Easy Christmas Cake Recipe (2024)

This is a simple, delicious Christmas cake recipe, packed with fruit and decorated with a classic covering of marzipan and fondant icing.

It's easy to make, easy to bake, easy to cover and easy to decorate - perfect for the holiday season!

It looks fantastic and your friends and family will love it.

It has a gorgeous, intense flavour, with plenty of texture thanks to all the additions. It's all covered with marzipan and white sugar paste, and topped with simple sugar paste holly decorations.

You'll start by beating sugar, margarine and black treacle together, then introduce eggs and flour in alternating batches. There's lots of eggs and few dry ingredients in this recipe because the dried fruit is thirsty!

Once you have the base batter, you'll add all of the yummy fruits and nuts: mixed dried fruit, candied peel, glace cherries, and almonds. You'll also add mixed spice, nutmeg and lemon zest to really bring out the Christmas flavours.

After that, it's simply a case of baking, cooling and covering in marzipan and icing for a classic Christmas cake that never fails to impress.

If all that sounds pretty great, then my easy Christmas cake recipe, complete with step-by-step instructions and plenty of pics and tips to ensure you end up with a fantastic Christmas cake.

Instructions

Prepare your Christmas cake tin

Prepare your baking tin by greasing and then triple lining with two layers of baking paper on the inside and one layer of brown paper on the outside.

For step-by-step images showing how to do this, follow my foolproof guide to lining a Christmas cake tin here.

Make your Christmas cake

Preheat the oven to 140C (120C fan).

Put the margarine and sugar in a large bowl.

Beat together until slightly pale and fluffy.

Add the treacle to the bowl.

Beat in.

Add one egg.

Mix.

Sprinkle some flour in the bowl and mix again.

Keep alternating until all of the eggs and all of the flour is added.

Add the mixed fruit.

On top add the mixed peel, glace cherries, blanched almonds, ground almonds, mixed spice, nutmeg and lemon zest.

Mix and make a wish!

Pour your cake mixture into your lined cake tin.

Cover with a square with a hole snipped in it, as per the cake lining instructions.

Bake your Christmas cake in the centre of the oven for 3 to 3 1/2 hours. It's ready when a skewer pushed into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Once baked, allow the cake to cool in its tin for 15 minutes.

Remove the brown paper, then lift your cake free of its tin and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

You can now peel the baking paper away.

Don't forget to move the paper from the base, too.

Cover your Christmas cake with marzipan

When your cake has cooled completely, turn upside down so that the flat edge is on top. If your cake domed a lot during cooking and won't sit flat, you can trim it a little with a long serrated knife before flipping over.

Brush the top (which was the bottom!) of your cake all over with a thin layer of apricot jam. This will help the marzipan stick.

Dust your work surface with icing sugar to stop any sticking, then knead your marzipan until it's soft and smooth.

Dust your surface again, if necessary and roll your marzipan out into a rough disc shape, large enough to cover the whole cake with a little to spare.

Roll the marzipan over your rolling pin, then gently lay on top of the cake.

Smooth off down the sides with the palm of your hand. Trim the base with a sharp knife.

Cover your Christmas cake with white sugar paste

Dust your work surface with icing sugar again.

Roll your sugar paste out into a rough disc shape, large enough to cover the whole cake with a little to spare.

Roll the sugar paste over your rolling pin, then gently lay on top of the cake.

Smooth off down the sides with the palm of your hand. Trim the base with a sharp knife.

Extra decorations for your Christmas cake

Grab two small pieces of leftover white sugar paste and work into two balls - this will be your holly and berries.

Flatten each ball of sugar paste. Put 2-3 drops of green food colouring on one and 2-3 drops of red food colouring on the other.

Knead each ball until they are evenly coloured.

Dust your work surface again and roll the green sugar paste out thinly.

Use a sharp knife to cut out holly leaf shapes. If you like, you can use the point of the knife to score veins onto the leaves.

Take small pieces of the red sugar paste and roll into balls to form holly berries.

Your hands may have colour on them so wash and dry them before you continue or you may stain the white sugar paste.

Apply your leaves and berries to the cake, using a wet finger to help them stick.

Ta da! A cake fit for a Christmas feast. Doesn't it look delicious? It really is one of the Christmas desserts I most look forward to.

