Christmas cake Recipe (Ready in 90 Min)

If you've got ground almonds, sherry and candied peel, you're most of the way to this British dessert: about 90 minutes of cooking across 11 steps. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 11 steps.

You'll mainly reach for oven and mixer. At involved difficulty across 11 steps, it's worth setting aside proper time for. As written, it's meat-free.

How to make it

Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3.
Line the base and sides of a 20 cm round, 7.5 cm deep cake tin.
Beat the butter and sugar with an electric hand mixer for 1-2 mins until very creamy and pale in colour, scraping down the sides of the bowl half way through.
Stir in a spoonful of the flour, then stir in the beaten egg and the rest of the flour alternately, a quarter at a time, beating well each time with a wooden spoon.
Stir in the almonds.
Mix in the sherry (the mix will look curdled), then add the peel, cherries, raisins, cherries, nuts, lemon zest, spice, rosewater and vanilla. Beat together to mix, then stir in the baking powder.
Spoon mixture into the tin and smooth the top, making a slight dip in the centre.
Bake for 30 mins, then lower temperature to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2 and bake a further 2-2¼ hrs, until a skewer insterted in the middle comes out clean.
Leave to cool in the tin, then take out of the tin and peel off the lining paper.
When completely cold, wrap well in cling film and foil to store until ready to decorate.
The cake will keep for several months.

You'll use: Oven · Mixer

Tips & common questions

How long does Christmas cake take to make?

About 90 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 11 steps and 16 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.

What can I use instead of butter?

Try olive oil (¾ the amount). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.

Can I scale this recipe up or down?

Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.

Is Christmas cake vegetarian?

Its ingredients contain no meat or fish, so it's suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheeses for animal rennet if that matters to you.