Good Housekeeping UK

Easiest Christmas Cake Ever

Name: Easiest Christmas Cake Ever
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 3 h 30 min
Total time: 4 h
Yield: 30 - 35 serving(s)
Ingredients: 500 g (1lb 2oz) each sultanas and raisins; 250 g (9oz) Agen prunes, roughly chopped; 100 g bag dried sour cherries; 150 mL (1/4 pint) Armagnac, plus extra to drizzle; Finely grated zest and juice 1 lemon and 1 orange; 100 g (3 1/2oz) molasses sugar; 150 g (5oz) dark brown sugar; 250 g pack unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing; 4 large eggs, beaten; 250 g (9oz) plain flour; 1 tbsp. black treacle; 1 1/2 tsp mixed spice; 1/2 tsp ginger

The combination of exotic spices and three forms of sugar give this easy Christmas cake recipe its rich flavour.

By The GH Kitchen TeamPublished: 17 August 2018

Jump to recipe

If you're after an easy Christmas cake recipe, you can't beat this one. We've actually used three different types of sugar to boost the flavour profile of this cake, along with some quirky flavours including sour cherry and ginger. For a boozy hit, it's got to be Armagnac.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Yields:

30 - 35 serving(s)

Prep Time:

30 mins

Cook Time:

3 hrs 30 mins

Total Time:

4 hrs

Cal/Serv:

251

Ingredients

500 g (1lb 2oz) each sultanas and raisins
250 g (9oz) Agen prunes, roughly chopped
100 g bag dried sour cherries
150 ml (1/4 pint) Armagnac, plus extra to drizzle
Finely grated zest and juice 1 lemon and 1 orange
100 g (3 1/2oz) molasses sugar
150 g (5oz) dark brown sugar
250 g pack unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
4 large eggs, beaten
250 g (9oz) plain flour
1 Tbsp. black treacle
1 1/2 tsp mixed spice
1/2 tsp ginger

Directions

1. Step 1
  Put the fruit into a non-metallic bowl with the Armagnac, citrus zest and juices. Cover and leave to soak overnight.
2. Step 2
  Preheat the oven to 150°C (130°C fan) mark 2. Grease and line a 23cm (9in) cake tin with greaseproof paper. Put the sugar and butter into a large bowl and, using an electric hand whisk, beat until light and fluffy.
3. Step 3
  Beat in the eggs, a little at a time, taking care the mixture doesn't curdle. If it looks as if it might, add a little of the flour. Beat in the black treacle.
4. Step 4
  Sift the flour, spices and a pinch of salt into the mixture, then fold in gently with a large metal spoon. Next, fold in the soaked fruit. Tip the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface.
5. Step 5
  Wrap a double layer of brown paper around the outer edge of the tin - this helps prevent the cake from burning. Bake for 3-3½hr until a skewer comes out clean. Leave in the tin for 10min, then turn out and cool on a wire rack. Keep the cake in the greaseproof paper, wrap it in clingfilm, then in foil. Store in an airtight container in a cool place.
6. Step 6
  After two weeks of maturing, prick the cake with a metal skewer and drizzle over 1tbsp Armagnac. Leave to soak in, then rewrap and store as before. The cake will keep for up to three months.

Per Serving:

Calories: 251
Total carbs: 42 g
Sugars: 35 g
Total fat: 8 g
Saturated fat: 5 g

The GH Kitchen Team

The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor ⁠Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce ⁠Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time