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Desserts

Traditional Italian Christmas Cake

A traditional Christmas cake, soft and fragrant with candied fruit, chocolate chips and a hint of rum. Try it for a special holiday breakfast.
Recipe Traditional Italian Christmas Cake
  • Difficulty Medium
  • Preparation 10 minutes
  • Cooking 45 minutes
  • Servings for 1 pan, 22 cm in diameter

If you are looking for an easy, eye-catching Christmas dessert that fills the house with fragrance and cheer, this Christmas cake is just what you need. Picture a holiday morning: a slice of soft holiday cake, studded with candied fruit and chocolate chips that melt gently into the batter, with an irresistible aroma of citrus and spice. It is the perfect Christmas cake recipe to start the day with a smile, but also to round off Christmas Eve dinner or Christmas lunch in style, amid family warmth and simple little pleasures.

This soft baked cake holds all the magic of the holidays with its tender, butter-free texture, ideal for making ahead and enjoying over the following days. It is a dessert with candied fruit and nuts, offering in every bite a heady mix of sweetness and crunch, enhanced by grated orange zest and a hint of rum that brings out its character. There’s no need to hunt for special ingredients: everything you need is already in your pantry, ready to become a homemade cake recipe that adults and kids will love.

After all, the holidays are the perfect time to rediscover traditional desserts: this traditional Christmas cake goes beautifully on a table laden with Tronchetto di Natale (Yule Log), Homemade Pandoro or Filled Panettone. And if you love putting together small homemade gifts, pair it with Glazed Christmas Tree Cookies or fragrant Tyrolean Christmas Cookies for a sweet surprise. Bring this delightful spiced Christmas cake to the table and get ready to enjoy the magic of the holidays in every single slice.

Ingredients for 1 pan, 22 cm in diameter

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Method

  1. To make the Christmas Cake, put the eggs and sugar in a bowl and beat them with an electric mixer until thick and foamy.
  2. Pour in the oil in a thin stream and keep beating the mixture.
  3. Add the milk and mix with the electric mixer.
  4. Stir in the rum flavoring and the grated orange zest.
  5. Sift the flours (00 flour and potato starch) together with the baking powder and add the almond flour, mixing well until the batter is smooth and free of lumps.
  6. Add half of the chocolate chips and half of the mixed candied fruit, stirring with a spoon.
  7. Pour the batter into a buttered and floured pan (or one coated with cake release spray), then scatter the remaining chocolate chips and candied fruit on top.
  8. Bake in a preheated conventional oven at 180 °C (350 °F) for about 40-45 minutes.
  9. Once baked, let the cake cool completely before serving, then dust it with plenty of vanilla powdered sugar. Finally, remember to download our App with exclusive content and fewer ads!

Variations and Alternatives

You can replace the mixed candied fruit with nuts, or add Christmas spices such as cinnamon or cloves for a more intense flavor.

Tips

You can decorate the cake by covering it with dark chocolate and adding candied cherries for an even more festive touch.

Storage

The Christmas cake keeps for 5 days, well wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the fridge for best results.

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