These rich Christmas fairy cakes are made with dark muscovado sugar and infused with mixed spices such as cinnamon and ginger.
With a drizzle of dark rum, a sprinkling of ground almonds, and the zest and juice of one orange, you’ve got yourself one mouth-watering, flavour-packed batch of fairy cakes. Decorate with holly sprigs.
Ingredients
- 200g dark muscovado sugar
- 175g butter, chopped
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 200g plain flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
- Zest and juice of one orange
- 85g ground almonds
- 100ml dark rum / brandy / orange juice
- 750g mixed dried fruit of your choice (e.g. raisins, glace cherries, apricots)
- 85g nuts (we used chopped pecans) 500g pack fondant icing sugar
- Holly sprigs to decorate
WEIGHT CONVERTER
Method
- First, weigh out your ingredients. Pour your sugar, butter, dried fruit, ginger orange zest and juice into a large pan.
- Pour over the rum/brandy/juice and turn the heat on and slowly bring to the boil, stirring frequently to melt the butter.
- Reduce the heat and bubble gently for 10 minutes – stir regularly. Set aside to cool.
- Stir in the nuts, eggs and ground almonds into the fruit. Sift in the flour, baking powder and spices and stir everything together, gently but thoroughly. Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Scoop the cake mix into 24 fairy cake cases then level tops with a spoon dipped in hot water. Bake for 35-45 mins until golden and just firm to touch. A skewer inserted should come out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
- Make up the fondant icing to a spreading consistency, then swirl on top of each cupcake, then leave to set. Will keep in a tin for 3 weeks.
Top tips for making Christmas fairy cakes
These Christmas fairy cakes will keep in an airtight container for up to three weeks without the icing. This makes them the perfect homemade food gift (opens in new tab) for friends and family at Christmas time.
You might also like…
Christmas cupcakes (opens in new tab)
Christmas cake ideas (opens in new tab)
Mary Berry’s fairy cakes (opens in new tab)
Jessica Dady is Senior Content Editor at Goodto.com and has over 10 years of experience as a digital journalist, specialising in all things food, recipes, and SEO. From the best food hampers to cookbooks, from the best cake stands to baking sets, Jessica has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to must-have food products. A passionate baker, she spends much of her time creating celebration cakes for friends and family - particularly for her two lucky children.
-
Mary Berry's almond cupcakes
Mary Berry's deliciously moist almond cupcakes are packed with apricots and sultanas for a fruity twist. Make 12 cupcakes using this recipe...
By Mary Berry • Published
-
Butterfly buns
Our easy butterfly buns recipe is perfect for kids. We've kept our butterfly cake recipe simple - just slice the tops off and fill with buttercream and jam...
By Jessica Dady • Published
-
Mary Berry's iced fairy cakes
Make perfectly soft, sweet fairy cakes every time with Mary Berry's iced fairy cakes recipe. Ready in just 30 minutes, this recipe makes 12 fairy cakes...
By Mary Berry • Last updated
-
Vegan basil pesto courgetti with tomatoes and chilli
It takes just four ingredients to make this simple, healthy courgette recipe infused with pesto...
By Jessica Dady • Published
-
Vegan chilli pesto tagliatelle
A really simple dish to whip up for lunch or dinner using just five store cupboard ingredients...
By Jessica Dady • Published
-
Vegan tomato pesto chickpea salad
It takes just 30 minutes to make this vibrant, filling salad with a rich tomato pesto sauce...
By Jessica Dady • Published
-
The Queen's early morning sweet snack is very pricey
By Kudzai Chibaduki • Published
-
Is there a Doctor Who Christmas special in 2022?
Viewers of the beloved BBC show want to know is there a Doctor Who Christmas special in 2022 and whether there's more episodes to enjoy this year.
By Emily Stedman • Published
-
The Queen’s dinner table rule means this everyday essential isn’t ‘allowed’ for her royal relatives
The Queen reportedly prefers a more 'formal' approach to mealtimes and prioritises traditional etiquette with her nearest and nearest...
By Emma Shacklock • Published