Soft, moist and loaded with nuts and your favorite tutti fruity, can you guess which cake I’m talking about? It’s the most demanded Christmas Cake Recipe!! The holiday season is about to start, and how can we not bake this traditional cake?
Right from Thanksgiving, I used to wait to eat the delicious Christmas Cake. I have been a huge fan of this cake since childhood. The taste and texture differ greatly from the usual travel cakes we bake.
Just a bite of this cake will take you down the sweet memory lane from your childhood. I remember trying to bake this cake during my initial baking days, and I always got confused about which recipe version to try. Some worked and some didn’t. After so many trials, I know I have curated one of the finest Christmas Cake recipes for you all.
The cake is soft and moist and has just the right spice, which compliments the overall flavor so well. The cake is made using the famous Christmas mix where you prepare the soaked mixture of nuts, dried fruits, tutti fruity and rum. What a delight to eat this cake!!!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe?
- Flavor Complexity: As a baker, I understood how complex yet soothing the flavors of this cake are. The brown sugar makes it rich and caramel-y. The spice mix gives you the flavor of cinnamon, Nutmeg, star anise, etc. And the Christmas mix made of rum-soaked nuts is to die for. There are so many components that provide rich flavor to it.
- Perfect Recipe: I know there are several versions of Christmas cake out there, but trust me, you have to give this one a try. Most cakes end up becoming dry and hard, which is not something you would expect from a cake. But this cake remains moist and flavourful through its shelf life.
- Great For Gifting: I love sending baked treats to my friends and families during the holiday season. This Christmas cake is one of my top choices for this purpose. It’s loved by everyone and reminds them of the warmth and coziness one seeks during winter.
Important Ingredients Used In The Recipe
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar is great for bringing depth in flavour and a nice brown rustic colour to the cake. The molasses in the sugar helps retain moisture in the cake, keeping it fudgy.
- Egg: Egg plays multiple roles in cake making. It acts as an emulsifier to mix all ingredients together. It adds volume and moisture to the cake, making the cake soft. Besides this, it also adds nice colour and flavour to the cake.
- Fats: I have used a mix of butter and oil in the cake batter. Butter, when creamed, will help add volume and good flavour to the cake. While oil will help keep the cake moist.
- All-Spice Mix: Christmas cake is incomplete without its spices. They provide a unique flavour to the cake. You can purchase the all-spice mix from any store or make one at home.
- Christmas Mix: It is the most crucial ingredient for this cake. Using a good, well-soaked Christmas mix can make or break the taste of the cake. I prefer making my own mix, which is soaked for at least 2-3 months before adding it to the cake. It must contain a variety of dry fruit, tutti fruity, fruit peels, and dried berries soaked in dark rum.
How To Make Christmas Cake
Preparation: The cake includes many ingredients. It is important that you collect all of them with their correct measurement before starting with the batter. Grease and line a 6-inch round tin with butter and butter paper. Also, preheat the oven to 180°C (OTG mode: upper rod + lower rod + fan).
Creaming: In a bowl, cream butter, castor sugar and brown sugar. Use an electric hand beater, if required and cream until the mixture gets light and fluffy.
Add Wet Ingredients: Now add lightly beaten eggs, oil and vanilla essence to the creamed mixture and mix thoroughly. Make sure the ingredients get incorporated into the butter completely.
Add Dry Ingredients: Sieve and add the dry ingredients, flour (a), baking powder, baking soda, salt, and all-spice mix. Mix to form a smooth, lump-free batter.
Add Christmas Mix: Fold the Christmas mix into the batter. Ensure that the mix is distributed evenly.
Transfer batter: Pour the batter into the prepared 6-inch tin and tap to spread it out.
Garnish: Coat the tutti fruity with flour (b) and remove excess flour. Garnish the top with chopped cashews and coated tutti fruity.
Bake: Put the cake for baking at 180°C (OTG mode: lower rod only) for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the centre.
Chef’s Tips For The Recipe
Use Well-Soaked Christmas Mix
Usually, it is recommended to make the Christmas mix three months prior to making the cake. This gives the nuts enough time to soak and plump up. However, you can use a mix with less soaking time as well; just make sure they were soaked long enough to incorporate all the flavours.
Do Not Over-Bake
Avoid over-baking the cake. If the cake is baked beyond its baking time, the edges may burn and get hard, and the cake will also become dry. It may even have cracks due to dryness.
How To Store Christmas Cake
You can store the cake in the refrigerator in an airtight box and can consume it for a good two weeks.
It can even be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Cling wrap it well and then keep it in an airtight box. You will need to thaw and warm it before serving.
More Easy Recipes
You must try out these amazing travel cake recipes for your friends and family. I’m sure they will love them.
Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are unable to find all spice mix in any store, then you can easily make one at home. Just take 3/4 tsp cinnamon powder and ¼ tsp of nutmeg powder. You even add ¼ tsp of clove powder as well
Take dry fruits like chopped almonds, walnuts, cashews, pecans, raisins, sultanas, dried apricots, cherries, cranberries, tutti fruity, dried orange peel and any more if you want. Add rum and brandy to it, just for the fruits to get completely soaked with it. Put this in an airtight box and store it in a dry place. Keep adding more alcohol and stir.
I’m not adding alcohol above what the Christmas mix has. But if you strictly want to eliminate the use of alcohol, then you need to make your Christmas mix using orange juice instead of rum.
Yes, like the traditional method, you may feed/soak the cake with spirits like brandy, rum, wine or orange liqueur. This process adds more flavour and keeps the cake moist for an extended period.
