Make & mature Christmas cake

Make & mature Christmas cake

Prepare this fruit cake in advance and feed it regularly with rum, brandy or whisky to build the flavour and keep it moist

Difficulty and servings

Easy

CUTS INTO 12-15 slices

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 25 mins

Cook time

Cook 2 hrs 10 mins

plus cooling

No need to freeze

Method

  1. Put the dried fruit, zests and juice, alcohol, butter and sugar in a large pan set over a medium heat. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 5 mins. Tip the fruit mixture into a large bowl and leave to cool for 30 mins.
  2. Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Line a deep 20cm cake tin with a double layer of baking parchment, then wrap a double layer of newspaper around the outside - tie with string to secure.
  3. Add the remaining ingredients to the fruit mixture and stir well, making sure there are no pockets of flour. Tip into your prepared tin, level the top with a spatula and bake in the centre of the oven for 2 hrs.
  4. Remove the cake from the oven, poke holes in it with a skewer and spoon over 2 tbsp of your chosen alcohol. Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin.
  5. To store, peel off the baking parchment, then wrap well in cling film. Feed the cake with 1-2 tbsp alcohol every fortnight, until you ice it. Don't feed the cake for the final week to give the surface a chance to dry before icing.
Try

STIR-UP SUNDAY

Get ahead for Christmas by making this cake on Stir-up Sunday. It's the last Sunday before Advent, is the traditional start of the Christmas season, and falls on 25 Nov in 2012. It is thought that the name originated from the collect for the day from the Book of Common Prayer, which begins: 'Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord...' and unintentionally reminds churchgoers that it's time to make the Christmas pudding!

PER SLICE (12)

678 kcalories, protein 9g, carbohydrate 88g, fat 29 g, saturated fat 12g, fibre 3g, sugar 79g, salt 0.6 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, November 2012.

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Latest comments and suggestions

Results 1-20

  • Binder photo Lynne

    04 November 2012

    Lynne commented on this recipe

    I made individual cakes using this recipe and baked them in condensed milk tins for 1 hr. Recipe makes a very tasty fruit packed cake.

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  • Binder photo Lynne

    04 November 2012

    Lynne rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo Riverside Baking

    07 November 2012

    Riverside Baking rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This is my first year hosting Christmas and therefore making Christmas cake, I know Good Food would help me through! This recipe is fab, I'm currently feeding my cake with brandy every two weeks, but you can see how I made mine here: http://riversidebaking.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/stir-up-sunday.html

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  • Binder photo parlanchina

    08 November 2012

    parlanchina rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This cake turned out really well. I've drizzled over some rum every couple of weeks since making it; can't wait to taste it at Christmas!

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  • Binder photo stellab

    18 November 2012

    stellab commented on this recipe

    started this last night, cake now cooking, if it tastes as great as it smells it will be the best cake i've made. swapped the cloves for nutmeg and added chopped almonds instead of flaked for a bit of crunch, but perfection doesn't need changing really

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  • Binder photo dasarp17

    20 November 2012

    dasarp17 commented on this recipe

    awesome cake. all james martin receipies come out great!! ve tried out a lot his cooking n no failures. thank you.

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  • Binder photo ESwift

    21 November 2012

    ESwift commented on this recipe

    Ok I have just put mine in the oven. As a complete novice I must admit I am a bit concerned. Firstly, I thought I had mixed spice in the cupboard but didn't so put in ginger, nutmeg, ground juniper berries and a few more ground cloves. Hope this will be ok? Secondly, I didn't have quite enough ground/flaked almonds but did have some chopped mixed nuts so put them in to make up the numbers. Thirdly,what about the top of the cake when cooking? I did the newspaper bit and sort of folded the edges over so it was partly covered but not completely. Have I done the right thing? Things like this annoy me because I just won't know until Christmas and being a complete amateur I don't really have a bank of knowledge/experience to draw from. Any guidance is appreciated.

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  • Binder photo Ril

    21 November 2012

    Ril rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Marinated the fruit in sherry, zests and juices of orange and lemon overnight and made the cake today. Didn't have any ground cloves, so just left them out. The mixture seemed very moist when put into the tin. The recipe says cook for 2 hours but at the top it says 2 hours 10 minutes. Cooked for the longer time and the result looks perfect. Used sherry to moisten when cooked and the cake smells delicious already.

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  • Binder photo janeymac

    22 November 2012

    janeymac commented on this recipe

    This cake is fantastic! I split the recipe in 2 and made 2 6'' cakes - each took about 1hr 40mins in oven. Look fantastic - I hope they taste as good.

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  • Binder photo Suzanne Lee

    23 November 2012

    Suzanne Lee commented on this recipe

    Cake is in the oven, looking forward to seeing results, with the recipe being really simple to follow.

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  • Binder photo lucyb

    26 November 2012

    lucyb commented on this recipe

    Missed out on making this yesterday, on "Stir it up Sunday". Only have a 23cm deep tin so am wondering if I have to increase ingredients' quantities, or decrease cooking time? Any suggestions?

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  • Binder photo lucyb

    26 November 2012

    lucyb commented on this recipe

    Oops! Meant "Stir Sunday"! And the only tin I have that's deep is a 23cm one!

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  • Binder photo Sue Garnett

    02 December 2012

    Sue Garnett rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Very moist and delicious, full of fruit and flavour. A very grown up Christmas Cake. When cut it looked too moist and I was a bit concerned - have no fear, it's lovely.

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  • Binder photo Motheronamission

    07 December 2012

    Motheronamission commented on this recipe

    This is the first Christmas cake I have ever made, it was really easy and has turned out great, I am looking forward to icing it next week.

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  • Binder photo julie

    10 December 2012

    julie rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    made the cake at the end of september and topped it up with brandy every 2 weeks and keep wanting to taste it now,going to put orange marzipan on this week and cant wait to decorate next week.smells really good and very moist and was very easy to do.

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  • Binder photo Zyng

    26 December 2012

    Zyng rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Super easy to make and after finally cutting into it yesterday after 3 weeks of imbuing, it's also delicious - will definitely become my go to recipe.

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  • Binder photo Leanne77

    26 December 2012

    Leanne77 rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I made this cake for this Christmas and I have to say it is absolutely delicious!Even the person who doesn't like those type of cakes enjoyed it.

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  • Binder photo angie

    28 December 2012

    angie rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    So easy to make and absolutely delicious. This will definitely become a Christmas tradition in our house.

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  • Binder photo broni

    29 December 2012

    broni rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Fab recipe, the cake was great & will certainly use again and not just for Christmas, thnx James and Good Food

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  • Binder photo NT

    30 December 2012

    NT rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Great recipe. I iced it with brandy marizpan and then white icing. It went down very well and wasn't overly rich. Had several family members asking for the recipe so will definitely be making this next year :-)

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

CUTS INTO 12-15 slices

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 25 mins

Cook time

Cook 2 hrs 10 mins

plus cooling

No need to freeze

Ingredients

  • 1kg mixed dried fruits (use a mix of raisins, sultanas, currants, cherries, cranberries, prunes or figs)
  • zest and juice 1 orange
  • zest and juice 1 lemon
  • 150ml brandy , Sherry, whisky or rum, plus extra for feeding
  • 250g pack butter , softened
  • 200g light soft brown sugar
  • 175g plain flour
  • 100g ground almonds
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp mixed spice
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ground cloves
  • 100g flaked almonds
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
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PER SLICE (12)

678 kcalories, protein 9g, carbohydrate 88g, fat 29 g, saturated fat 12g, fibre 3g, sugar 79g, salt 0.6 g

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