Egg-less Christmas cake Recipe
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This eggless Christmas cake has been the tradition here for 20 years — moist, rich in dried fruit, and best baked weeks ahead so the flavor has time to develop.
Baking this eggless Christmas cake ahead of time means dessert is sorted, without any stress on the day itself. This recipe has been baked for the past 20 years now — Christmas wouldn’t feel complete without a cake or pudding made specially for the occasion. It’s a must every year, and a genuinely foolproof recipe.
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Why Bake This Cake Early?
This cake is moist and rich in dried fruit — the flour used to bind everything is a small fraction compared to the sheer amount of fruit that goes in. The finished cake weighs around 2kg. Baking it well ahead of time, at least 3 weeks before Christmas, gives the fruit time to soak in, with the texture improving noticeably after about 2 weeks. It’s rich and moist enough that any topping can be left off entirely.
Planning Ahead for This Cake
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Prepping the tin and the fruit takes about 30 minutes on its own, and since the cake needs a long, low bake — 3 to 4 hours at 150°C — planning ahead really does help. Other chores can be handled while it’s in the oven, though it still needs time to cool before it goes into the tin for storage. This recipe originally came from Great Cakes Without Eggs.
How to Make Egg-less Christmas Cake?
Ingredients List
- 225g self-raising flour, 225g butter
- 225g brown sugar, mixed spice & nutmeg
- 450ml sour cream, 75g ground almonds
- Currants, sultanas, raisins
- Glacé cherries, mixed peel, split almonds
- Grated rind of 1 lemon
Cooking Instructions
Preheat and Prep the Tin:
Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F). Line the base and sides of the cake tin with a double layer of grease-proof paper, then tie a thick band of brown paper around the outside of the tin and stand it on a pad of brown paper on a baking sheet.
Sift:
Sift the flour and spice together.
Cream:
Cream the butter, sugar and golden syrup together until light and fluffy.
Add the Sour Cream:
Add the sour cream and mix well.
Fold In:
Fold in the flour mixture, fruit and nuts until thoroughly combined.
Fill the Tin:
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top.
Bake:
Bake for 3 to 4 hours. After 3 hours, test with a warm knife — if it comes out clean, remove and cool. If not, bake for a further 30 minutes.
Cool:
Leave the cake in the tin for 20 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. This cake is best served plain.
Serving Suggestions
This cake is rich enough to stand entirely on its own. Try it:
Served plain: the way it’s usually enjoyed here, without any topping or icing.
Sliced thin: a little goes a long way given how dense and fruit-rich it is.
For more eggless baking: vegan banana muffins are another good option to try.
Tips for Egg-less Christmas Cake
Bake weeks ahead: at least 3 weeks before Christmas is ideal, letting the fruit soak in and the texture improve over the following weeks.
Test with a warm knife: after 3 hours, check if it comes out clean — if not, give it another 30 minutes.
Let it cool fully in stages: 20 minutes in the tin, then onto a wire rack, before storing away.
Watch the golden syrup: it’s optional and can be left out without affecting the recipe.
A Note on the Flour
Instead of white self-raising flour, spelt flour has been used here instead — a substitution that required a bit of tweaking, but works well.
A Note on Glacé Cherries
Glacé cherries often contain a food coloring that isn’t vegetarian — E120, also known as cochineal or carminic acid, which is derived from insects. That coloring gets left out here, with other dried fruit used to make up the difference instead.
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Recipe Card
Egg-less Christmas Cake Recipe
- Total Time: 240
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A moist, fruit-rich, egg-free Christmas cake, baked well ahead of time so the flavor has weeks to develop — a 20-year tradition.
Ingredients
- 225g white self-raising flour
- 225g butter, softened at room temperature
- 225g soft brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground mixed spice
- ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon golden syrup (optional)
- 450ml sour cream
- 75g ground almonds
- 350g currants or plums
- 250g sultanas
- 175g raisins
- 100g glacé cherries, quartered
- 100g chopped mixed peel
- 50g split almonds
- Grated rind of 1 lemon
Instructions
-
Preheat and Prep the Tin:
Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F). Line the base and sides of the cake tin with a double layer of grease-proof paper, then tie a thick band of brown paper around the outside of the tin and stand it on a pad of brown paper on a baking sheet.
-
Sift:
Sift the flour and spice together.
-
Cream:
Cream the butter, sugar and golden syrup together until light and fluffy.
-
Add the Sour Cream:
Add the sour cream and mix well.
-
Fold In:
Fold in the flour mixture, fruit and nuts until thoroughly combined.
-
Fill the Tin:
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top.
-
Bake:
Bake for 3 to 4 hours. After 3 hours, test with a warm knife — if it comes out clean, remove and cool. If not, bake for a further 30 minutes.
-
Cool:
Leave the cake in the tin for 20 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. This cake is best served plain.
Notes
To make your own self-raising flour: to every 100g of flour, add 1 teaspoon of baking powder and ⅛ teaspoon of baking soda. The golden syrup can be left out without affecting the recipe.
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 210
- Category: Cakes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 200
- Fat: 6
Frequently Asked Questions
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