This Amaretto Christmas cake is packed full of juicy Amaretto soaked fruit for a perfect festive celebration cake!
Since it’s SO close to Christmas I thought it would be the perfect time to share my no fail, ever popular Christmas cake recipe with you all.
I came up with this recipe a few years ago and it has become my go-to celebration fruit cake recipe. Everyone who tries it ends up asking for the recipe. It’s a reliable Christmas cake recipe that won’t let you down.
Reader comment – “I wanted to thank you for sharing this wonderful fruit cake recipe. It was a first for me, using Amaretto and simmering the fruit. The cake turned out moist and delicious, and thoroughly enjoyed by the whole family. This recipe is a keeper and will be my go to every Christmas. THANK YOU!!” – Margaret
I just can’t imagine Christmas without a fruit cake – if I’m totally honest one of my main reasons for making one is to fill the house with the amazing, festive smell while the cake is baking in the oven.
If you could buy a scented candle of that spicy, warm aroma, I would stockpile them.
I have to admit that despite the fact that I’m the only one in my house who actually likes fruit cake, I still make one every year. Always have, always will.
It’s extremely useful to have a cake all ready to offer the many visitors that will pop in over the festive season! That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it anyway π
Looking for more fruit cake recipes?
If you love fruit cake, take a look at my recipes for malt loaf, easy mincemeat muffins, Irish Barmbrack , Mary Berry’s mincemeat loaf cakes and this easy fruity Bran Loaf.
ingredients FOR amaretto fruit cake
Scroll to the bottom of the post to find the recipe card for ingredient amounts and detailed instructions!
- butter
- soft light brown sugar
- dried fruit – I use a mixture of dried figs, prunes or dates, raisins, sultanas, glace cherries and crystallised ginger, but as long as you stick to the same weight of dried fruit, use whatever you like.
- Amaretto Liqueur – but if you aren’t a fan you can use brandy, rum or whisky instead. My mum used Baileys Irish cream one year and it turned out delicious!
- grated zest and juice of one large orange
- grated zest of one lemon
- ground mixed spice
- ground cinnamon
- freshly grated or ground nutmeg
- treacle (molasses)
- Eggs (5 medium sized)
- Plain Flour
- baking powder
- Ground almonds
How to make a perfect fruit cake
simmer and stir method
You start off by placing all of the dried fruit, butter, brown sugar, zest and orange juice, lemon zest, treacle (molasses) and spices in a large heavy bottomed saucepan. Pour over the Amaretto (or whatever alcohol you’re using.)
Place on a medium to low heat. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer but don’t let it boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the butter and sugar has melted in the fruits and spices.
At this stage it will look like a beautiful fruit sauce and will smell incredible.
It’s not essential, but if I’m running short on time I often leave the fruit to soak overnight at this stage – if you want to do this, transfer the boozy fruit mixture to a bowl and wait until the mixture is completely cold before transferring to the fridge.
You just need to remember to allow the fruit to come to room temperature the next day before adding the rest of the ingredients.
Stir in the rest of the ingredients
Once everything has melted together and all the sugar has dissolved, remove from the heat and leave to cool down slightly before adding the eggs, plain flour, baking powder and ground almonds.
Stir everything together until well combined and no flour pockets are visible. Tip the mixture into the lined tin and bake at 160C/140Fan/300F for 2-2 1/2 hours or until the cake springs back when lightly pressed in the centre and a skewer inserted in the middle emerges clean.
If the top of the cake looks like it’s starting to catch, cover with a piece of baking parchment with a hole cut out of the middle. This is a great tip I picked up in a Delia Smith book – you can do this at the start of baking if you think your oven might on running on the hot side, like mine!
how to store a fruit cake
Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin before turning out. When the cake is completely cold, wrap it in a couple of layers of baking parchment and store in an airtight tin in a dark, cool place.
EXPERT TIP – It’s crucial to wait until the cake is really cold before you wrap it up – if it is still even just slightly warm, bacteria will grow and you will end up with a mouldy fruit cake.
how to decorate a christmas cake
I usually make elaborate plans to ice and decorate the cake, but in reality, I’m never usually organised enough to actually do it.
If you’re short of time, a fruit and nut topping is very easy and looks pretty.
