30+ of the best Christmas cake recipes

Planning on making your own Christmas cake this year? Our cookery team have compiled over 30 of their favourite Christmas cake recipes for you to try.

Choosing the right Christmas cake for you and your guests can be half the job, so we've covered everything from classic Christmas cakes to break-the-mould festive bakes.

Some of our favourites include this spiced port and orange Christmas cake – which fills the kitchen with nostalgic Christmassy aromas as the fruit soaks in port overnight.

We love the richness of this chocolate cherry Christmas cake which uses cherry brandy, dried sour cherries and chocolate for full-on festive flavour.

Looking for a classic recipe to cook this Christmas? Try our best ever Christmas cake – it's one to repeat year after year.

One of our favourite things about Christmas cakes is decorating. There's something special about transforming a simple fruit cake into a festive showstopper. If you're looking for step-by-step advice on how to ice a Christmas cake then follow our easy guide.

Some of our favourite designs include this atmospheric Alpine Christmas cake decoration which has a mini gingerbread village on top – a slice of the cake laid on top and iced creates the appearance of a snowy mountain peak.

This magical forest cake uses piped Christmas trees on lolly sticks to create a woodland feel, little ones will love helping create their own snowy scene.

Remember Stir Up Sunday is on 20 November in 2022. This is the weekend to bake your Christmas cake and get your Christmas pudding ready in time for the big day. Happy baking!

Swap out the cherries for whatever fruit you fancy in this Christmas cake, just make sure you keep the weight the same. Dried cranberries and roughly chopped dates would work well here too. For a more intense almond flavour, add 1/2tbsp extract to your cake batter.

Recipe: Cherry and Almond Christmas Cake

Fun to model and easier than you might think, these snoozing sugar robins make for an adorable Christmas cake decoration.

Recipe: Frosty Robin Cake

For our Christmas cake this year, we have soaked our fruit in rum and butter to give it a warm and creamy finish. Leave this cake to mature to get a deeper, richer flavour.

Recipe: Buttered Rum Christmas Cake

A Christmas cake fit for a crowd. This recipe is oh-so decadent with a good fruity squidge factor.

Recipe: Spiced Port and Orange Christmas Cake

A simple yet elegant decoration idea to decorate your Christmas cake. We’ve topped with our Amaretti biscuits for added festive flavour and flair.

Recipe: Acorn Wreath Cake

This Christmas cake offers real wow factor. The bright green trees are so easy to make and all together, create a magical forest topping for your Christmas cake.

Recipe: Magical forest Christmas cake

Adding dark chocolate and stout makes for a rich, juicy Christmas cake that's livened up with a generous pinch of spice and tangy citrus zest. Deliciously moist, it doesn't need to be fed while it's maturing.

Recipe: Chocolate Stout Christmas Cake

Our wintry Christmas cake decoration can be adapted to make the scene of your dreams.

Recipe: Silent Night Christmas Cake

Traditional dried fruits have been given a Caribbean lift with juicy mango, warming rum and spicy ginger for a lighter bake.

Recipe: Tropical Christmas cake

We celebrate two great British drinks, gin and tea, in this popular Christmas cake recipe.

Recipe: Gin and tea Christmas cake

Let our winter wonderland Christmas cake recipe transport you to a charming Swiss alpine village – it’s fun to make, too, with mini gingerbread houses for added festive flavour.

Recipe: Alpine Christmas cake

Dark chocolate and sour cherry add richness and unctuous texture to this deeply fruited cake. Delicious with a warm cup of coffee or a glass of brandy.

Recipe: Chocolate cherry Christmas cake

You can ice this fail-safe cake up to two weeks in advance, saving time in the busy lead-up to Christmas Day.

Recipe: Snowflake Sensation Christmas cake

Full of festive orange and spices, this Christmas cake is best enjoyed fireside with friends and family.

Recipe: Spiced orange Christmas cake

A timeless Christmas cake design which is easy to adapt to your own style.

Recipe: Simple Iced Christmas cake

A Christmas classic for good reason, this traditional cake recipe contains warming rum and plump raisins.

Recipe: Christmas cake

Not a fan of classic fruit cake? Use Jamaican ginger or chocolate cake instead to jazz up this Christmas-worthy trifle.

Recipe: Christmas cake trifle

A fiery combination of stem ginger and ginger wine give this Christmas cake a rich, warming flavour.

Recipe: Christmas cake

Bursting with fruit and spices, our 'Best Ever Christmas Cake' is hard to beat. Try it and you'll soon see why.

Recipe: Best Ever Christmas cake

Molasses and molasses sugar give this richly fruited Christmas cake a rich flavour we can't get enough of.

Recipe: Creole Christmas cake

This easy Christmas cake recipe uses a microwave to skip the need for soaking and speed up preparation time – ideal if you're short on time in the lead-up to Christmas Day.

Recipe: No-Soak Christmas cake

This easy guide takes you through every step of making your own Christmas cake, including decorative marzipan.

Recipe: Step-by-step Christmas cake

Modelling made easy - get the kids involved making characters for this fun Christmas cake!

Recipe: Penguins and Polar Bears Christmas Cake

This versatile wreath decoration can be lifted off the cake and used again.

Recipe: Golden Wreath Christmas cake

No soaking needed, this really is our easiest Christmas Cake recipe. Simply boil and bake – your guests will be none the wiser!

Recipe: Boil and Bake Christmas cake

Watch friends and family gasp in disbelief as you reveal the secret ingredient in this cake… Brussels sprouts!

Recipe: Christmas vegetable cake

If you don’t fancy having a go at this simple ice cream, then just stir some mincemeat or even crumbled Christmas cake into slightly softened vanilla ice cream before serving.

Recipe: Christmas cake ice cream

This classic Christmas cake is moist and full of festive flavours. Decorate as you please; we like to keep it sophisticated with pleated marzipan and bejewelled edible baubles.

Recipe: The ultimate Christmas cake

Adorn a smart white Christmas cake with delicate mint icicles.

Recipe: Winter wonderland Christmas cake

Turn leftover Christmas cake into a whole new dessert with these Boxing Day-worthy crepes.

Recipe: Christmas cake crepes

Bring the Antarctic to your Christmas dinner table this year with our luxury Christmas cake decorations.

Recipe: Antarctic Christmas cake

This recipe from 2001 makes a truly classic Christmas Cake, and shows you how to make golden royal icing.

Recipe: The Definitive Christmas cake