Christmas cake recipes

Easily turn a classic fruitcake into cute personalised gifts or place markers for Christmas lunch with fondant icing and cocktail

Make your Christmas cake extra-special with a festive design. This cute-looking Christmas pudding topping is simple, and takes just 30 minutes to assemble

Nancy Birtwhistle's last-minute Christmas cake is packed with fruit and festive spices, then iced and decorated with three edible reindeer

Rustle up this easy boiled fruitcake for your cake tin. Packed with juicy raisins, sultanas, currants and mixed peel, it's perfect for afternoon tea with a cuppa

A stunning cake that uses the 'boiling method' to plump up dried fruit. Decorate with pistachio paste trees and swirles of fluffy icing

Turn one fruitcake into two with these festive ideas - this one is a decorative holly ring with fondant icing (find the second recipe in 'goes well with')

Make our wreath cake (see 'goes well with') and use the spare middle section to create a small gift decorated with classic marzipan and fondant icing

This crunchy, sugar-snow topping is an easy way to transform a humble fruitcake into a celebration centrepiece

A versatile and light fruitcake with a hint of spice and plenty of juicy cranberries and cherries - ice as you wish!

Bring a little magic to your Christmas cake with a simple snow globe and colourful sprinkles - kids will love helping to decorate!

Decorate your cake with classic white icing and marzipan and then top with a playful seasonal motif

This easy almond cake topping makes for a beautiful golden decoration suitable for any special occasion fruitcake

This bake is lighter than the traditional rich fruitcake and is a blank canvas to ice and decorate as you wish

This delicious light fruit sponge is packed with storecupboard staples like nuts and dried fruit, it's also budget-friendly

If anyone in your family isn't keen on traditional fruitcake, this might be the compromise you've been looking for

Give your Christmas cake a stylish and professional finish this year with this sparkling decoration idea

Wow guests with our fairy light Christmas cake topping, made with fondant icing and sugared almonds. You could also use jelly sweets, if you like

This delightfully indulgent-looking Christmas cake is so simple that even the children can lend a hand

This festive icing is easy to use, looks amazing and makes a lighter end to a meal. The perfect centrepiece for Christmas tea

This square Christmas cake is cut into two loaf-shaped cakes, so you can give one to a friend

Impress your family with Mary Cadogan’s lighter alternative to the traditional Christmas cake

You can make this Christmas cake right at the last minute. The decorating makes a fun holiday project for the kids

Get the kids to help create this winter wonderland - just make sure you have enough Smarties to nibble on!

Icing and decorating a Christmas cake may take time but this sweet snowy scene will be a hit with kids