More Nigella recipes

Date and Marmalade Christmas Cake

by Nigella

Print me

Introduction

This cake tastes like Christmas pudding — a very, very good Christmas pudding — the sort the Quakers (as I’m fond of quoting) once magnificently condemned as “the invention of the scarlet whore of Babylon”. It’s rich, damp, treacly and so heady, it doesn’t even need the traditional alcohol in it. It also happens to be gluten- and dairy-free, and is a last-minute cake, so very useful if you haven’t got round to making that family recipe that needs to be baked ahead and fed with brandy for 6 months.

And please read the Additional Information section at the end of the recipe before proceeding.

For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

And please read the Additional Information section at the end of the recipe before proceeding.

For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

Date and Marmalade Christmas Cake — Photo by Keiko Oikawa

Ingredients

Yields: approx. 14 slices

Metric Cups

250 millilitres strong black tea
500 grams medjool dates
150 grams natural colour glace cherries
150 grams dried cranberries
150 grams sultanas
175 grams dark muscovado sugar
175 grams coconut oil
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cloves
200 grams good-quality marmalade (plus more to brush on the cake)
200 grams ground almonds
100 grams chopped almonds
3 large eggs (beaten)

1 cup strong black tea
18 medjool dates
¾ cup natural colour candied cherries
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup golden raisins
¾ cup dark brown sugar
1 cup coconut oil
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup good-quality marmalade (plus more to brush on the cake)
2 cups almond meal
¾ cup chopped almonds
3 large eggs (beaten)

Method

You will need: 1 x 20cm/8-inch springform cake tin.

Using your springform cake tin as a template, cut out a baking parchment circle for the bottom, and then make a lining for the sides of the tin that is about 6cm/2¼ inches higher than the height of the tin itself. Do this by making a very long rectangular strip of baking parchment, then fold the long bottom edge in by about 2cm/¾ inch, as if turning up a hem, then take a pair of scissors and snip into this hem at intervals as if to make a rough frill. Curl this around the inside of the tin, with the frilly edge flat on the bottom, and then sit your parchment circle on top of the frilled bit to hold it in place.
Make your tea: I just pour 250ml/1 cup boiling water over a teabag, let it steep, and make sure I take out the bag before adding the tea to the pan. Remove the stones from the dates, and snip each date into 4 pieces, using scissors. Halve the glace cherries, also using scissors. Of course, you can use a knife if you prefer.
Get out a saucepan that will take all the ingredients, including the tea, and put everything in it except for the almonds and eggs. Place on the heat, stirring to mix, and stir every now and again until it comes to a bubble. Then turn down the heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. The stirring not only helps the dates break up and "dissolve", but it also keeps the heat even and stops the mixture catching on the bottom of the pan. After 10 minutes, take the pan off the heat and let the batter stand for 30 minutes; an hour wouldn’t matter.
Preheat the oven to 150ºC/130ºC Fan/gas mark 2/300ºF. Stir into your cooled batter the ground almonds and the chopped almonds, followed by the beaten eggs, and when it’s all combined — though frankly I could eat the batter just like this — pour it into the prepared tin and even out the top with a spatula, then bake for 1½–1¾ hours. The sides will be coming away from the tin, and the cake, while squidgy, should leave only a slight stickiness (rather than any actual batter) on a cake tester.
Remove to a wire rack, brush with about 3 tablespoons of marmalade and let the cake cool in its tin (if your marmalade is firm, you may need to warm it a bit first to make it brushable — 20–30 seconds in the microwave, or warmed through in a small saucepan should do). Leave for a day before eating. I like to brush a little more bitter marmalade on top again, before slicing and serving. Obviously, you must feel free to decorate further and more seasonally if you wish.

You will need: 1 x 20cm/8-inch springform cake tin.

