For those who love the magic of the holiday season but want to keep things simple in the kitchen, here's a list of easy Christmas cake recipes. Each of these recipes promises festive cheer without requiring you to spend hours baking.
Christmas Easy Cake Recipes
Christmas time is special, and what makes it even more so are the delicious cakes that come with it. Cakes filled with fruits, covered in icing, or full of chocolate can make anyone feel the joy of the season. We've put together a list of super easy Christmas cake recipes just for you.
From tiny cute Mini Christmas Cakes to a beautiful Easy Traditional English Christmas Cake, and even Delia Smith's famous Christmas Cake, we have it all. These recipes are simple to follow, so you can make your own delicious Christmas cakes at home.
Christmas Cake
This festive classic wears a crown of glazed cherries and mixed peel, entwined with raisins, sultanas, and cranberries. Easy to personalize, whether it's with a splash of your favorite spirit or a swap for tea, this cake is a cherished countdown to the joys of Christmas.
Ingredients:
- 200 g raisins
- 200 g sultanas
- 200 g currants
- 200 g dried cranberries
- 200 g glace cherries
- 75 g mixed peel
- zest of 2 lemons
- juice of 2 lemons
- 175 ml alcohol (I used brandy)
- 250 g unsalted butter
- 200 g light brown soft sugar
- 50 g treacle
- 200 g self raising flour
- 100 g ground almonds
- 2 teaspoon mixed spice
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 5 medium eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extrac
Mini Christmas Cakes
Mini Christmas Cakes pack the punch of the classic holiday treat in bite-sized delights. Perfect for sharing or gifting, these tiny treasures are a breeze to make, jazz up, and wrap. They boast a rich melody of dried fruits, are moist, and have a tender crumb without the weight of their full-sized relations. Plus, with their long shelf life, they stay fresh for those festive nibbles all season long.
Ingredients:
Fast soaked fruit (Note 1)
- 300g / 10 oz raisins
- 150g / 5 oz diced dried apricots , chopped 8 mm / ⅓"
- 75g / 2 ½ oz mixed peel , diced 5mm / ⅕
- 150g / 5 oz glace cherries , chopped 8 mm / ⅓"
- 180g / 6 oz dates , diced 5mm / ⅕"
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoon apple juice , OR ⅓ brandy + ⅔ juice (Note 2)
Cake:
- 115g / 8 tablespoon unsalted butter , softened (1 US stick)
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar , packed (or dark brown sugar for a darker crumb, Note 3)
- ½ cup vegetable oil (or canola, peanut, grapeseed)
- 3 tablespoon molasses or golden syrup (Note 4)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon all spice
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 eggs
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ⅔ cups plain flour (all purpose flour)
- ¾ cup walnuts , chopped (optional)
Decorating
- Icing sugar, for dusting
- Christmas fondant – see directions here
- Christmas Pudding Drippy Glaze
- 1 ½ cups soft icing sugar / powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon / 15g unsalted butter, softened
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ½ – 3 tablespoon milk
Easy Traditional English Christmas Cake Recipe
Whipping up a Traditional English Christmas Cake is a piece of cake with this easy recipe. It starts with soaking dried fruits in brandy, then stirring in a few simple ingredients before the oven does the rest. With options to use fruit juice or tea instead of alcohol, it's a festive fit for everyone.
Ingredients:
- 1kg dried fruit of your choice (I used 750g mixed fruit and 250g dried cranberries)
- 200ml Brandy or your choice of alcohol/fruit juice/tea etc
- Zest and juice of x2 large oranges
- 250g golden caster sugar
- 250g melted unsalted butter
- Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 4 medium eggs
- 200g plain flour
- 2 teaspoon of Pumpkin Spice (you can use AllSpice or a combination of ginger, cinnamon and cloves)
- 100g Hazelnuts
The Ultimate Easy Traditional Christmas Cake Recipe
The Ultimate Easy Traditional Christmas Cake, steeped in holiday cheer, is a must-have with its booze-soaked fruits and minimal cake batter. Packed with dried fruits and a whisper of warm spices, it’s a comfy slice of festive joy, designed to last and share—or secretly savor solo over the holidays. Perfect for anyone looking to bake up a Christmas tradition!
Ingredients:
- 3 cups sultanas or golden raisins
- 1 ½ cups raisins roughly chopped
- 1 ¾ cups dates pitted, finely chopped
- 1 cup dried currants sometimes called Zante currants
- 5 candied orange slices finely chopped (my preference, mixed dried citrus peel is more
- traditional, see notes)
- ⅔ cup candied cherries chopped; I like red, you can use red, green or a mix
- ¼ cup chopped candied pineapple
- ½ cup chopped candied apricots
- ½ cup rum or brandy, dry sherry or other alcohol, see notes
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup brown sugar firmly packed
- 5 eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3 tablespoon rum or other alcohol, extra
Christmas Fruit Cake
A Christmas Fruit Cake is a festive treat packed with juicy brandy-soaked dried fruits. Simple and rich, this cake boasts a wonderful mix of sultanas, cranberries, and apricots, spiced to perfection for a holiday feel. It's an inviting dessert that's surprisingly straightforward to make, versatile for any celebration, and a splendid addition to your holiday table with its deep caramel color and moist texture.