A slice of this easy, traditional Christmas cake really is the perfect way to round off holiday meals. Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

Pointers, tricks and troubleshooting tips for the perfect easy Christmas cake

Is this homemade Christmas cake recipe simple to make?

Hopefully, the clue is in the name here. After a few failed attempts I’ve mastered the art of Christmas cake making and have put together this recipe to share these easy to follow step-by-step instructions so you can make a perfect Christmas cake too! Wow family and friends effortlessly with this easy Christmas cake recipe.

Will I need any special equipment for this easy Christmas cake recipe?

You should be able to find everything you need in the average kitchen: weighing scales and measuring spoons to prepare the ingredients, a large mixing bowl to bring everything together, a loose bottom cake tin, and parchment paper and brown paper to line it with and some string.

You'll also need metal skewer to test the cake, and wire rack for cooling.The full list of equipment can be found on the recipe card below.

Where can I buy black treacle?

You should be able to easily find black treacle in the baking aisle of the supermarket. It usually comes in a small tin.

Is easy Christmas cake suitable for vegetarians?

Yes, this easy Christmas cake is perfect for a vegetarian as it contains no meat, poultry or fish products.

Is easy Christmas cake suitable for vegans?

As it is this recipe would not be suitable for vegans as it contains dairy margarine and eggs.

I haven’t tried making a vegan version of this cake yet but you could give it a go by simply using plant-based vegan margarine and an egg replacer. Give one of these options a go (each = 1 egg, so multiply as needed for any given recipe).

• 1 tablespoon of crushed chia seeds or flax seeds mixed with 2 tablespoons of water and left for 10 minutes in the fridge.
• 3 tablespoons of aquafaba (the water you get in a tin of chickpeas).
• 3 tablespoons of applesauce (bear in mind this will add sweetness).

I would probably try the chia or flax seed method, as the other two options may make the mix too wet.

Is easy Christmas cake gluten-free?

For this easy Christmas cake I’ve used wheat-based plain flour so no, this is not gluten-free.

If you are making this for someone who needs to avoid gluten in their diet, why not try making it with gluten-free flour.

I always recommend using a good quality brand, which will usually be made from a blend of different flours such as rice flour, and oat flour, raising agents, of course, and usually a binding agent such as xanthan gum.

Is easy Christmas cake keto-friendly?

Unfortunately, this easy Christmas cake contains too many carbohydrates to be considered keto-friendly.

Is easy Christmas cake safe to eat while pregnant?

There is nothing in this easy Christmas cake that should pose a risk to a pregnant woman. Make sure the cake is made using ingredients that are in good condition, and it's prepared and baked hygienically.

Advice regarding egg safety varies from country to country, due to different production and handling methods, so please check guidance local to you.

A Mummy Too does not offer medical advice, please seek help from a medical professional if you have any questions. The NHS also has a fantastic resource on foods to avoid whilst pregnant which has lots of helpful information.

Is easy Christmas cake dairy-free?

I’ve used dairy margarine but you can easily use plant-based margarine to make this recipe dairy-free.Remember this won't make the cake vegan as it still contains egg, but would then be suitable for someone who needs to avoid dairy.

Is easy Christmas cake alcohol-free?

Yes, a lot of festive bakes are enriched with alcohol, and many classic Christmas cakes are even fed with whisky or rum in the run-up to Christmas to help preserve the cake and add flavour.

This can be a difficult time of year for someone who needs to avoid alcohol so this cake is a winner as it contains none!

I haven't soaked the dried fruit for this recipe but if you wanted to you can use water or fruit juice.

Can I make this recipe without apricot jam?

The apricot jam is used to help stick the marzipan to the cake, if you don’t have apricot jam you can use marmalade instead but make sure to fish out any peel!

You can also just go straight in with the marzipan but I find a little apricot jam helps everything stick nicely and creates a bit of glue to hold the marzipan to the cake.

Don’t use strawberry jam as the flavours would be quite odd! Apricot is neutral as it tastes similar to the almonds in the marzipan, and marmalade also compliments the citrus flavours from the cake so blends in undetected.

I haven’t got black treacle, can I use golden syrup?

The black treacle really adds richness to this cake with all those beautiful toffee molasses flavours.

