Christmas Fruit & Nut Cake
Aromatic, spiced - true winter enjoyment! A Christmas cake is traditionally full of nuts, dried fruits, and spices. This hearty, golden dessert, infused with homey comfort, warms you in cold weather and sets a festive mood.
Updated : 10 March, 2026
Easy
More than 1 hour.
Ingredients
1 teaspoon
Vanilla sugar
80 grams
Sugar
150 grams
Wheat flour
90 grams
Butter
1 teaspoon
Baking powder
2
Eggs
200 grams
Dried fruit mix
70 milliliters
Whiskey
to taste
Dry spices
Serving
2 tablespoon
Powdered sugar
Glaze
6 tablespoon
Powdered sugar
2 teaspoon
Lemon juice
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
Nuts and dried fruits should be soaked in strong, aromatic alcohol in advance - cognac or whiskey works well. For dried fruits I used dried apricots, figs, raisins, and candied fruit. For nuts: hazelnuts, cashews, peanuts, and almonds. Choose any nuts and dried fruits you like, or use a ready mix. If you like spiced baking, add cinnamon, ground ginger, cardamom, and a little ground clove - about 1 teaspoon of spices total.
Step 2
Put the washed dried fruits (cut into medium pieces) into a deep bowl, add the nuts, and pour in whiskey. If you don’t like alcohol, you can use plain boiling water, but the flavor will be completely different. The mixture should absorb all the liquid. It took me 3 full days. With boiling water it will be much faster due to the high temperature. You can also warm the whiskey slightly so the nuts and fruits absorb the liquid faster.
Step 3
Prepare all the ingredients for the cake. By this time the dried fruits should have swollen and absorbed the whiskey, and the nuts should have softened. Use room-temperature butter and eggs. Preheat the oven to 160°C / 320°F (turn it on 10-30 minutes before baking).
Step 4
Put the soft butter into a bowl and add sugar and vanilla sugar. Adjust the amount of sugar to your taste.
Step 5
With a whisk, lightly work the sugar into the butter so it doesn’t fly out when you start the mixer. Then beat until fluffy for about 4 minutes.
Step 6
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing with a mixer until smooth each time.
Step 7
Mix 2 tbsp sifted flour with the dried fruits (this helps prevent the nuts and fruit from sinking during baking).
Step 8
Sift the remaining flour and baking powder into the batter. I used good-quality all-purpose flour. You can add a pinch of salt for taste. Mix with a mixer until smooth. The batter should be quite thick. Keep in mind ingredients vary, so you may need a little more or less flour - go by the batter consistency.
Step 9
Gently fold the batter together with the nuts and dried fruits using a spatula.
Step 10
Transfer the batter to a pan. I used a silicone pan sized 22×6 cm (about 8.7×2.4 in), with a 6 cm (2.4 in) side height. A loaf pan (or a ring pan with a hole) is best so the heavy batter bakes through well. Bake in a preheated oven at 160°C / 320°F for about 1-1.5 hours. Try not to open the oven door during the first 30 minutes so the cake doesn’t sink. Check doneness with a wooden toothpick - it should come out dry from the center.
Step 11
Exact time and temperature depend on your oven. If the top is already browned but the center is still raw, cover the cake with foil and continue baking. Remove the finished cake from the oven and let it cool.
Step 12
Let’s glaze the cake. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice if possible. Add lemon juice to powdered sugar in ½ tsp portions and evaluate the glaze consistency. You may need more powdered sugar than stated. Mix with a fork or whisk - no mixer needed.
Step 13
There are two glaze thickness options. A thick glaze (like in the photo) is spread with a spoon or spatula. It doesn’t run and is opaque.
Step 14
For a thinner, semi-transparent glaze that you simply pour over the cake, add a bit more lemon juice.
Step 15
I chose the second option. Decorate the cake and let the glaze set and turn matte.
Step 16
Dust the cake with non-melting powdered sugar and serve with a cup of strong tea. Store the fully cooled cake covered in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. Enjoy your meal!
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