Christmas Fruitcake is a true classic, often made weeks before Christmas to allow the flavors of the spices and the fruits soaked in rum or cognac to blend perfectly. This cake is heavy, rich and full of flavor, a guarantee of the Christmas scent!

Here is a recipe for a traditional, soft and very tasty Christmas fruitcake, which is worth making in advance:

🎄 Traditional Christmas Fruitcake
This cake is not the American “light” version, but the real, rich, spongy Christmas specialty!

📋 Ingredients
I. Fruity Base (Ideally soaked the night before!)
Ingredients Quantity Notes
Raisins (mixed) 150 g
Dried cranberries 50 g
Dried plums or figs (chopped) 50 g
Candied orange peel/lemon peel/ginger 50 g
Rum or brandy (cognac) 1.5 dl For soaking the fruits and for sprinkling the finished cake.
II. The Dough

Ingredients Quantity Notes
Butter (soft, unsalted) 200 g Room temperature.
Brown sugar (or dark cane sugar) 200 g
Eggs (L) 4 pcs Room temperature.
Plain flour 250 g
Baking powder 1 teaspoon
Mixed spices
Cinnamon (ground) 1 teaspoon
Cloves (ground) 1/2 teaspoon
Nutmeg (ground) 1/2 teaspoon
Orange 1 pc Grated zest and approx. 2 cl juice.
Almonds (sliced) 50 g

🛠️ Preparation
I. Soaking Fruits (The Night Before)
Chop the dried fruits into small pieces (if necessary). Place in a bowl.
Pour over the fruits with the rum/brandy. Mix and leave covered overnight so that the fruits absorb the alcohol.
II. Assembling the Dough
Preparing the oven: Preheat the oven to $150^\circ\text{C}$ (top and bottom heat). Line a 20-22 cm cake tin with baking paper (line the sides high too).
Creaming: Beat the softened butter with the brown sugar until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes).
Eggs: Add the eggs one at a time to the butter mixture, mixing well after each addition.
Dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and all the Christmas spices.
Assembly: Add the flour mixture to the butter-egg mixture. Stir in the orange zest and orange juice.
Fruit: Finally, stir in the soaked fruit (set aside any remaining juice!) and the sliced ​​almonds.

Baking: Pour the batter into the pan. Bake the cake at a relatively low temperature ( $150^\circ\text{C}$ ) for $1.5 \text{ hours} to 2 \text{ hours}$.
Tip: If the top browns too quickly, cover it loosely with aluminum foil. The cake is ready when a pin or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
III. Post-treatment and Maturation (The Key to Flavor!)
Brushing: When the cake is still hot, pierce the top several times with a skewer. Brush with the reserved rum juice until the cake absorbs it.

Maturation: Let the cake cool in the pan, then wrap in baking paper and aluminum foil. The traditional method is to drizzle a spoonful or two of rum or brandy weekly (stab the top of the cake before sprinkling!).
Best after at least a week, but ideally 2-3 weeks.
Happy baking and happy holidays!