All you need to do is brush the top of the cake with warmed apricot jam and decorate with the fruit and nuts before brushing them with more apricot jam for a shiny glaze.
royal icing
A royal icing topping is traditional – the snowy peaks look so festive! I find this recipe by Mary Berry foolproof and simple. If you’re short on time of course, it’s absolutely fine to use a tub of ready made royal icing. I recommend this one by Renshaw Baking.
do i need to feed the fruit cake with alcohol?
This simmer and stir method means it isn’t actually necessary to make the cake several weeks before Christmas and feed it with alcohol – but by all means you still can if you want to.
It’s keeping with tradition and somehow feels right. Besides, adding more alcohol is hardly going to ruin the cake, is it? The cake will still end up delicious either way!
how to feed a christmas cake
To feed the cake, I pierce it all over using a long skewer, then slowly spoon about 1-2 tablespoons of alcohol all over the top of the cake. Re-wrap the cake again and place back in the tin or storage box.
I recommend feeding the cake every two weeks and no more than 4-5 times. If at any stage your fruit cake feels very tacky and leaves a damp patch on the work surface, then it’s time to stop feeding it. It’s possible to overfeed the cake, making it wet and stodgy.
If you intend to marzipan/and/or ice the cake, don’t feed it for one week to allow the surface of the cake to dry out a little before covering it with the marzipan and icing.
can I use a different alcohol?
Absolutely! If you don’t like Amaretto (almond liqueur), you can use whisky, bourbon, brandy or rum instead. Tia Maria (coffee liqueur) also makes a lovely fruit cake.
did you make this recipe?
If you made this Christmas cake with Amaretto, please let me know what you think by leaving a comment below β and if you would be so kind as to leave me a rating, it would be much appreciated! I really hope you love it!
Pin this Amaretto Christmas cake recipe for later
Want to see more Christmas baking?
If you loved this recipe, you might enjoy my other Christmas recipes! I have lots to choose from.
Amaretto Christmas cake
A rich, moist fruit cake filled full of juicy fruit and a generous amount of Amaretto! This is my favourite Christmas cake recipe. It tastes absolutely beautiful just as it is, or go fully festive and decorate with a layer of marzipan and icing.
Ingredients
- 200g /1 Cup dried figs or prunes, chopped
- 300 g/1 1/2 cups sultanas
- 350 g/1 1/2 cups raisins
- 200 g/3/4 cup glace cherries, rinsed, dried and halved
- 50 g/1/3 cup crystallized ginger, chopped (optional)
- 125 ml/ 1/2 cup Amaretto, plus 1 tablespoon extra for soaking the cake
- 300 g/1 1/3 Cups butter
- 250 g/ 1 1/2 Cups soft light brown sugar
- Finely grated Zest and juice of 1 large Orange
- Finely grated Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons treacle
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 Teaspoon mixed spice
- 1/4 Teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 5 medium eggs, beaten
- 300 g/2 Cups plain flour
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 50 g/ 3/4 Cup ground almonds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160C/140Fan/300F/Gas Mark 2.
- It's definitely worth taking the time to line your cake tin correctly to protect the cake during its long baking time.
- Grease a loose bottomed 23cm(9 inch) round cake tin (10cm deep) and line the base and sides with non stick baking paper. Cut out a circle of baking paper, using the base of your tin as a template.
- To line the sides, cut a strip of baking paper a little longer than the circumference of the tin and about 3 inches higher. Fold it 1 inch along its length, then using scissors make little snips up to the fold line, making a fringe along the length. It should now fit snugly inside the cake tin. Finally, fit your circle over the top, covering the fringe.
- Place the dried fruits in a large saucepan with the Amaretto, butter, sugar, Orange zest and juice, lemon zest, treacle, cinnamon, mixed spice and nutmeg.
- Gently bring to a simmer, stirring, for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the mixture sit for at least 1 hour. I've often done this in advance and left it overnight.
- When you're ready to bake the cake, pour the soaked fruit mixture into a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, then stir in the flour, baking powder and ground almonds. Stir until everything is well combined.
- Pour into the lined tin and bake for 2-2 1/2 hours or until the cake springs back when lightly pressed and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Leave to cool completely in the tin.