Ingredients:
- 850 g Mixed dried fruit I used sultanas, raisins, cranberries, apricots and mixed peel
- 100 ml Brandy
- 1 tablespoon Cointreau optional, or replace with same amount of brandy
- 1 tablespoon Kirsch optional, or replace with same amount of brandy
- 235 g Butter or baking spread softened, unsalted
- 235 g Dark brown soft sugar
- 4 Eggs large
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 235 g Plain flour
- 100 g Ground almonds
- ½ teaspoon Baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon Mixed spice
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
- 100 g Glace cherries chopped up
For after baking
- 2 tablespoon Brandy
Christmas Cake
Loved for its traditional touch, the cake is a mix of festive fun and simplicity, making it a family favorite. It's best when made ahead, giving it time to develop those deep, merry flavors just in time for Christmas celebrations.
Ingredients:
- 2 (8 ounce) containers candied cherries
- 1 (8 ounce) container candied mixed citrus peel
- 2 (2.25 ounce) packages blanched slivered almonds
- 2 cups raisins
- 1 cup dried currants
- 1 cup dates, pitted and chopped
- ½ cup brandy
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup molasses
- ¾ cup apple juice
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups packed brown sugar
- 6 large eggs
Delia Smith’s Christmas Cake Recipe
Simple to bake with adaptable ingredients, this cake becomes richer and moister as you "feed" it with brandy over months. Wrapped in marzipan and icing, its appearance whispers Christmas spirit. Whether you're a baking newbie or a kitchen pro, following Delia's method ensures a delectable centerpiece for your holiday feast.
Ingredients:
For the pre-soaking
- 450g Medium Currants
- 175g Sultanas
- 175g Raisins
- 50g Chopped Glace Cherries
- 50g Mixed Chopped Candied Peel
- 100ml Brandy (or any alcohol you have at home)
Make the cake
- 225g plain flour
- ½ teaspoon salt (I never add salt as I usually use salted butter)
- ¼ level teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated if you have some of the nuts
- ½ level teaspoon ground mixed spice
- 225g dark brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 dessertspoon black treacle
- 225g spreadable butter or you can use normal butter (soft)
- 50g chopped almonds (skin on)
- Zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange
For feeding and topping
- Armagnac or brandy to “feed the cake” – I do this once every couple of weeks until Christmas
- 100g whole blanched almonds (only if you don’t intend to ice the cake)
Kerala Plum Cake
Unlike other fruitcakes, there's no soaking of dry fruits required, making it a straightforward, no-alcohol delight. Its unique charm lies in the caramelized sugar, giving the cake a deep, rich flavor and a beautiful dark hue, akin to the joyous spirit of Kerala's Christmas.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup plain flour maida or all purpose flour
- ½ cup cashew nuts raw, unsalted, chopped
- ¼ cup black raisins
- ½ cup mixed dried fruits dates, cherries, orange peels, etc
- ½ cup white sugar for sugar syrup
- ¾ cup white sugar for cake batter
- ⅔ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 3 eggs
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
- ¼ teaspoon clove powder see notes
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Old Fashioned British Christmas Cake
Passed down through generations, this recipe began in a stately home's kitchen and has only gotten better with time. With simple steps, even the busiest of bakers can recreate this festive delight. Wrapped in marzipan and royal icing or simple fondant, its rich, boozy flavor and beautiful look make every Christmas special.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound currants
- 6 ounces sultanas
- 4 ounces raisins
- 4 ounces mixed peel also known as candied peel, this is widely available in the UK and Europe and available in the baking aisles of some North American grocery stores
- 4 ounces glacé cherries not maraschino cherries, halved
- ¾ cup dark rum or sherry original recipe calls for 1 tablespoon
- 1 ounce almonds, chopped
- 1 ounce ground almonds ground almonds are also known as almond flour
- 9 ounces plain flour plain flour is also known as all purpose flour
- 2 level teaspoons cocoa
- 1 level teaspoon salt
- 1 level teaspoon baking powder
- 2 level teaspoons
- 9 ounces butter, softened
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 9 ounces soft brown sugar
- finely grated rind of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon coffee essence this is optional
- For the Almond Icing If you prefer you can use ready made Marzipan, available in most
- grocery stores
- 8 ounces ground almonds ground almonds are also known as almond flour
- 4 ounces caster sugar caster sugar is also known as superfine sugar
- 5 ounces sifted icing sugar icing sugar is also known as confectioner’s sugar
- 2 ounces butter
- 2 egg yolks (reserve the whites for the Royal icing)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 3 to 4 tablespoons sieved apricot jam to make the almond icing stick
Traditional British Christmas Cake Recipe
This rich, moist cake is loaded with candied fruits, nuts, and brandy, which all meld together to create a treat that’s as decadent as it is deeply aromatic. Its preparation begins months in advance, allowing the flavors to intensify.
Ingredients:
- 3 ½ cups (525 grams) currants
- 1 ½ cups (225 grams) golden raisins/sultanas
- 1 ½ cups (225 grams) raisins
- ¾ cup (110 grams) mixed candied peel, finely chopped
- 1 cup glace (candied) cherries, halved
- 2 ⅓ cups (300 grams) all-purpose flour
Pinch salt
- ½ teaspoon mixed spice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 10 ounces (300 grams) butter, slightly softened
- 1 ⅓ cups (300 grams) soft brown sugar
- ½ lemon, zested
- 6 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 3 tablespoons brandy, plus extra for feeding
