The Hairy Bikers’ Christmas cake is a recipe for a traditional fruitcake that is popular in the UK during the holiday season. The Hairy Bikers are a duo of British television chefs, Dave Myers and Simon King, who are known for their love of hearty, comfort food.
Their Christmas cake recipe includes ingredients such as dried fruit, candied peel, brandy, and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. The cake is typically made several weeks in advance of Christmas to allow time for it to mature and develop its rich, fruity flavor.
The recipe often includes marzipan and icing on top of the cake to create a decorative finish and can be served as a dessert or as a snack with a cup of tea or coffee.
Delicious Hairy Bikers’ Christmas Cake
Hey foodies, set for the holidays? Rich, fruity, and boozy Christmas cake is the best way to get into the holiday mood. Hairy Bikers Christmas Cake is a tried-and-true dish.
This iconic Christmas cake recipe will be demonstrated step-by-step. I’ll also answer the Hairy Bikers Christmas Cake’s most frequently asked questions so you can make the ideal cake every time.
Hairy Bikers’ Christmas Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make the Hairy Bikers Christmas Cake:
- 500g mixed dried fruit
- 150g glacé cherries, quartered
- 50g candied peel, finely chopped
- 100ml brandy or whisky, plus extra for feeding
- 250g butter, softened
- 250g light muscovado sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 250g plain flour
- 2 tsp mixed spice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 100g ground almonds
How To Make Hairy Bikers’ Christmas
Preheat the oven to 150°C/130°C fan/gas 2. Grease and line a deep 20cm round cake tin with baking paper.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the mixed dried fruit, quartered glacé cherries, finely chopped candied peel, and brandy or whisky. Mix well, cover the bowl with cling film, and leave to soak overnight or for at least 6 hours.
In a separate large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and light muscovado sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
Sift the flour, mixed spice, ground cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg, and baking powder into the bowl with the cream butter and sugar mixture. Add the ground almonds and mix well to combine.
Stir in the soaked dried fruit mixture, making sure everything is well combined.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin and smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Make a slight indentation in the center of the cake to prevent it from rising too much in the middle.
Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once the cake has cooled completely, poke several holes into the top with a skewer and brush generously with extra brandy or whisky. Cover the cake with cling film and store it in a cool, dry place for at least a week to allow the flavors to develop. You can feed the cake with extra brandy or whisky every few days if you like.
Hairy Bikers’ Christmas Cake Variations
You can replace the ground almonds in the recipe with an equal volume of flour if you have a nut allergy or don’t like almonds.
Replace plain flour with gluten-free flour to make it gluten-free.
To make a boozier cake, add more brandy or liquor. However, too much booze can make the cake soggy.
If you like the warming spices in this recipe, try various spice blends to create your own flavor profile. Add a dash of cardamom or ginger.
You can substitute your favored dried fruits for mixed ones. This dish uses dried cranberries, apricots, or figs.
You can decorate the Hairy Bikers Christmas Cake with icing instead of serving it plain. Marzipan and icing are typical layers.
How To Store Hairy Bikers’ Christmas Cake
Let the cake cool fully before slicing and serving. This keeps the cake from crumbling.
After the cake cools, slice it and serve it alone or with whipped cream or custard for a decadent treat. It makes a lively afternoon snack with tea or coffee.
If you’re feeling adventurous, toast slices of the cake and serve them with a liberal amount of butter for breakfast or brunch.
To make the Hairy Bikers Christmas Cake extra unique, wrap slices in parchment paper or a festive gift box.
hairy bikers christmas cake recipe
Ingredients
- 500 g mixed dried fruit
- 150 g glacé cherries quartered
- 50 g candied peel finely chopped
- 100 ml brandy or whisky plus extra for feeding
- 250 g butter softened
- 250 g light muscovado sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 250 g plain flour
- 2 tsp mixed spice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 100 g ground almonds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 150°C/130°C fan/gas 2. Grease and line a deep 20cm round cake tin with baking paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the mixed dried fruit, quartered glacé cherries, finely chopped candied peel, and brandy or whisky. Mix well, cover the bowl with cling film, and leave to soak overnight or for at least 6 hours.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and light muscovado sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Sift the flour, mixed spice, ground cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg, and baking powder into the bowl with the creamed butter and sugar mixture. Add the ground almonds and mix well to combine.
- Stir in the soaked dried fruit mixture, making sure everything is well combined.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin and smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Make a slight indentation in the center of the cake to prevent it from rising too much in the middle.
- Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once the cake has cooled completely, poke several holes into the top with a skewer and brush generously with extra brandy or whisky. Cover the cake with cling film and store in a cool, dry place for at least a week to allow the flavors to develop. You can feed the cake with extra brandy or whisky every few days if you like.
