Mulled fig and apple Christmas cake

Mulled fig and apple Christmas cake

This lighter take on Christmas cake is packed with fruit, adding dried figs and apples to the classic raisins, sultanas and currants. Mulled cider adds a comforting warmth, alongside a good glug of festive booze for feeding.

Mulled fig and apple Christmas cake

Make your own aromatic mulled cider, to enjoy alongside your cake, with this easy recipe.

  • Serves icon Serves 10-12
  • Time icon Hands-on time 45 min, plus overnight soaking. Oven time 2 hours 15 min

This lighter take on Christmas cake is packed with fruit, adding dried figs and apples to the classic raisins, sultanas and currants. Mulled cider adds a comforting warmth, alongside a good glug of festive booze for feeding.

Make your own aromatic mulled cider, to enjoy alongside your cake, with this easy recipe.

Nutrition: Per serving (for 12)

Calories
542kcals
Fat
18g (9.4g saturated)
Protein
6.8g
Carbohydrates
84g (69g sugars)
Fibre
3.9g
Salt
0.3g

Ingredients

  • 350g mixed dried fruit (we used raisins, sultanas and currants)
  • 100g dried figs
  • 150ml dry cider
  • 200g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease
  • 250g self-raising flour
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 tsp ground allspice
  • 200g light brown soft sugar
  • 4 medium free-range eggs, lightly beaten
  • 50g dried apple slices (sometimes sold as apple rings), halved
  • Dark rum, brandy or calvados for feeding

To decorate

  • 200g marzipan
  • Cornflour to dust
  • Edible gold shimmer
  • Dash vodka or gin
  • 300g roll-out icing or sugarpaste
  • Icing sugar to dust

You’ll also need

  • 20cm round cake tin
  • Paintbrush
  • Star-shaped cutter
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Method

  1. Put the dried fruit and figs in a large bowl and cover with the cider. Cover and set aside at room temperature to soak overnight.
  2. Heat the oven to 160°C fan/gas 4. Grease the cake tin with butter, then line the base and sides with baking paper so it reaches 5cm above the tin.Line the outside of the tin with another tall/wide piece of baking paper, securing with string. Set aside on a baking sheet. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, spices and a pinch of salt.
  3. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric hand mixer (or in a stand mixer) for about 4 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the beaten eggs gradually, mixing between each addition until fully combined. Fold in the flour mixture, then add the soaked fruit, any leftover cider in the bowl and the dried apple slices.
  4. Scrape the batter into the tin, level out with a slight dip in the centre and put in the oven. Bake for 1 hour, then reduce the heat to 140°C fan/gas 3 and bake the cake for another 1-1¼ hours, checking after 50 minutes and covering with a sheet of baking paper if it’s getting too dark. It’s ready when a skewer pushed into the middle comes out with only a few damp crumbs on it.
  5. Put the tin on a wire rack to cool slightly, then use a skewer to poke a few small holes in the top of the cake. Pour over 1 tbsp rum, brandy or calvados. Once completely cool, remove the cake from the tin, wrap baking paper around it, then wrap in foil. Store in an airtight container, feeding the cake once a week with 1 tbsp rum/brandy/calvados until you want to decorate and eat it.
  6. When ready to decorate, roll out the marzipan into a 3mm thick sheet on a surface lightly dusted with cornflour. Lay the marzipan over the cake and use a small sharp knife to trim it into a neat circle on top. In a small bowl, combine some gold shimmer with a drop or two of alcohol and use a paintbrush to paint the edible gold paint onto the marzipan. Set aside to dry for 15 minutes.
  7. Roll out the icing/sugarpaste until 5-7mm thick on a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar. Use the base of your cake tin to cut out a 20cm circle, then use a star cutter to cut out stars in a pattern of your choice. If you’d like gold lines too, as on our cake, cut out two slim lines of icing, each a third of the way across the icing, using a long sharp knife. Lay the icing on top of the marzipan and press lightly to stick. If you like you can also paint the inside edge of the stars and lines with the gold paint for extra pizzazz.

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving
Calories
542kcals
Fat
18g (9.4g saturated)
Protein
6.8g
Carbohydrates
84g (69g sugars)
Fibre
3.9g
Salt
0.3g

FAQs

Can I freeze the baked cake?
Yes: wrap the cake well and freeze for up to 3 months, ready to defrost and decorate when needed.

delicious. tips

  1. Christmas cake always benefits from regular feeds of alcohol over a couple of weeks. This version is ready to eat right away, but making it in advance and feeding the cake with a splash of booze every so often will mature and develop the flavours wonderfully.

    The cake won’t last for months like a traditional fruitcake but it will be good for 4 weeks.

Buy ingredients online

Recipe By:

Emily Gussin
Food producer and sustainability lead, delicious.

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