Per serving:
- Calories: 321
- Fibre: 3g
- Total carbs: 48g
- Sugars: 43g
- Total fat: 11g
- Saturated fat: 6g
- Protein: 4g
The best Christmas cake recipes - from fig and ginger to gin & tea, there's something for everyone
Zesty and warming spiced orange Christmas cake recipe
A citrus-spiked fruit cake that's packed full of juicy apricots and dried figs.
This simple delicately-spiced Christmas cake comes together quickly, so there's no excuse not to make your own this year. For a more intense citrus zing, feed your Christmas cake with extra Cointreau, see GET AHEAD below.
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Yields:
16 serving(s)
Prep Time:
15 mins
Cook Time:
1 hr 40 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 55 mins
Cal/Serv:
321
Ingredients
- 300 g each raisins and sultanas
- 100 g dried apricots, finely chopped
- 100 g dried figs, finely chopped
- Juice and finely grated zest of 2 oranges
- 100 ml Cointreau
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
- 175 g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease
- 175 g dark brown muscovado sugar
- 3 medium eggs, lightly beaten
- 125 g plain flour
- 2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
- 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
- 2 tsp. mixed spice
Directions
- Step 1
Put the fruit, orange juice and zest, Cointreau and vanilla into a large non-metallic bowl. Mix, then cover with clingfilm and leave to soak for at least 24hr or for up to 2 days.
- Step 2
Preheat the oven to 150°C (130°C fan) mark 2. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20.5cm deep round cake tin with baking parchment.
- Step 3
Put butter and sugar into a large mixing bowl and beat with a handheld electric whisk for 2-3min until light and creamy. Gradually whisk in the beaten eggs, adding a little of the flour if the mixture starts to curdle. Fold in the remaining flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, cloves and mixed spice.
- Step 4
Tip the soaked fruit mixture into the bowl and mix well, then spoon into the prepared tin and level the surface (there’s no need to make a dip in the mixture).
- Step 5
Bake for 1hr 40min or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool completely in the tin, then remove from tin (keeping it in its parchment paper) and wrap in a double thickness of foil. Store in a cool, dark place for up to 3 months.
- Step 1
Get ahead
This cake is lovely and moist with a balanced boozy hit, but if you want to feed your cake in the run-up to Christmas, then here’s how: after it has been left wrapped for two weeks, unwrap the cake and prick the top all over with a skewer. Sprinkle over 1tbsp brandy or Cointreau. Rewrap and store as before. Feed every few weeks for a more intense flavour.
If you like this recipe, you'll love our spiced port and orange Christmas cake.
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