If you don’t have treacle you can use golden syrup instead, I would recommend also using the darkest brown sugar you have to add some of that molasses flavour you’re missing from the treacle.

Can I add extra fruit to this fruit cake recipe?

This easy Christmas cake is a fruit-heavy bake. I've used a ready-made dried mixed fruit bag to save me having separate bags of raisins currents, and sultanas.

If you like you can make up your own combination of dried fruit but I would recommend keeping the total amount the same otherwise the cake batter will be overloaded and not bake properly.

You can play around with whatever dried fruit you like. A base of raisins is a good place to start and then you can try things like adding fig, cranberries, or dates, any larger pieces need to be chopped to up to about the size of raisins.

How should I store easy Christmas cake?

Once decorated you can keep your Christmas cake in an airtight container, this helps protect the cake from drying out. Keep the cake in a cool dark spot, in the cupboard or pantry.

How long does easy Christmas cake keep?

This traditional holiday cake can keep for quite a while when stored correctly, this cake is made without alcohol so won’t keep as long as some but it should last for a couple of weeks when stored in a sealed container.

Can I leave easy Christmas cake out on the counter?

No, you can leave the cake out for serving but it needs to be stored in a sealed container to stop it from drying out or being contaminated with bacteria.

Can I make this easy Christmas cake ahead?

Yes, traditionally Christmas cakes are made on stir up Sunday, which is the last Sunday before advent, the last Sunday in November. And then given time to mature over December with the addition of a Christmas drink of whisky or rum.

As we’re making this cake without alcohol it won’t keep quite as long so I would recommend making this a few days before you want to serve.

Can I keep easy Christmas cake in the refrigerator?

There's no need to take up fridge space with this Christmas cake, it's better to store it in a sealed container just somewhere cool and dark like in a cupboard or pantry.

Can I freeze easy Christmas cake?

Yes, this cake freezes well, if you want to freeze some do so as soon as you can after serving, this way the cake is frozen at its best.

If you are freezing a lot it might be an idea to cut it into slices before freezing, that way you can just get out what you need.

Wrap the cake well to prevent freezer burn, and pop a label on your container so you know when it went in the freezer. This will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

What is the best way to defrost easy Christmas cake?

All you need to do is get out the slices you want to defrost, unwrap them, and pop them in the fridge on a plate to thaw out overnight.

It’s important to defrost this cake in the fridge as it’s not being reheated so should be kept at a low temperature to reduce the risk of bacterial spread.

Once defrosted, consume within 24 hours and do not refreeze already frozen cake.

Can I make this recipe in individual portions?

I haven’t tried making this recipe as individual portions, if you wanted you could try and use a muffin tray instead to make mini Christmas cakes, which would be super cute as gifts.

Line your muffin tin with doubled up cupcake cases and divide the batter between them, you might need 2 trays.

Bake for an hour at 140C (120C fan), and check the cakes at this point. As these are a lot smaller than the regular-sized cake they will bake quicker but do make sure they are thoroughly cooked. An hour may not be enough so do return to the oven if needed.

To decorate you can cut circles of marzipan and sugar paste icing to fit beautifully on top. Add a festive sparkle with either some mini holly leaves or some ready-made Christmas sprinkles.

Can I make easy Christmas cake in a stand mixer such as a KitchenAid or Kenwood Mixer?

Yes, if you like you can make the cake batter in a stand mixer like KitchenAid, this takes some of the work out of stirring for you!

Start by adding the sugar, and margarine, gradually increase the speed to beat until pale and fluffy, add the treacle, and beat again.

Now time for the eggs, you can mix in an egg with a few tablespoons of the weighed out flour to stop the mix splitting. Repeat this until all the eggs are mixed and then add the remaining flour and spices.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go to make sure everything is evenly incorporated.

Depending on the size of your bowl, you may want to do the rest by hand as the stand mixer can become overwhelmed by all the fruit. Add the dried fruit, mixed peel, ground, and blanched almonds, cherries, and lemon zest mix well and make a wish!

Do I need to soak the dried fruit?

For this recipe, I haven’t soaked the dried fruit, but you can if you like. This helps make the cake nice and moist and plumps up particularly dried out currents.

