it will be in Australia hes been there since Aug but hope next year he will be home for holiday so I can make it. I will miss your cake but my twins dont eat it so sadly I wont get any this year to much cake for my hubby and I .Happy holidays to you .Reply
- Ann Coffey says
Hello Wendy. How about making the cake just for yourself? It freezes perfectly well, so you could cut it into 12 slices, wrap and freeze the individual slices and then you can treat yourself to a slice once a month. Just kidding. However, your alternative is not having Christmas cake for two years! And that would definitely be a sad thing!Have a great Christmas (with or without cake)!
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- April Harris says
Hi Ann,
Thank you so much for your reply to Wendy, and for your very good advice! The cake does freeze well, and I love the idea of having it tucked away for treats throughout the year. In fact, I’m now thinking of making a second cake just so we can do that!
Have a wonderful Christmas!
Best wishes
AprilReply
- Ann Coffey says
Hello April.The cake really does freeze well. My son couldn’t be with us last Christmas so I froze a large slice of the cake for him and took it with me on a 4,000 km flight when I went to visit him in May. The things one does for a slice of your cake! We put it in his freezer as soon as I arrived and he has only just eaten it. He said the now twice-frozen cake was delicious and not at all dry.
Making a second cake is a great idea. I think I’ll do the same.
Have a lovely Christmas!
Ann
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- April Harris says
Hello Ann,
I’m so pleased to hear the cake really does freeze well.
I love this story!! That’s amazing that the cake travelled 4,000 km and that it lasted so well. I’m very glad your son enjoyed it.
I hope you have a lovely Christmas too!
April
- April Harris says
Hi Wendy,
I’m sorry your son will not be home for Christmas this year, but hopefully next year! I agree with Ann, you should definitely not deprive yourself (or your husband 😉 ) of Christmas cake. The cake will freeze, and freezing it in individual slices is a great idea.
We kept a tier of our wedding cake (which was basically a Christmas cake as it was fruitcake) in the freezer for 3 years. We then had the icing stripped off so that it could be re-decorated for our son’s Christening. It tasted really good, despite the long time in the freezer.
Happy Holidays to you too!
Best wishes,
April
PS – I really hope you make the cake!Reply
- Maria giardino says
Hi, this looks fabulous. I do need to know what the ” mixed spice” is? Also sultanas.
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- JOHN JOE WALSH says
I am posting two links on Mixed Spice and Sultanas… Hope it helps…https://www.christinascucina.com/mixed-spice-british-recipe-for-the-us-canada-and-recipes-to-use-it/
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- Del Allan says
Mixed spice can be made at home, and sultanas are dark raisins. The recipe for mixed spice:
1 tablespoon quality ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground allspice
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoons ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon ground maceMix all together in a sealed container and there you go! You can also buy it at gourmet grocery stores or online.
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- Ann Coffey says
Sultanas are light raisins, not dark. Sultanas belong to the grapevine family (Vitaceae) and are native to the Caspian Sea. Currants, sultanas and raisins, including those still on the bunch, are known collectively as “raisins”. The difference between these three dried fruits is as follows:
Sultanas: seedless, large-berried and light yellow. Larger than currants and smaller than raisins.
Currants: seedless, small-berried, purple/black color. Their name derives from the Greek city of Corinth.
Raisins on the bunch: seeded, large-berried, generally with stalk. To produce, the grapes are grown on the sultana grapevine. The grapes are harvested when overripe. They are then either air-dried or increasingly dried in special drying plants.Most sultanas are sulfured after drying and mechanically destalked in order to extend their storage life and prevent subsequent discolouration. Such treatment must be indicated appropriately on the packaging. Treatment with vegetable oils is needed to prevent the sultanas from sticking together.
When growing up in England, Sultanas were labelled “golden raisins” to differentiate them from the dark raisins which I think are produced from dark red grapes of Greek origin. Our golden raisins used to come from Australia and they were the very best I have ever tasted. Unfortunately, the dreadful EU put an end to Australian sultana imports and we ended up with the relatively tasteless European and Middle Eastern ones instead.
I currently live in Canada where sultanas, largely from Iran and Turkey, are labelled “golden sultanas”. The dark raisins (which I don’t like at all) are called Thompson raisins (the type Sun-Maid uses).
There is a lot of confusion regarding the description of raisins! One website describes Thompson raisins as “sun-dried, with the grapes turning brown, then black as they dry”, while another US in the site states in its advertising that they “golden nuggets of goodness”!
From what I have read so far, the UK, Australia, Canada, and the Middle East speak pretty much the same sultana language but it is the US that has thrown confusion into the mix.
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- April Harris says
Hi Maria,
Here’s a link to my recipe for mixed spice https://apriljharris.com/mixed-spice/
Sultanas are light raisins, made from green grapes. Ann has provided a really comprehensive description in her comment which I hope will also help. However if you are struggling to get hold of sultanas you can use an equal measurement of ordinary raisins instead. AS long as the weight of the dried fruit adds up, it’s okay to make this substitution 🙂
Best wishes!
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- Del Allan says
This is the third year in a row that I have made this cake! I always double the recipe, and have lots for Christmas gatherings throughout the season. Such a delicious and wonderful recipe, reminding one of Christmas celebrations of long ago.
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- April Harris says
Thank you so much for your lovely comment! I am so glad you like the recipe, and that it has become a part of your holiday traditions. I know that my husband’s Nana would love that, and it really makes me happy too! Have a wonderful holiday season!
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- Tammy says
Starting a new tradition! Making this today with a new friend! My question: salted or unsalted butter?
Thanks! TammyReply
- April Harris says
Hi Tammy, I’m so glad you are starting a new tradition! I tend to use unsalted butter but either is fine.
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- Nilo says
Hi April,I’m making this cake for the first time, previously my mom and grandma used to make it. Nice to have little traditions pass down the family. Just a question I needed to know about, the raw egg yolks in the marzipan? will it keep outside in a tropical climate? Its very unusual for folks here to see raw egg yolks in icing/marzipan. Is the lemon juice to help “cook” it ? If I do make it with the egg yolks, how long will it keep outside in about 26 degrees celsius ?
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- April Harris says
Hi Nilo,
It is lovely to have these traditions! I have to repeat the confession from the blog post, I normally use ready made store bought marzipan as the traditional marzipan is a bit fiddly to make.
Our hens are vaccinated against salmonella here in the UK, but I would still avoid the raw eggs in a warm climate.
I have just put ‘easy marzipan without eggs’ into Google and have found several recipes. You might want to try one of those instead just for this particular step of the recipe. I hope this helps and that you enjoy the cake.Reply
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