Description

This Delicious Festive Christmas Fruitcake Traybake is a moist and flavorful holiday treat loaded with brandy-soaked mixed dry fruits. Soft butter and sugar create a fluffy base, complemented by the richness of eggs and a tender crumb from all-purpose flour and baking powder. Once baked to perfection, the traybake is beautifully decorated with rolled marzipan and fondant, giving it an elegant, festive finish perfect for sharing with friends and family during the Christmas season.

Ingredients

Scale

Fruitcake Batter

175 g mixed dry fruits (brandy-soaked)
175 g unsalted butter (softened)
175 g granulated sugar
4 large eggs
225 g all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder

Decoration

225 g marzipan (for decoration)
225 g fondant (for decoration)

Instructions

Preheat: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) to ensure it’s ready for baking your festive traybake.
Cream: In a mixing bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar together until the mixture becomes fluffy and pale, which usually takes about 3-5 minutes.
Incorporate: Add the large eggs one by one, mixing thoroughly after each addition to create a smooth, silky batter.
Sift: Gradually fold in the all-purpose flour and baking powder using a spatula, mixing gently until the batter is smooth and well combined.
Stir: Gently fold in the brandy-soaked mixed dry fruits, distributing them evenly throughout the batter.
Pour: Transfer the batter into a prepared baking tray, spreading it evenly to ensure uniform baking.
Bake: Bake the traybake in the preheated oven for 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool: Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely on a wire rack before decorating.
Cover: Roll out the marzipan and carefully drape it over the cooled cake, smoothing out any wrinkles or air bubbles for a neat finish.
Top: Finally, roll out the fondant and layer it over the marzipan, smoothing it down to create a polished, festive appearance.

Notes

Soak the mixed dry fruits in brandy for at least 24 hours beforehand for maximum flavor.
Ensure the butter is softened but not melted to achieve the perfect creaming texture.
You can substitute brandy with rum or apple juice for a non-alcoholic version.
Allow the cake to cool completely before applying marzipan and fondant to prevent melting.
This cake keeps well and tastes better after a day or two once the flavors have melded.
Store in an airtight container to maintain freshness.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Category: Dessert, Holiday Baking
Method: Baking
Cuisine: British

Keywords: Christmas fruitcake, festive traybake, holiday dessert, brandy-soaked fruits, marzipan cake, fondant decoration, Christmas baking recipes, easy fruitcake