Christmas Cake – in muffin form!
These easy Christmas cake muffins give you the warm spice, citrus, and dried fruit flavor of a classic Christmas cake in individual portions. They are ready in 45 minutes from start to finish, with no overnight soak.
That makes them a friendly bake for busy home cooks, parents baking with kids, and anyone bringing treats to a holiday party or cookie swap.
The idea is simple. A traditional Christmas cake can spend two hours or more in the oven. This recipe divides a simplified Christmas cake mixture between 12 muffin cases and bakes the muffins in 30 minutes.
You still get the rich, festive flavor, just in a small, portable package. The source also references a gluten free, dairy free, and alcohol free version. This recipe is adapted from Easy Peasy Foodie’s Easy Christmas Cake Muffins.
If you like to keep a backup treat in the freezer, this no bake Christmas cake is another easy holiday option.
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Jump To
- 1. Christmas Cake – in muffin form!
- 2. How to make Christmas Cake Muffins
- 3. How to decorate Christmas Cake Muffins
- 4. Why boil the fruit?
- 5. What type of muffin cases should you use for Christmas Cake Muffins?
- 6. How to store Christmas Cake Muffins
- 7. How long do Christmas Cake Muffins keep for?
- 8. Can you freeze Christmas Cake Muffins?
- 9. Ingredients
- 10. Instructions
- 11. Notes
- 12. Recipe details
- 13. FAQs
- 14. Easy Christmas Cake Muffins
How to make Christmas Cake Muffins
The method is short and forgiving. Start by simmering the dried fruit with sherry, orange juice, and boiling water. While the fruit stands, heat the oven and line a muffin tin. Then make a simple cake batter, fold in the fruit and cherries, and bake.
Here is the flow before you jump into the full recipe:
- Simmer the dried fruit for 10 minutes with the lid off, stirring every couple of minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C, 160°C fan, gas mark 4) and set 12 muffin cases in a muffin tin.
- Beat butter and sugar, add the eggs one at a time, then fold in the flour and spices.
- Stir in the glace cherries and the boiled fruit with any remaining liquid.
- Divide the mixture evenly between the cases and bake for 30 minutes.
Check with a skewer. If it comes out clean, the muffins are done. If not, give them another couple of minutes and check again. No skewer? A teaspoon handle works as a stand in. Let the muffins cool a little before serving.
How to decorate Christmas Cake Muffins
These muffins are lovely plain, and the source prefers them that way. The flavor is already festive, so you do not need to cover them in frosting. If you want a little sparkle for a party, keep the decoration simple.
Mix powdered sugar with the juice of an orange to make a loose icing. Add the juice a little at a time so the icing stays thin enough to drizzle.
Spoon it over the cooled muffins and top with more glace cherries or another decoration you like. The source does not give exact amounts for the icing, so taste and texture are your guide.
For a cute holiday platter, serve them next to these mini Christmas tree cake cookie treats.
Why boil the fruit?
Most Christmas cake recipes ask you to soak the dried fruit overnight. That long soak makes the cake moist and gives the fruit time to drink up the sherry or another chosen drink. It is a good method, but it takes planning.
Boiling does the same job in 10 minutes. The fruit softens, plumps, and takes on the flavor of the liquid while it simmers. You also get a little of that syrupy liquid in the batter, which helps keep the muffins tender.
For an alcohol free version, use apple juice instead of sherry. The flavor is still warm and fruity, just without the alcohol.
No overnight soak needed: a 10 minute simmer gives the fruit the moisture and flavor it needs for these muffins.
What type of muffin cases should you use for Christmas Cake Muffins?
Regular muffin cases work, but tulip muffin cases are the preferred choice in the source. They are taller and give the muffins a little more room to rise. Look for cases that are about 5 cm (2 inches) across the base and at least 3.5 cm (about 1.4 inches) tall.
Do not use tiny cupcake cases. The batter is meant for 12 standard muffins. Smaller cases would make more muffins and would need less time in the oven, so the timing in this recipe would no longer be right.
Source: beautiful tulip muffin cases
How to store Christmas Cake Muffins
Store the muffins in an airtight cake tin. That keeps them from drying out and protects the tops from getting squashed. Keep the tin in a cool, dry spot and seal it well after each serving.
If you plan to ice them, it is easiest to store them plain first and add the icing closer to serving. That way the drizzle stays fresh and the muffins do not get sticky.
How long do Christmas Cake Muffins keep for?
In an airtight tin, the muffins last about a week. They are at their best in the first 3 to 4 days, when the centers are still soft and the fruit is moist. After that, they are still fine, but the texture may dry a little.
If you need them to last longer, freeze them. That is the simplest way to stretch a batch past the one week mark.
Can you freeze Christmas Cake Muffins?
Yes, undecorated muffins freeze well. Put them in a plastic lidded container or an airtight freezer bag and freeze for 3 to 6 months. Let them defrost at room temperature, then decorate them as described above.
Do not freeze decorated muffins. The icing does not fare well in the freezer and can turn tacky or weepy as it thaws. Freeze the plain muffins, then add the orange drizzle after they are fully defrosted.
Ingredients
This makes 12 muffins. The amounts below are the exact amounts used in the recipe, so keep them as written for the best result.
