Christmas cake recipe: Easy individual mini Christmas cakes (2024)

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Directions

• 1. Step1Put the dried fruit in a large bowl with the sloe gin, citrus zests and juice. Cover and leave to marinate overnight. If you haven’t got time, put the mixture in a pan, bring to the boil and leave to cool before continuing the recipe.
  2. Step2Heat the oven to 140C (120C fan oven) gas mark 1. Line and grease a 16-hole cake pan with baking parchment.
  3. Step3Beat the butter and sugar together with electric beaters until soft, fluffy and lighter in colour.
  4. Step4Gradually add the eggs, beating well between each addition. If the mixture curdles, beat in 1 tablespoon of the flour.
  5. Step5Fold in the flour and mixed spice, followed by the dried fruit and candied peel. Turn into the cake tins and bake for 1-½ hours until a skewer inserted in to the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack then remove from the tins. When cold, keep wrapped in the baking parchment and a layer of clingfilm. Store in an airtight container for one month, feeding once a week with brandy.
  6. Step6When the cake(s) is (are) ready to ice: Put the jam in a small pan with a splash of water and heat gently, stirring, until melted. Push through a sieve to remove any fibrous bits. Cool the sieved jam.
  7. Step7Trim the cakes to about 3cm high so they have flat tops and bottoms. Roll out a portion of the marzipan to a 4mm thickness. Cut a 3cm length strip long enough to wrap around the circumference of a cake. Brush the strip with apricot glaze and wrap around the cake, joining the seams so that they butt against each other rather than overlap. Continue with all the cakes.
  8. Step8Take a 20g piece of marzipan and roll into a ball. Flatten and using your fingers ease out into a slightly domed disc that is the same diameter as the top of the cake. Brush the top of a cake with the jam then fix the disc on top making sure it seals with the marzipan at the edges. Leave to dry put for two days in a cool place.
  9. Step9Divide the ready to roll icing into 16 pieces weighing about 45-50g each. Keeping the rest of the icing covered while you work, roll out a piece of icing into a circle about 4mm thick.
  10. Step10 Dust your hands with icing sugar. Brush a marzipanned cake with water. Put the circle of icing on top of the cake and using your hands gently ease the icing down the sides. Trim the excess and gently rub over the icing with your hands until smooth. Using festive cutters, gently imprint a pattern into the top of the icing. To finish, fix a ribbon around the base, sticking in place with double sided tape. Arrange the 16 mini Christmas cakes on a cake board or give individual cakes as gifts.