Weigh out your fruit the night before and cover with water, or fruit juice, cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and leave for the fruit to absorb the liquid. Drain off any excess liquid before putting the fruit into the cake mix.

How can I make sure easy Christmas cake is perfectly cooked?

Making Christmas cake is mainly a waiting game once the cake is in the oven. If you follow all the steps in the recipe your cake should turn out perfectly every year. Here are a few extra tips and pointers to keep you on track.

Prepare the tin following the guide, this will ensure the outside of the cake doesn’t burn, Christmas cake is in the oven for a long time so its a good idea to protect the outer edges as they are prone to drying out.

Preheat your oven, and get the shelves arranged so the cake can be in the middle of the oven. If your oven temperature runs hot you can use an oven thermometer to make sure it doesn’t go above 140C (120C fan).

Don’t be tempted to keep opening the door to take a look at the cake as these temperature fluctuations will affect the bake. If you like you can check the cake about halfway through, or after it's been in the oven for two hours to see how it's getting on.

When you think the cake is done, it should feel very firm, you can test it with a metal skewer to make sure it's cooked in the middle.The skewer should come out clean.

Allow the cake to cool in the tin for a while before trying to take it out.

Make sure the cake is completely cooled before adding the marzipan and icing, you could even store the cake in a sealed container and add the decoration the next day.

Why did my easy Christmas cake turn out dry and burnt?

Perhaps the oven was too hot? Christmas cake needs to be cooked low and slow so make sure the oven isn’t over 140C as this will increase the risk of the cake burning. You can protect the outside by following the cake tin lining guide.

If you’ve got a fan oven the paper lid may blow off, so you could instead use a piece of tin foil with a hole in the middle, then you can fold the edges down to create more of a secure lid.

It’s a good idea to check the cake after a couple of hours in the oven so you can see how it's getting on. Each oven is slightly different so some people's Christmas cakes will be done in two and a half hours, and some might take nearer four or even five hours to finish baking.

Don't forget this is a rich dark fruity treacle Christmas cake so will look a lot darker when it's cooked than pale golden sponge cakes that you might be more used to baking.

Why did my easy Christmas cake turn out wet in the middle?

This is probably because the cake was taken out too soon.You can use a metal skewer to test the cake, if it comes out wet the cake needs to go back in the oven, patience is key with this bake. Set a timer so you remember to check the cake, and then go and have a cuppa or 3!

Why didn’t my easy Christmas cake rise?

Christmas cake doesn’t have any raising agent added to it, you just want an even gentle rise all over, as ideally, we want the top of the cake to be flat.

Once you’ve put the batter in the tin, instead of leveling it off, push it out to the sides ever so slightly to make a bit of a well in the middle, this will level out when the cake is baked and create a flat top.

If you’re cake has domed a lot you can trim any excess off once the cake has cooled.

How can I add/change the flavours in this easy Christmas cake?

This is my easy Christmas cake recipe that has all the key ingredients, you can play around with the flavours to suit your tastes.

The dried fruit element is probably the most open, as you can make up the total amount with whatever dried fruit combination you like.

I find it best to use a base of about 300g for raisins and then the rest can be whatever you have in the cupboard, dried cranberries, dried figs, sultanas, even dried pineapple or mango like this tropical fruit Christmas cake.

Can I use the two-piece marzipan method when decorating?

If you're used to covering your cake by making a disc for the top and a strip for the sides, then that method is great too! In fact, it can make your cake look neat with crisp, sharp edges.

I haven't used this method for this recipe because it's a little trickier with a touch of extra effort, and I did promise an easy cake!

However, if you'd like to give the two-step marzipan process a try, my good friend Charlotte of Restoration Cake is an incredibly talented baker, and she has a very clear and easy to follow guide to marzipanning your cake in two halves.

I don't like fondant icing can I cover the cake with something else?

If you like, you could cover the cake with royal icing on top of the marzipan layer.

Royal icing is made with icing sugar and egg whites. BBC Good Food has a lovely recipe for royal icing. You could then smooth it over the cake with a palette knife, or apply it in pleasing, snowy swirls and peaks as with this Martha Collison recipe.

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More festive Christmas recipes to try

For more festive cooking and baking ideas, visit my festive makes section. Here are some of my favourites.

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