- 500 g mixed dried fruit (see Notes)
- 100 ml sherry, or brandy, whisky, gin, or rum, or apple juice for an alcohol free version
- Juice of 1 orange
- 100 ml boiling water
- 150 g butter, plus extra for greasing
- 150 g soft dark brown sugar, or muscovado sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 200 g self rising flour (also called self raising flour)
- 2 teaspoons mixed spice, or pumpkin spice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 150 g glace cherries, halved
Instructions
- Place the dried fruit in a saucepan. Squeeze over the juice of the orange and pour over the sherry and boiling water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes with the lid off, stirring every couple of minutes. Leave to stand until needed.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C, 160°C fan, gas mark 4). Put 12 muffin cases in a muffin tin.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar thoroughly.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating until the mixture is smooth after each one.
- Gently fold in the flour, mixed spice, and cinnamon until fully incorporated.
- Add the glace cherries and the dried fruit, plus any remaining liquid from the saucepan. There should be very little liquid left. Stir gently until the fruit is evenly distributed.
- Divide the mixture evenly between the muffin cases.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Check with a skewer. If it comes out clean, the muffins are cooked. If not, give them another couple of minutes and check again.
- Serve just as they are or with a simple icing made from powdered sugar and orange juice.
Notes
Mixed dried fruit is usually a blend of sultanas, raisins, currants, and candied mixed peel. In the US, sultanas are often sold as golden raisins. You can buy a ready mixed bag, which is the easiest option. If you mix your own, use 40 percent sultanas, 30 percent raisins, 20 percent currants, and 10 percent candied mixed peel.
These muffins are suitable for freezing. The nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
Recipe details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Course | Dessert, Snack |
| Cuisine | British |
| Prep time | 15 minutes |
| Cook time | 30 minutes |
| Total time | 45 minutes |
| Servings | 12 muffins |
| Calories | 366 kcal per serving |
Per serving: 12 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 63 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber, 39 g sugar, 5 g protein, 97 mg sodium, and 58 mg cholesterol.
FAQs
How long do Easy Christmas Cake Muffins take to make and bake?
The full recipe takes 45 minutes from start to finish and makes 12 muffins. Preparation takes 15 minutes, and baking takes 30 minutes in an oven preheated to 350°F. The muffins are ready when a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, and they may need a couple of extra minutes if it does not.
What dried fruit do you use in Easy Christmas Cake Muffins?
Use 500 g of mixed dried fruit, ideally sultanas, raisins, currants, and candied mixed peel. If you mix it yourself, use 40 percent sultanas, 30 percent raisins, 20 percent currants, and 10 percent candied mixed peel. The recipe also uses 150 g of halved glace cherries, which add color and a soft, sweet bite.
Can you make Easy Christmas Cake Muffins without alcohol?
Yes, replace the 100 ml of sherry with apple juice and keep the rest of the method the same. The fruit is still boiled with the juice of 1 orange and 100 ml of boiling water, then simmered for 10 minutes. Sherry can also be replaced with brandy, whisky, gin, or rum if you prefer an alcoholic version.
Can you freeze Easy Christmas Cake Muffins?
Yes, freeze undecorated muffins only in a plastic lidded container or an airtight freezer bag for 3 to 6 months. Defrost them at room temperature and decorate them after defrosting. In an airtight cake tin, unfrozen muffins last about a week but are best in the first 3 to 4 days.
Easy Christmas Cake Muffins
Christmas Cake – in muffin form! These easy Christmas cake muffins give you the warm spice, citrus, and dried fruit flavor of a classic Christmas cake in individual portions.
- Total Time: 45 min
- Yield: 12 muffins 1x
Ingredients
Ingredients
500 g mixed dried fruit, See Note 1
100 ml sherry, or brandy / whisky / gin / rum – or use apple juice if you want this to be alcohol free
1 orange, juiced
100 ml water, boiling
150 g butter, plus extra for greasing
150 g soft dark brown sugar, or muscovado sugar
2 eggs, large
200 g self-raising flour, AKA self-rising flour
2 teaspoons mixed spice, or pumpkin spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
150 g glace cherries, halved
Instructions
Instructions
1-Place the dried fruit in a saucepan: Place the dried fruit in a saucepan. Squeeze over the juice of the orange and pour over the sherry and boiling water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes (lid OFF), stirring every couple of minutes. Leave to stand until needed.
2-Preheat your oven to 180C / 160C: Preheat your oven to 180C / 160C fan / gas mark 4 / 350F. Put 12 muffin cases in a muffin tin.
3-In a large mixing bowl, beat together: In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar thoroughly.
4-Add the eggs, one at a time,: Add the eggs, one at a time, beating the mixture until smooth after each one.
5-Gently fold in the flour, mixed spice: Gently fold in the flour, mixed spice and cinnamon until fully incorporated.
6-Add the glacé cherries and the dried: Add the glacé cherries and the dried fruit, plus any remaining liquid from the saucepan. (There should be very little liquid left, as most of it will have soaked into the fruit or evaporated.) Stir gently until the fruit is evenly distributed.
7-Divide the mixture evenly between the muffin: Divide the mixture evenly between the muffin cases.
8-Cook in the preheated oven for 30: Cook in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Check with a skewer – if cooked the skewer should come out clean. If not give the muffins an extra couple of minutes and try again.
9-Serve just as they are or with: Serve just as they are or with a simple icing made from icing sugar and orange juice.
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 30 min
- Method: mixed
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 366 kcal
- Sugar: 39 g
- Sodium: 97 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 63 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 58 mg
