• Home
  • Recipes
    • recipes
    • menus
    • tips & tricks
    • pantry
    • conversions
  • Annabel
    • about
    • in the news
    • blog
    • gallery
    • my partners
  • Community
    • community
    • community recipes
    • forum
    • join
  • Garden
    • growing guide
    • know how
    • sustainability
  • Life & Style
    • life & style
    • travel
    • gallery
  • Books & Tv
    • TV season 3: Through the Seasons
    • TV season 2: Simple Pleasures
    • TV season 1: The Free Range Cook
    • books
  • Shop
    • books & dvds
    • home & garden
  • Win
    • competition
A Free Range Life with Annabel Langbein
  • Welcome!
  • login
  • join
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • recipes
    • menus
    • tips & tricks
    • pantry
    • conversions
  • Annabel
    • about
    • in the news
    • blog
    • gallery
    • my partners
  • Community
    • community
    • community recipes
    • forum
    • my profile
    • my recipes
    • add a recipe
  • Garden
    • growing guide
    • know how
    • sustainability
  • Life & Style
    • life & style
    • travel
    • gallery
  • Books & TV
    • TV Season 3:
      Through the Seasons
    • TV Season 2:
      Simple Pleasures
    • TV Season 1:
      The Free Range Cook
    • books
  • Shop
    • books & dvds
    • home & garden
  • Win
    • competitions
← Catch me if you can!
Best-ever Christmas cake recipes →

A Christmas miracle cake

Posted on December 02, 2017 by Annabel Langbein

AnnabelLangbeinThreeIngredChristmasCake2.jpg

I love the way people who are passionate about cooking are so generous with sharing their favourite recipes. A few years ago I was being interviewed on a radio show when a lovely lady whose name I failed to write down (sorry – I wish I could remember so I could say a proper thank you!) called in.

“I’ve got this amazing fruit cake that uses only three ingredients,” she said. “It’s just so impossibly easy and it’s really, really good.”

Well “impossibly easy” and “really, really good” are two phrases that hit the spot in my busy life, so I could feel my ears prick up.

I have to admit that when she told me the recipe I didn’t believe it could work. A great fruitcake that uses just three ingredients? I didn’t think so.

But I was intrigued and so I went home and made it. All I can say is WOW. All everyone who tried it could say was OMG WOW. 

All you do is put a kilo of mixed dried fruit in a bowl, cover it with milk and leave it to soak overnight. The next day you stir in some self-raising flour, pour it into a cake tin and bake it. Just over an hour later you have an incredible, moist, light and flavoursome fruitcake – it's a Christmas miracle!

Because I can’t help myself tweaking any recipe I try, I have since played around with adding a teaspoon of mixed spice, or a few brazil nuts, both of which were good optional extras. Since I've shared it on social media people have written in to say they've made a dairy-free version by swapping out the milk for almond milk, fruit juice or ginger ale, with great success. Gluten-free self-raising flour works well too. 

Brushing the top with about a tablespoon of sherry, rum or whiskey when it comes out of the oven is also a nice idea (if you are very sensitive to gluten avoid the whiskey). But actually, just as is, with those three ingredients – fruit, milk and flour – this is one hell of a fabulous cake. 

Something this good deserves to be shared, so it's available here on my website. 

For something a little bit special, I dust the top with icing sugar just before serving. You can lay a paper doily, piece of lace or cake decorating stencil over the top first to make festive patterns. 

For other Christmas cake inspiration see my website.

← Catch me if you can!
Best-ever Christmas cake recipes →

Recent Posts

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

Facebook Instagram Youtube Pinterest Twitter Signup
  • help
  • /
  • contact us
  • /
  • privacy policy
  • /
  • terms & conditions

© Annabel Langbein Media 2013 - 2021. All worldwide rights reserved

Discover how to live a Free Range Life – enjoying the simple pleasures of exploring your creativity, connecting with nature and sharing food and laughter through the seasons.

Content by Annabel Langbein

Published by Annabel Langbein Media

 

Hello!

Generic content for all other countries not on the list.

Annabel Langbein The Free Range Cook Simple Pleasures ATP
Annabel Langbein Sign up to my e newsletter

newsletter

Get VIP offers & great foodie content & you could win an iPad Air 2!

See recipes from my TV show View the PBS schedule Buy the book on Amazon

Before you go, tell us where you heard about Annabel's book:

Buy the book

Unfortunately, your browser blocked the popup, please use the following link to Buy the Book

book
Annabel Langbein

Sign up to my e newsletter

newsletter

Get VIP offers and great foodie inspiration!