Ron's Christmas Cake

Ron's Christmas Cake

Turn up your radio and grab a mixing bowl, because it is time for the Great Morning Stir-Up! Today on the breakfast show, we are getting a head start on the festive season by making a Classic Christmas Cake.

This is the ultimate, rich, boozy centerpiece that you can bake right now and keep wrapped up until the big day. Write down this shopping list, put the kettle on, and let’s get baking!

The Ultimate Festive Shopping List

For the Ultimate Fruit Base:

• 500g Luxury Dried Mixed Fruit
• 60g glacé cherries (sliced in half so they spread out!)
• 85ml cooking brandy (or strong cold black tea for a teetotal version)
• 1 orange & 1 lemon (we need the zest and the juice of both!)

For the Rich Cake Batter:

• 175g butter (softened at room temperature)
• 175g dark brown sugar (for that deep, caramel color)
• 1 tbsp black treacle (the secret to a beautifully moist cake!)
• 3 medium eggs
• 175g self-raising flour
• 50g ground almonds (adds incredible richness)
• 60g whole almonds, walnuts, or pecans (optional, if you like a bit of crunch!)
• 1 tsp ground mixed spice (the smell of Christmas in a jar!)

For the Grand Finale (Closer to Christmas):

• 1 tbsp apricot jam (sieved)
• 400g ready-rolled marzipan
• Royal Icing (1 egg white, 350g icing sugar, and 1 tsp lemon juice)

The Step-by-Step Radio Playbook

Step 1: The Night Before (The Boozy Bath)

Before you go to bed, grab a large bowl. Zest and juice your orange and lemon. Toss the mixed fruit and glacé cherries into the bowl, pour over the 85ml of brandy or tea, cover it up, and let those fruits plump up overnight while you sleep.

Step 2: Morning Show Mix-Up

Turn your oven on to 150°C (Gas 3, Fan 130°C) and line a 20cm deep cake tin with greaseproof paper.
Grab your electric mixer and beat the butter, dark brown sugar, and black treacle until the mixture is pale, light, and fluffy. Crack in your eggs one by one, beating thoroughly after each.

Step 3: Fold and Flourish

In a separate bowl, toss together the self-raising flour, ground almonds, and mixed spice. Gently fold this dry mix into your fluffy butter mixture. Now, tip in the star of the show: your boozy, soaked fruits (plus any leftover juices and the extra chopped nuts if you choose). Fold it all together until it looks like a gorgeous, thick festive batter.

Step 4: The Low and Slow Bake

Spoon the mixture into your lined tin and flatten the top with the back of a spoon. Pop it in the centre of the oven for 2 hours. When a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean, it’s done! If it's still sticky, give it another 20–30 minutes. Let it cool completely.

Step 5: Feed and Frost!

Once cool, pierce the cake all over with a skewer and drizzle over an extra tablespoon of brandy if you want it extra festive! Wrap it tight in foil and keep it in a tin for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to serve, brush it with warm apricot jam, drape it in marzipan, and whip up your royal icing to create a stunning snowy finish!