Recipe: Ben's Family Christmas Cake
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Recipe: Ben's Family Christmas Cake
Ben has been quietly refining his Christmas cake in the background for months, and now he has brought out what he believes is his best version yet. A cake that tastes like memory and celebration, updated with the kind of detail only he would obsess over.
Ben Shewry
Published 21.10.25
Ben Shewry's Christmas Cake
I don't mean to alarm you, but now is the time to start your Christmas Cake! The more time it has for its boozy maturation, the better.
Some tips: use the best quality fruit you can afford, double-line the cake tin to protect the cake from burning, and finally, make sure to share with your nearest and dearest.
Ben Shewry and his Christmas Cake
Ingredients
1 cup brandy, whisky, cognac or your favourite spirit (can be substituted with 1 cup of strong black tea)
375g dried peaches, diced
250g sultanas
250g raisins
125g dried sour cherries
125g currants
125g dried cranberries
125g mixed peel
430g tin crushed pineapple, drained
420g plain flour, sifted
Pinch salt
¼ tsp pepper berry
½ tsp lemon myrtle
½ tsp dried anise myrtle
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp mixed spice
250g salted butter, softened
270g brown sugar
4 free range eggs
1 tsp Heilala pure vanilla paste (can be replaced with 1 tsp pure vanilla essence)
Zest of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 orange
40g your favourite marmalade
Extra dried fruit and nuts of your choice to garnish the top of the cake. I used almonds, dried sour cherries, dried pears and dried pineapple.
More of your chosen spirits for “feeding” the cake after baking.
Or strong black tea for alcohol free.
*Native Australian spices available online from https://indigiearth.com.au
** In this cake alcohol acts as a preserver, and using tea can reduce the length of time your cake will last – so best to make an eat within a week or two if not using alcohol).
Method
1. The day before you are going to bake your cake combine all dried fruit, plus crushed pineapple in a large bowl and add brandy. Mix well, cover and leave to macerate for 24hrs.
2. Pre-heat a fan forced oven to 140.C. Prepare a 20cm-22cm round cake tin by greasing and lining with two layers of baking paper. Bring the baking paper about 7cm above the height of the cake tin.
3. Sift flour and spices together.
4. In a large bowl add the soft butter and brown sugar and cream until pale with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer. Add the eggs one at a time, beating each in thoroughly. Finish by adding vanilla paste to the mix
5. Add zests and marmalade to macerated fruit and combine well.
6. Add ¼ of the dry ingredients and ¼ of the fruit mix into the butter/egg mix and fold in. Repeat until all is added and well combined.
7. Pour cake batter into lined cake tin. Use a spatula to smooth out the top.
8. Decorate your cake with the additional dried fruits and nuts.
9. Place the cake into the oven on a middle rack. Bake for 4 hours or until a bamboo skewer comes out clean when inserted. Once cake is cooked remove from the oven.
10. Allow cake to completely cool before removing from the tin, do not remove the baking paper. Store in an airtight container with the baking paper attached. I like to make my Christmas cake 6 weeks before Christmas and “feed” it with spirits weekly. To do so insert a bamboo skewer into the top of the cake every 2cm to about half the depth of the cake. Pour or brush on whisky as you see fit. If you like a boozy Christmas cake (like me) then add about a shot each time for 6 weeks. Wrap cake in tin foil and store cake in an airtight container at room temp in a cool dark place.
Sliced Christmas Cake, ready to eat
