Christmas Cake Recipes

In my family home, preparing handmade Christmas cake recipes has always been an annual holiday tradition. I am puzzled when I see jokes about the receiving the dreaded fruit cake as a gift. I can't imagine not liking this rich and beautifully flavored holiday treat. There are so many types of Christmas cake -- light, dark, iced, not-iced, shaped, decorated, plain, with or without chocolate, with or without spirits -- and each type is a joy to prepare, serve and eat.

This page contains a couple of recipes that you may enjoy. Since traditional fruitcakes improve with age, you may want to make your recipes early and store them for several weeks.

One of the best Christmas cakes I ever ate was a cake that I froze and stored in the freezer for an entire year. It was incredibly mellow, moist and delicious.

Fruit cake recipes can be time consuming. This one is not. It's fast, easy and delicious. I hope you enjoy making it as well as serving it to your appreciative guests. The recipe makes two loaves.

Fast Christmas Cake

Ingredients

• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 can or jar of mincemeat (28 ounces)
• 1 can sweetened, condensed milk (14 ounce)
• 1/4 cup of sherry
• 2 cups walnuts, chopped
• 2 cups of mixed fruit cake fruits (your choice)
• 3 cups unsifted cake and pastry flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 12 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  

Preparation

Prepare two loaf pans by lining with three layers of wax paper. Butter or spray the top layer with oil. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and place a shallow pan containing water on the lower shelf.

In the first bowl, beat the eggs. Add the mincemeat, milk, sherry, walnuts and mixed fruits.

Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, mixing well.

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring just to moisten. Do not ovemix.

Place the Christmas cake batter into your two loaf pans. Place them on the center shelf in the oven, with the water pan in the shelf underneath. Bake for ninety minutes approximately. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick or a wire cake tester in the center.

Take the cakes out of the oven and place on a wire rack. Allow to cool for a quarter of an hour, then take the cake out of the pans. Remove the waxed paper and cool thoroughly.

You can store these cakes in the refrigerator in double plastic bags or by using bags with a ziplock opening.

As mentioned earlier, Christmas cake recipes can be light or dark. This blonde fruit cake is of the lighter variety. The recipe makes two loaves.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound of butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 5 eggs, large
• 1 3/4 cup unsifted all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 pound sliced glace cherries (mix the green and red ones)
• 1 pound candied pineapple, finely chopped or shredded
• 4 cups pecans, whole or chopped
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1 oz of spirits (optional)

Preparation

Mix together the nuts and fruits. If you are using spirits, add your spirits, stir well and allow to sit for 24 hours. If not using spirits, proceed with the recipe.

Prepare two standard loaf pans by lining them with three layers of waxed paper. Brush the top layer with butter, or spray with oil. Do not preheat oven.

In your first bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Beat till light. Add the eggs, beating them in one at a time. Beat after each egg until the batter is smooth.

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients.

Measure 1/2 cup of the mixed, dry ingredients and add to the fruit. Stir well.

Add the remaining dry ingredients to the egg mixture. Stir to blend. Stir in the vanilla and the lemon juice. Add the nuts and fruits and stir.

Place your fruit cake batter into the two loaf pans.

Place a waterpan in the oven on a lower shelf, and pour in boiling water until the pan is approximately 3/4 filled. Place the two loaves on a rack above the boiling water.

Turn on the oven on to BAKE (not pre-heat), at 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

Bake your Christmas cakes for until the top feels firm to the touch. This usually takes between two and a half to three hours.

Remove your cakes form the oven and allow them to cool in the pans on a wire rack. When cool, remove from pans and remove the wax paper.

These cakes can be sliced and eaten after 24 hours, or freeze and serve at a later date. Like most fruit cakes, they improve with time.

The video below demonstrates how to make a fruitcake. Fruitcakes are the bases of Christmas cakes, and are also good for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries and other special events.