Using your springform cake tin as a template, cut out a baking parchment circle for the bottom, and then make a lining for the sides of the tin that is about 6cm/2¼ inches higher than the height of the tin itself. Do this by making a very long rectangular strip of baking parchment, then fold the long bottom edge in by about 2cm/¾ inch, as if turning up a hem, then take a pair of scissors and snip into this hem at intervals as if to make a rough frill. Curl this around the inside of the tin, with the frilly edge flat on the bottom, and then sit your parchment circle on top of the frilled bit to hold it in place.
Make your tea: I just pour 250ml/1 cup boiling water over a teabag, let it steep, and make sure I take out the bag before adding the tea to the pan. Remove the stones from the dates, and snip each date into 4 pieces, using scissors. Halve the candied cherries, also using scissors. Of course, you can use a knife if you prefer.
Get out a saucepan that will take all the ingredients, including the tea, and put everything in it except for the almonds and eggs. Place on the heat, stirring to mix, and stir every now and again until it comes to a bubble. Then turn down the heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. The stirring not only helps the dates break up and "dissolve", but it also keeps the heat even and stops the mixture catching on the bottom of the pan. After 10 minutes, take the pan off the heat and let the batter stand for 30 minutes; an hour wouldn’t matter.
Preheat the oven to 150ºC/130ºC Fan/gas mark 2/300ºF. Stir into your cooled batter the almond meal and the chopped almonds, followed by the beaten eggs, and when it’s all combined — though frankly I could eat the batter just like this — pour it into the prepared tin and even out the top with a spatula, then bake for 1½–1¾ hours. The sides will be coming away from the tin, and the cake, while squidgy, should leave only a slight stickiness (rather than any actual batter) on a cake tester.
Remove to a wire rack, brush with about 3 tablespoons of marmalade and let the cake cool in its tin (if your marmalade is firm, you may need to warm it a bit first to make it brushable — 20–30 seconds in the microwave, or warmed through in a small saucepan should do). Leave for a day before eating. I like to brush a little more bitter marmalade on top again, before slicing and serving. Obviously, you must feel free to decorate further and more seasonally if you wish.

Additional Information

You can substitute coconut oil for vegetable shortening in the cake, and if dairy isn’t an issue, butter.

MAKE AHEAD:
The cake can be made 1 week ahead. Wrap the cooled cake in a double layer of baking parchment of greaseproof paper and a layer of foil. Store in an airtight container in a cool place.

STORE:
Once cut, store the cake — still wrapped in baking parchment and foil — in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

You can substitute coconut oil for vegetable shortening in the cake, and if dairy isn’t an issue, butter.

MAKE AHEAD:
The cake can be made 1 week ahead. Wrap the cooled cake in a double layer of baking parchment of greaseproof paper and a layer of foil. Store in an airtight container in a cool place.

STORE:
Once cut, store the cake — still wrapped in baking parchment and foil — in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Tell us what you think

What 9 Others have said

This is unlike any cake I have ever tasted. The mixture smelled heavenly as it boiled! The finished product is dense, sticky, treacly, and utterly delicious. The marmalade and the coconut oil make for a rich and unique flavor profile. This will be a star over the holidays!

Posted by joshv41680 on 29th October 2021
I made this last Christmas and it was a great succes. Not too sweet and tangy with the marmalade.

Posted by Biltong12 on 8th December 2019
Hola, I traded retirement for volunteer teaching in rural Guatemala. I wanted to make this cake, but of course, I did not have all the ingredients, so I improvised as one must in developing countries. I did not have any almonds, so I used Hazelnuts & sunflower seeds instead to make up 300 grams. I ground the Hazelnuts to a fine powder and left the sunflower seeds whole. I did not have cherries, so just used and equal amount of cranberries. I did not have coconut oil, so used suet instead. For the orange marmalade, I used candied tangerine peel I made myself. It was not as dry as it should've been, because of the high humidity here, but it worked very well. I used the amounts indicated, making substitutions as needed. Despite the changes, the cake turned out great. Everyone really loved it, saying it tasted like the best Christmas Pudding ever. I'm sure the large amount of Cointreau I soaked the cake in helped! The cake turned out great! This goes to show that a good recipe is a good recipe.

Posted by Hallucigenia on 14th July 2019
This cake is absolutely delicious. I was a bit wary of it at first but I now prefer this over all Christmas cakes and puddings I have ever tasted. I don't like loads of sugary icing and I don't like that burnt taste you get with most Christmas cakes. This just feels like it is doing you good - no calories at all haha! :D

Posted by Pixietoadstool on 28th December 2017
Mmmm! You had me at dates!!

Posted by RobyH on 18th December 2017
As a Quaker I plan to make this for the Christmas Eve service. :) It looks delicious, and we have some who are gluten intolerant.

Posted by Fiberjoy on 18th December 2017
On the evening of December 28 2015 I decided to try this recipe. Our baby was 3 days overdue and to be induced by day 5. I was craving Christmas cake. It's almost impossible to find a gluten free recipe for Christmas cake so finding this was a gift indeed, and it read & looked divine. After one piece it was time for bed. An hour later my waters broke and our son was born the next day. A sweet and wonderful way to arrive!

Posted by ximun on 1st December 2017
It really is like Christmas pudding I was hesitant that without the flour it wouldn't bake - but somehow the eggs and dates merge - its a very wet/ moist cake - but very easy and we enjoyed it. Will make another for the Christmas period to store now.

Posted by Gavster99 on 21st November 2015
It's delicious, but it's very very moist, to the point of puddingy rather than cakey.

Posted by Katieowl on 19th November 2015