- When the cake is completely cold, poke a few holes in the cake, drizzle with a little Amaretto, then wrap in a double layer of baking paper and foil and store in an airtight container.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 28 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 375Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 140mgCarbohydrates: 65gFiber: 4gSugar: 49gProtein: 4g
Calories and nutritional information are provided by a third party application and should be viewed as indicative figures only.
What a stunning looking Christmas cake!
Thank you Kat ?
Beautiful Christmas cake! And I love the idea of using amaretto instead of brandy. I often don’t ice my cake either. I find icing a bit too sweet – that and I grew up in a house where we didn’t ice our cakes and instead had them with cheese! (Honestly – Christmas cake goes really well with a good strong cheddar!) Thanks for sharing it with #CookBlogShare. Eb x
Ooh yes I totally agree with you Eb – I love a nice bit of strong cheese with fruit cake! Youβre very welcome, thanks for visiting! ? x
Well it smells delish! Canβt wait to taste it in a couple of weeks.
What a beautiful Cake this is. I adore the shape of her. Love the sound of the Amaretto too and the shortcut of warming your fruit in a saucepan. These sort of bakes just make Christmas. Thank you for sharing with us at #Baking Crumbs.
Hi Jacqui, I hope you enjoy it! ?
I think it’s such a brilliant idea to add amaretto to a Christmas cake as it’s such a Christmassy spirit. I’d love to try your cake as it sounds so scrumptious!
Thanks Corina ?
Thank you Jenny! I first read about this trick in a Nigella book and I havenβt looked back since. Itβs a great timesaver.
I love the sound of Amaretto Christmas Cake! Now, that’s what you call a proper taste of Christmas and it’s yes from me to a chunk of cheddar with it too! π Thanks for sharing with #Baking Crumbs π x
I made this cake last week for my daughter to take to her Italian relatives in Milan – it looked delicious weighing in at 3 kilos. I have received lots of compliments so am in the process of making another for us. After cooking and soaking the fruit, I used my Kitchen Aid to mix the final ingredients which was highly successful and saved a lot of time. The cooking times you gave are perfect too! Canβt wait to try it – why wait until Christmas to bake this wonderful cake? ?
Hi Nikki, your comment has made my day! I’m so pleased the cake went down well. It’s one of my favourites. Thank you so much!
Really looking forward to making this cake! I love amaretto!! Just a question though. How long in advance can it be made? I’d like to have it done in the next few weeks as we’re expecting our new baby at the end of November (don’t think I’ll be doing much baking after that!).
Hi Lotte, congratulations on your pregnancy! You can absolutely make the cake a few weeks or even months in advance. Keep the cake well wrapped in baking parchment in an airtight tin and it should be fine. You could βfeedβ it with some alcohol every week – it will only improve the flavour!
What is the texture of the cake please once cooked? Is it a crumbly cake with a slightly drier texture or is it a very moist cake a little like christmas pudding?
Hi Sasha, it’s a moist fruit cake – not quite as moist as a Christmas pudding, but it’s not crumbly or dry at all. Hope this helps!
I so want to make this but first I have to convert to my American measurements! Hope it will turn out right…I don’t even know if I can find a “tin” this size. I love the idea of using Amaretto and that you don’t use that nasty citron!
Hi Carol, I’m going to put the cup measurements on this recipe tonight because a few people have asked for them. Hope you can find the right tin!
I bought all my stuff today to make a fruit cake based on this recipe. Changed the fruits a little bit but I can hardly wait to see how it turns out. And I’m using my large spring form pan to bake it. I had almost no problem converting to American measurements – conversion sites are everywhere. Love the scent of Amaretto!
I really hope you like it!
I will want to make this cake soon, before Christmas. I only wish it was in cups instead of grams. I will have to figure it out and the pan is in cm – well let’s hope I get all correct!
Hello Elizabeth, I’ve just added the cup measurements to the post. I’m used to working in grams, but I tested it out twice using the American cups I have at home so they should be correct! The cake tin size is 9 inches. Hope this helps, let me know how it goes!
Hi.
I made this cake at christmas and received alot of compliments, it was so moist and the flavour was awesome.
I am.now wanting to do two more smaller cakes approximately 4 inch each, how long would I have to bake these for and would I be able to use the recipe and split equally between the tins?
