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The Ultimate Guide to a Classic Christmas Cake
• Lynsey Macdonald
Christmas Cake Guide Summary Master the centrepiece of the festive season with this comprehensive guide to the traditional British fruitcake. Whether you're a seasoned baker or a beginner, here is what you need to know: - What it is: A rich, spiced fruitcake packed with currants, sultanas, and nuts, traditionally matured over several months. - Preparation: Bake from scratch (using a classic recipe like Mary Berry’s) or use a high-quality ready-made mix to save time. - Timing: For the best flavour, bake 3 months in advance and "feed" with brandy or rum every two weeks. Non-alcoholic versions (using juice or tea) should be made closer to the date. - Storage: Wrap in double layers of parchment and foil, then store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place (not the fridge). - Decorating: Finish with a layer of apricot jam, marzipan, and your choice of royal icing or sugarpaste. Add a festive ribbon or cake topper for the perfect final touch.
It's a festive season classic - the traditional Christmas cake! If you're planning to add one to your Christmas dinner table, we have the ultimate guide for you. From the making to the decorating to the storage, we'll cover it all!
A traditional British Christmas cake has a long history of being the chosen table centrepiece at this time of year! So, while you might want to experiment with some of our other Christmas baking ideas, this is an iconic option to try. And it's a (sometimes) months-long project you can feel super proud of come Christmas Day!
Contents: What is Christmas cake? How do you make Christmas cake? How far in advance should you make a Christmas cake? Storing and feeding a Christmas cake Decorating a Christmas cake
What is Christmas cake?
A classic British Christmas cake is a festive tradition dating back to the 16th century! It's a dense fruitcake with a spicy, rich flavour.
Traditionally, this cake includes currants, sultanas, raisins and nuts. The spice is then added with nutmeg and cinnamon, leading to that warm "Christmas" flavour we all recognise. It is "fed" over time with alcohol and finished off with marzipan and icing.
How do you make Christmas cake?
1. Make it yourself: We love the Mary Berry recipe for a classic Christmas cake. Check it out for all of your ingredients and a step-by-step guide. The cake is traditionally fed with either brandy or rum. However, you can feed it with smooth orange juice, apple juice or strongly brewed English Breakfast or Earl Grey tea for a non-alcoholic option.
2. Use a mix: We have a delicious range of fruitcake mixes, should you want to skip the ingredient prep and focus on the decorating! Or, if you want to skip the baking altogether, check out our ready-to-decorate fruitcake from Sweet Success.
How far in advance should you make a Christmas cake?
In theory, you want to make your Christmas cake as far in advance as possible. This is because the longer it has to mature, the stronger the flavour will be. So, if you can make your Christmas cake approximately three months before you intend to eat it, this is ideal.
In this case, you want to feed it with alcohol every couple of weeks, until a fortnight before eating. At this point, stop feeding it, decorate with your marzipan and icing, and enjoy over Christmas!
If you are using non-alcoholic substitutes, like apple juice, you will have to make it closer to the time. Anywhere up to 6 weeks ahead of eating it should work, although you can make it earlier and freeze it if need be!
You can make it closer to the time, the flavour will just be less intense! If you do make it within the month, feed it once a week. If you're making it just days before, don't bother with the feeding - it should still taste great! Just slightly less rich and intense.
Storing and feeding a Christmas cake
During the feeding process, you want to keep your Christmas cake safely stored somewhere dark and cool. This will allow the maturing to happen as you feed it over time.
After baking, allow your cake to fully cool down before wrapping it in two layers of parchment paper and then two layers of foil. It then needs to go into an airtight container.
Don't store it in the fridge - aim for a cool, dark spot (like a kitchen cupboard) for the container.
When it comes to feeding it, carefully unwrap it, poke a few holes in it and add one or two tablespoons of your chosen alcohol to the cake. Then rewrap it, pop it back in the container and revisit again in a fortnight.
Decorating a Christmas Cake
1. Decorating with Marzipan
To decorate a traditional Christmas cake, the number one product you'll need is marzipan! This is a must-have for that classic taste. You'll also need some jam and your choice of royal icing or sugarpaste.
- Brush some jam onto your Christmas cake - ideally, homemade jam that is still warm, but any jam works! This will act as the glue for the marzipan. Apricot is a popular option; it blends well with the other fruit flavours.
- Roll out your marzipan and drape it over the cake, pressing down against the jam to stick it down. Trim it to size. At this point, if possible, you should leave the cake for a week to settle before adding your final layer.
- The final layer can be royal icing or sugarpaste/fondant icing - whichever you prefer!
2. Decorate with a ribbon
Another classic way to decorate your Christmas cake is with a ribbon! Either tartan or a bold Christmas red, green or gold looks beautiful! Thanks to our food-safe ribbons from Simply Making, you can confidently wrap this right around the cake.
3. Add a cake topper
Finally, to add that final festive flair, try adding a cake topper that says Merry Christmas, or features holly and berries, Santa Claus or a Christmas tree. If you buy a non-edible topper, you can reuse it again year after year, as a little Christmas tradition!
Shop our full selection of Christmas baking essentials
We hope this handy guide has helped you learn all you need to know about making a classic Christmas cake! Shop our full selection of Christmas baking essentials to get started on your festive treats. And we look forward to seeing pictures of your festive creations on social media - don't forget to tag us at @the_cake_decorating_co so we never miss them, it always brightens our day!
We love sharing iconic bakes like this, and would love to know what other traditional cakes you'd like to see appear here on our blog. Drop us a message to let us know what's at the top of your list, and we will add it to ours!
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