Classic Christmas Cake Recipe

Place the mixed dried fruit in a large bowl, then add the brandy, the juice and zest of an orange and zest of a lemon. Cover with clingfilm and let it sit for 24 hours, giving it a shake now and then.

Line a 23cm round cake tin or a 20cm square tin with three layers of greaseproof paper, and wrap the outside with a double layer of brown paper. This helps to protect the Christmas cake during its long baking time, ensuring it cooks evenly and prevents the edges from overbrowning.

Preheat the oven to 150°C (130°C fan, 300°F, gas mark 2).

Rinse the cherries in warm water to remove any syrup or coating that can affect the texture of your cake. Dry them thoroughly and cut into quarters, so they distribute evenly in the batter.

Sift the flour and mixed spice together. Sifting not only ensures the ingredients are well-combined, but it also aerates the flour, giving your cake a lighter texture.

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy—this step is crucial for trapping air, which will help your cake rise. Add the eggs one at a time, followed by a tablespoon of the flour mix to prevent curdling and keep the batter smooth.

Gently fold in the remaining flour, ground almonds, cherries, and soaked dried fruit. Folding keeps the air in the batter, ensuring a light, fluffy texture, while evenly distributing the fruits.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, leveling the top with the back of a spoon. Create a slight well in the middle to ensure an even rise during baking.

Wrap brown paper around the tin and secure with string to protect the cake from browning too quickly. Bake for 1 hour, then lower the oven temperature to 140°C (120°C fan) and bake for another 3 hours, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. If the top browns too much, cover loosely with foil.

Once baked, remove the cake from the tin and cool completely on a wire rack, leaving the baking paper on. Cooling it slowly helps retain moisture in the cake.

When fully cool, wrap the cake in foil and store. To feed the cake, poke a few holes with a skewer and drizzle 2 tbsp brandy over the top. Re-wrap the cake and store. Repeat this process every few weeks for a rich, moist cake.

Before adding marzipan to the cake, warm the apricot jam until melted. Remove the paper from the cake, place it on a cake board, and use a small piece of marzipan to fill gaps between the cake and the board. Brush the warm jam over the cake to help the marzipan stick.

Dust the work surface with icing sugar and roll out the marzipan to cover the cake. Lift it using a rolling pin and lay it over the cake, smoothing it down the sides to avoid air pockets.

Trim the excess marzipan, then dust your hands with icing sugar and gently rub the surface to ensure a smooth finish. Allow the marzipan to set for 1-2 days at room temperature for the best result.

To ice the cake, lightly brush the marzipan with a bit of alcohol or boiled water. Dust the surface with icing sugar.

Knead and roll the icing to 5mm thickness, large enough to cover the cake. Lift the icing with a rolling pin and place it over the cake, gently easing it down the sides to prevent air pockets or creases.

Trim off the excess icing with a sharp knife and lightly dust the cake with icing sugar. Use your hands to polish the icing and smooth out any imperfections.

Finish with a ribbon around the base and decorations of your choice. We used a cutter to press out holly shapes using green coloured icing and rolled tiny balls of red coloured icing to add as berries.