Description

This easy moist Christmas fruit cake is a richly flavoured traditional dessert packed with a mix of soaked dried fruits and warming spices. The cake is baked slowly to achieve maximum moistness and depth of flavor, perfect for holiday celebrations. Optionally decorated with marzipan and white fondant for a classic festive look, it pairs wonderfully with pouring custard for a truly indulgent treat.

Ingredients

Scale

Fast Soaked Fruit

300g / 10 oz raisins
150g / 5 oz diced dried apricots, chopped 8 mm / 1/3″
75g / 2.5 oz mixed peel, diced 5mm / 1/5″
150g / 5 oz glace cherries, chopped 8 mm / 1/3″
180g / 6 oz dates, diced 5mm / 1/5″
1 cup + 2 tbsp apple juice, OR 1/3 cup brandy + 2/3 cup juice

Cake

120g / 8 tbsp unsalted butter, softened (1 US stick)
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup vegetable oil (or canola, peanut, grapeseed)
3 tbsp molasses or golden syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp all spice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3 large eggs
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 2/3 cups plain flour (all purpose flour)
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

For Serving (Optional)

500ml / 1 pint pouring custard, homemade or store bought

White Christmas Cake Decoration (Optional)

250g / 8 oz “ready to roll” marzipan
250g / 8 oz “ready to roll” white fondant
Cherries dusted with icing sugar

Other Decorating Options (Optional)

Cherries or other fruit dusted with icing sugar (on plain cake)
Drippy white glaze (plain sweet white glaze without lemon juice)

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Instructions

Prepare Fast Soaked Fruit: Place the dried fruit and apple juice or brandy mixture in a large microwavable container. Microwave on high for 1 minute and 30 seconds or until hot. Stir well to coat all the fruit in the liquid. Cover and set aside for 1 hour to soak and cool, allowing the fruit to plump up.
Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 160°C / 320°F (140°C fan). Grease and line a 21–22 cm / 8–9″ round cake pan with baking paper about 7 cm / 2.75″ tall to ensure the cake has support while baking.
Mix Butter and Sugar: Using an electric beater, beat the softened butter and dark brown sugar together on medium-high speed for about 1 minute until smooth and creamy.
Add Oil, Molasses, and Spices: Beat in the vegetable oil and molasses (or golden syrup) until fully combined. Add salt, all spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking powder, beating until incorporated evenly throughout the mixture.
Add Eggs: Crack in the eggs one at a time, beating each just until incorporated to avoid overmixing and maintain cake moisture.
Incorporate Flour: Stir in the plain flour (all-purpose flour) until mostly combined, taking care not to overmix and develop gluten.
Fold in Fruit and Nuts: Gently fold in the soaked fruit mixture along with all the soaking liquid and chopped walnuts if using. This ensures evenly distributed moist fruit throughout the batter.
Transfer and Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Cover the top loosely with foil and bake in the oven for 2 hours and 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean with no batter clinging to it.
Cool the Cake: Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before serving or decorating.
Optional Decoration – Marzipan: Dust a work surface with icing sugar. Roll out the marzipan into a flat disc large enough to cover the cake’s top and sides. Roll onto a rolling pin and unroll it over the cake, smoothing gently to cover the cake with minimal pleats. Use a wet table knife to smooth the surface.
Optional Decoration – Fondant: Dust the work surface with icing sugar again, roll out the white fondant similarly to marzipan, and drape over the cake. Smooth the fondant carefully over the cake, fixing any tears with a wet knife and extra fondant pieces.
Optional Quilting Decoration: Using a blunt edge like a cake server, press diagonal lines about 2.5 cm / 1″ apart around the sides of the fondant to create diamond shapes. Using a damp wooden skewer, press a small indent at diamond intersections and attach silver balls for a festive finish. Top with cherries dusted with icing sugar.
Serve: Slice the cake into thin wedges or strips about 2 cm wide and serve plain or with warm pouring custard for a traditional festive experience.

Notes

Dried fruit combination totaling 855g / 30 oz can be customized to your preference. Finely chop fruit for best texture.
You can use apple juice, pineapple juice, or orange juice in place of brandy for alcohol-free version; apple juice is neutral and recommended for best flavor balance.
Dark brown sugar contributes to the cake’s rich color; substitute normal brown sugar for a lighter look.
Molasses or golden syrup add depth and color to the cake; interchangeable depending on availability and taste.
Enhance store-bought custard by stirring in vanilla bean paste for extra flavor and visual appeal.
The cake is delicious on its own due to its moistness and rich fruit content but is traditionally served with pouring custard.
Store cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 to 3 months or freeze for up to a year without alcohol.
This rich, dense cake yields about 20 to 25 servings if cut into small slices.
For marzipan and fondant decorating, handle carefully as marzipan can tear and fondant is delicate; use a wet knife to smooth imperfections.
The drippy white glaze for decoration can be made by omitting lemon juice from a lemon cake glaze recipe for a plain sweet glaze.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 80g)
Calories: 350 kcal
Sugar: 30 g
Sodium: 150 mg
Fat: 15 g
Saturated Fat: 5 g
Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 50 g
Fiber: 4 g
Protein: 4 g
Cholesterol: 75 mg