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Mary Berry Christmas Cake

Nothing says Christmas like a homemade cake, and this Mary Berry Christmas cake has it all. With its blend of rich, fruity goodness and warm spices, this cake is guaranteed to make your holidays sweeter. It’s simple to make, but it feels so luxurious – a perfect treat to share with friends and family during the festive season.
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Baking Time 4 hours 29 minutes
Servings: 12
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: British
Calories: 280
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ½ cups 225g raisins
  • 1 ¼ cups 175g golden raisins
  • 2 cups 275g currants
  • ⅔ cup 115g maraschino cherries, quartered
  • ¾ cup + 3 tbsp 115g dried apricots, chopped
  • 1 tbsp molasses
  • 1 ¼ cups 175g raisins
  • 3 tbsp brandy
  • ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 cup + 3 tbsp 225g dark muscovado sugar
  • 3 cups 675g almond paste or marzipan
  • 1 ¾ cups 225g all-purpose flour
  • ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 cup 225g salted butter, softened
  • ⅓ cup 55g chopped almonds
  • 1 finely grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 finely grated zest of 1 orange
  • 3 cups 675g fondant or ready-to-roll icing
For decoration:
  • Green food coloring
  • Ribbon holly, or your favorite decorations
  • Sifted confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Method
 

  1. Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C). Grease and line a 9-inch (23cm) round cake tin with baking parchment.
  2. Prepare the fruits by chopping your maraschino cherries, dried apricots, and candied orange peel. Place them into a large bowl along with the raisins, currants, and chopped almonds.
  3. Mix the dry ingredients. In another bowl, combine the flour, nutmeg, and pumpkin pie spice. Sift them together to ensure an even mix.
  4. Cream the butter and sugar. In a large bowl, beat the butter and dark muscovado sugar until smooth and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
  5. Add the molasses and zest of lemon and orange to the mixture, and then fold in the prepared fruits and dry ingredients. Be gentle when mixing to avoid deflating the batter.
  6. Stir in the brandy until fully combined. This adds richness and helps preserve the cake as it sits.
  7. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin, smoothing the top with a spatula.
  8. Bake the cake for about 4 to 4 ½ hours, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. The cake will be golden brown and firm to the touch.
  9. Cool the cake in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
  10. Feed the cake with brandy. Once cooled, poke a few holes in the cake with a skewer and drizzle over some brandy. Wrap the cake in wax paper and store it in an airtight container until you’re ready to decorate.
  11. Decorate the cake. Once ready to decorate, roll out your almond paste and cover the cake, smoothing it carefully. Follow with a layer of fondant icing, again smoothing it gently.
  12. Make the decorations. You can color some of your almond paste with green food coloring, roll it into small leaves, and use them to decorate the cake. Add a ribbon, holly, or any other decoration you prefer. Dust with sifted confectioners’ sugar for a snowy effect.

Notes

Pro Tips

Here are some tips for making your Mary Berry Christmas cake. You can change half of the glacé cherries with dried apricots, or you can swap up to 75g of currants for mixed candied peel to add more flavor. For a more exciting flavor, use equal parts
Check the cake after about 2 hours by inserting a skewer. If it comes out clean, it’s ready. Let it cool completely before decorating. Feed it with a little brandy each week to keep it moist.
Store the cake in wax paper, cling film, and an airtight container. When decorating, make sure the almond paste layer is smooth before applying the fondant.