Hi Sarah, I’m really glad the cake was a success for you! I haven’t tried this myself so it’s difficult for me to be 100% sure, but I would say 4 inch cakes would take around one hour to bake. Again I haven’t done this so I can’t say for certain, but I think you could possibly make 4 mini cakes from the recipe. Let me know how you get on!
Best recipe for a fruitcake I’ve used.Done one with bourbon, one with rum and just did a Scotch version. Secret to keep it moist is using chopped medjool dates
Thanks Edward, I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipe. I love adding dates as well ?
How can I convert 2 cups of flour to all. Almond flour or add some coconut flour? Thank you
Hi Debra, I’ve never tried this cake with other kinds of flour so while I can’t say for sure, I don’t think it would work out. Using 100% almond flour would completely change the structure of the cake and without testing it myself, I couldn’t guarantee the results. Coconut flour also gives completely different results in baking, so it’s best to keep it for recipes that specifically call for it.
Hi Nikki, made 2 of these last Christmas, best Christmas cake ever. Just made one for my birthday next month to get in practice for Christmas. Thanks for such a lovely easy recipe.
Hi Suzanne, I’m thrilled you love this cake. It’s one of my favourite recipes. Thanks for the great feedback!
If I made this in advance, can it be frozen or better to just store in refrigerator until Christmas?
Hi Kim, you can freeze the fruit cake if you wish but I personally always wrap it really well in a couple of layers of baking parchment then tin foil (but don’t let the foil touch the cake). I store the cake in an airtight tin and I “feed” it with alcohol about once a week to keep it moist. You shouldn’t need to store it in the fridge unless you live in a very hot country, but of course if you feel safer doing so, then go for it. Hope this is helpful!
What can I use instead of the figs/prunes??
You could use dates or just add an equal weight of more raisins, sultanas or currants. It’s a pretty adaptable recipe so any other dried fruit would work fine π
I got 3 – 4×8 cakes. Baked 1 hour and 10 minutes. I have made my own fruit cake for years and really wanted to try this one!!!
Made this last night, soaked and wrapped this morning. Used dried tart cherries, as glace cherries weren’t in stock, and used Chinese five spice for the mixed spice. I’m excited to try this at Christmas, after several more soaks! Will post again after tasting.
I hope you enjoy it Avis π
I made this three weeks ago (split into 2 smaller tins) and it was gorgeous when we ate it several days later. The second one I kept in the fridge and when I took it out a few days ago, the center of the cake sort of blended together but the texture is closer to fudge than cake. Iβd that right or did I miss something? I wrap in parchment, foil, and cling wrap before storage.
Hi Lynn, it sounds like it could be one of two things – either the second cake was slightly underbaked which caused the fudginess in the middle, or keeping the cake in the fridge caused the texture change. Glad you enjoyed the cake π
Please what is treacle and where do I purchase it. For mixed spices, that is it made up of??? Thank you
Hi Louise, you can substitute molasses for the treacle – I believe they are very similar. You might be able to find treacle on Amazon. Mixed spice is usually made from ground ginger, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg, but other spices like caraway or coriander might also be included depending on the brand. You can mix up your own blend or swap it for pumpkin pie spice. Happy baking π
Hi! If I use the feeding the fruit method, do I still do the steps the same? Such as adding the butter and sugar together with the mix. Thank you!!
I love amaretto and this is the first Christmas cake I’ve ever made. Just out the oven, cooks perfectly. Smells delicious. I added a few chopped nuts and my hand may have slipped with the amaretto. Going to ice it and decorate like my mum used to, with Holly leaves, Robin ect. Thanks for the recipe. It’s brought me some early Christmas cheer in a difficult year.
This comment has made my day Liz! Thank you so much. I’m very pleased you enjoyed making the cake π
Made today,smells amazing,keep opening my kitchen door so smell spreads into street,thanks so much π
You’re very welcome, I’m so glad you like the recipe!
What kind of icing were you pondering? 7-min, cream cheese, buttercream? We love amaretto and will gather ingredients to bake tomorrowπ©π»βπ³π©π»βπ³π©π»βπ³
Hi Diane, I usually ice Christmas cake with Royal icing. I’ll be sharing a post on how to make royal icing from scratch tomorrow π
This sounds really yummy. What is mixed spice?