Can you believe that Christmas is around the corner with only 5 weeks to go! So now is the perfect time to pull out those baking tins, the flour, the fruit mix and the nuts to make that Festive, Fruity Christmas Cake.

Many nationalities around the world celebrate with their version of a traditional Christmas cake. In France, there is the bûche de Noël or Yule log, a Swiss roll that is shaped and decorated to look like a log; in Italy they have panettone, a tall, cylindrical, bread-like cake (panettone means ‘big bread’) which originated in Milan but is now eaten throughout Italy, and around the world. The English Christmas cake is usually rich with fruit, nuts and brandy, covered with marzipan and iced.

My Festive, Fruity Christmas Cake is a deliciously rich and moist cake, not iced but decorated with cherries, glacé fruit and almonds, that the whole family will love. This recipe is easy to make and so much nicer than a store-bought version.

Read the recipe.