Delia Smith Creole Christmas Cake Recipe

This Delia Smith Creole Christmas Cake is a rich, deeply flavoured fruit cake with a moist crumb and a gentle warmth from mixed spice and rum-soaked fruit. It is darker and lighter in texture than a traditional Christmas cake, with bold Caribbean character and a soft slice that improves with time. The recipe is straightforward rather than difficult, but it does reward patience and careful baking. Total time is around 3 hours plus cooling, with extra time if you choose to mature the cake.

Ingredients

For the soaked fruit

• 450g raisins
• 225g sultanas
• 225g currants
• 100g chopped mixed peel
• 150ml dark rum
• 150ml water
• 175g dark brown sugar

For the cake batter

• 225g unsalted butter, softened
• 4 large eggs
• 225g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1½ tsp mixed spice
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• Zest of 1 orange
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp black treacle

How to Make Delia Smith Creole Christmas Cake

• Soak the fruit: Place the raisins, sultanas, currants, mixed peel, rum, water and dark brown sugar into a large saucepan. Heat gently, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely.
• Prepare the oven: Preheat the oven to 140°C or 120°C fan. Grease and line a deep 20cm round cake tin with a double layer of baking parchment on the base and sides.
• Mix the batter: Add the softened butter to the cooled fruit mixture and beat well. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition.
• Add dry ingredients: Sift the flour, baking powder and spices together, then fold into the mixture. Add the orange zest, lemon zest and black treacle, stirring until evenly combined.
• Bake the cake: Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface. Bake on the middle shelf for about 2½ hours, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
• Cool completely: Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 30 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and remove the parchment. Allow to cool fully before storing or decorating.

Tips for the Best Creole Christmas Cake

How do I keep the cake moist?

Make sure the fruit mixture has cooled before adding the butter and eggs, and avoid overbaking. Wrapping the cooled cake tightly helps retain moisture.

Can I feed the cake with extra rum?

Yes. Once the cake is completely cold, you can brush it lightly with extra rum every week if you want a deeper flavour.

Why is my cake dry around the edges?

This usually means the oven temperature was too high or the tin was not well lined. A double layer of parchment is essential.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve in thin slices with a cup of strong tea or coffee
• Pair with sharp cheddar or Wensleydale cheese
• Warm slightly and serve with custard for dessert

Storage

Room temperature

Wrap the cake tightly in baking parchment and foil. Store in an airtight tin for up to 2 weeks.

Refrigerator

The cake can be kept in the fridge for up to 1 month, well wrapped to prevent drying.

Freezing

Freeze whole or in slices for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature while still wrapped.

Nutrition

• Calories: 420 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 58g
• Protein: 6g
• Fat: 18g
• Saturated fat: 10g
• Sodium: 120mg

Nutrition values are estimates and may vary depending on ingredients used.

FAQs

Delia Smith Creole Christmas Cake Recipe

Recipe by Milli Rose

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: DessertCuisine: British, CaribbeanDifficulty: Medium

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Total time

1

hour 

10

minutes

A rich and moist Creole-style Christmas cake packed with rum-soaked fruit and warm spices. A classic festive bake with Caribbean influence.

Ingredients

• 450g raisins

• 225g sultanas

• 225g currants

• 100g mixed peel, chopped

• 150ml dark rum

• 175g dark brown sugar

• 225g unsalted butter

• 4 large eggs

• 225g plain flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1½ tsp mixed spice

• Zest of 1 orange

• Zest of 1 lemon

• ½ tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 tbsp black treacle

Directions

• Simmer dried fruit with rum, water and sugar, then cool completely.
• Preheat oven and line a deep round cake tin.
• Beat butter into fruit mixture, then add eggs.
• Fold in flour, baking powder, spices, zest and treacle.
• Spoon into tin and bake until cooked through.
• Cool fully before storing or serving.

Notes

• Line the tin well to prevent overbrowning.
• The cake improves in flavour after a few days of resting.
• Alcohol can be replaced with orange juice.