Ultimate Sloe Gin Christmas Cake Recipe
This luxurious Sloe Gin Christmas Cake offers a sophisticated twist on the traditional fruitcake by replacing brandy with the deep, berry-forward notes of sloe gin. The result is an incredibly moist, aromatic sponge packed with gin-soaked currants and winter spices that only improves with age.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Bake
- 180 min
- Serves
- 20
- Level
- Intermediate
- Per serving
- 425 kcal
Method
Place the mixed dried fruit and glace cherries in a large bowl. Pour over 150ml of sloe gin, cover tightly, and leave to soak overnight or for up to 24 hours.
Preheat your oven to 140°C (275°F) and grease and double-line a 20cm deep round cake tin.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and dark muscovado sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a tablespoon of flour with each to prevent the mixture from curdling.
Gently fold in the remaining flour, ground almonds, mixed spice, and orange zest until just combined.
Stir in the soaked fruit mixture, including any liquid remaining in the bowl.
Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top with the back of a spoon.
Bake in the center of the oven for 3 to 3.5 hours, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
While the cake is still warm, prick the surface with a skewer and drizzle over 2 tablespoons of extra sloe gin.
Allow the cake to cool completely in the tin before wrapping it in parchment paper and foil for storage.
Notes from the kitchen
Feed the cake with a tablespoon of sloe gin every two weeks leading up to Christmas to enhance the flavor and moisture.
To prevent the cake from drying out or burning during the long bake, wrap the outside of the tin with several layers of brown paper.
For the best results, make this cake at least 4-6 weeks before you plan to serve it to allow the flavors to mature.
If you don't have mixed spice, create your own blend using 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, and 1/4 tsp each of cloves and nutmeg.
