Mini Summer Fruit Christmas Cakes

Christmas Cake, but make it summer. I am so excited to finally share my Mini Summer Fruit Christmas Cakes with you! This is my not so traditional take on the very traditional Christmas Cake. But what may surprise you is that I have actually always hated Christmas Cake! It wasn't until a couple of years ago that I realised why, and so I set about making my own version using fruits and flavours I love. What can you expect? A hell of a lot less rum and no dried ginger. I have pulled back on the sultanas and raisons, and while you won't find any glacé cherries you will find lots of summer fruits, like mango, pineapple and apricot.

These Mini Christmas Cakes are fragrant, mellow and decadent. They're packed with dried pineapple, dates, sultanas, mango, currants, pears, raisons and apricots. Expect a zingy citrus hit thanks to the addition of lemon and orange rind. An earthy spice mix of cinnamon, ginger and turmeric brings it back down while a sweet hit of fig jam takes it to new heights. But let's not forget about the refreshing yet bold combination of ginger beer and dark rum. Best of all? These Mini Christmas Cakes are not only the perfect dessert to serve throughout the festive season with ice cream, custard or coconut ice cream, they also happen to be the perfect gift for your friends and family. Read on for the recipe, which you can also download and print for free. Happy baking, happy holidays! 

Making the Spiced Summer Fruit Mix

Every Christmas Cake is beholden to a mix of dried fruits that have been soaked for at least 3 to 7 days. I am excited to share the recipe and method for my Spiced Summer Fruit Mix as it includes a lot of unexpected ingredients - dried pineapple and mango, lemon and orange rind, ground turmeric, fig jam and ginger beer. You will need to make my Spiced Summer Fruit Mix at least 3 days before you bake the cakes. The idea is for the fig jam, ginger beer and rum to completely soak into the dried fruits. I've made this recipe a few times so I think its best to let the fruit soak for longer, and at least 7 days. But if you are strapped for time, 3 days is fine. I'll also add that many recipes call for the fruit mix to sit at room temperature but honestly, it's so hot here in Australia in December so I always keep mu Spiced Summer Fruit Mix in the fridge. I've had no issues when baking it but if you'd like, take the fruit mix out of the fridge the night before or the morning of and let it come down to room temperature if you like.  

Baking the pudding

This part couldn't be easier, but you will need to do a little bit of prep work. To make the Mini Christmas Cakes, you'll need to get your hands on some mini springform cake tins - I got mine from Kmart for a steal and they are really good! You'll also have to double line each cake tin with two sheets of baking paper to ensure the edges of the cakes don't burn. They bake in the oven for at least 1.5 to 2 hours, and double lining the cake tins will avoid burnt edges. To make the cake batter you simply mix the wet ingredients, add the dry ingredients and fold in the Spiced Summer Fruit Mix. Don't be alarmed by the lack of cake batter. This is a Christmas Cake after all. Once the batter is ready, you fill the mini cake tins, decorate the top with nuts and bake away! 

Decorate the Mini Christmas Cakes

Obviously decorating the tops of the Mini Christmas Cakes is a lot of run, but remember to decorate the edges of them with ribbons to make them extra festive! They look super pretty and they're a nice way to give these cakes a little Christmas glow up. 

Mini Summer Fruit Christmas Cakes

4 per cake / 8 cakes

These Mini Summer Fruit Christmas Cakes are fragrant, mellow and decadent. They're packed with dried pineapple, dates, sultanas, mango, currants, pears, raisons and apricots. Expect a zingy citrus hit thanks to the addition of lemon and orange rind.An earthy spice mix of cinnamon, ginger and turmeric brings it back down while a sweet hit of fig jam takes it to new heights. But let's not forget about the refreshing yet bold combination of ginger beer and dark rum. Best of all? These Mini Christmas Cakes are not only the perfect dessert to serve throughout the festive season with ice cream, custard or coconut ice cream, they also happen to be the perfect gift for your friends and family. 

Ingredients

Spiced Summer Fruit Mix

• 100g dried mango slices, chopped coarsely

• 200g dried pineapple rings, chopped coarsely

• 225 dried apricots, chopped coarsely

• 200g dried pear slices, chopped coarsely

• 1 cup dried currants

• 1 cup raisons

• 450g sultanas

• 2 cups pitted dates, chopped coarsely 

• 1 lemon - juice and zest

• 1 orange - juice and zest

• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon

• 1 tbsp ground ginger

• 1/3 cup fig jam

• 1 tsp ground turmeric 

• 2 cups ginger beer

• 1 cup dark rum

  Christmas Cakes

• 250g salted butter, room temperature 

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 4 eggs, room temperature 

• 2 cups self raising flour

• Spiced Summer Fruit Mix

• Dried nuts to decorate the top of the cakes. I used pecans, macadamias, walnuts and blanched almonds.

Directions

1. Place all of the ingredients for the Spiced Summer Fruit Mix into a large bowl, gently stir to combine. Cover and store in the fridge for 7 days (minimum of 2 days is required). Stir the ingredients after 3 days and place it back in the fridge covered. 

2. Remove Spiced Summer Fruit Mix from the fridge the morning you want to bake the cakes. This will help get the mix to room temperature although this is not absolutely necessary.

3. Preheat oven to 180C. Line the base and sides of 8 mini cake tins (or one large tin if you want to bake on Summer Fruit Christmas Cake) with two layers of baking paper. Make sure the baking paper is taller than the sides of the tin, refer to photos above.

4. Beat butter in an electric stand mixer or electric mixer in a large bowl until lighter in colour and fluffy. Add sugar and beat until smooth. Beat eggs in one at a time. Gently fold in flour then the Spiced Summer Fruit Mix. Don't be alarmed if there is a lot more fruit than cake batter. A Christmas Cake is very dense with soaked fruit. 

5. Spoon cake batter into the mini cake tins and arrange nuts on each cake top. Bake for at least 90 minutes to 2 hours. When the cakes are ready, you'll be able to insert a skewer and it comes out clean. 

6. Remove the cakes from the oven and cover with clean tea towels to steam and cool overnight. Turn the cakes out when they have cooled down and wrap ribbon around each cake to decorate. 

7. Store Christmas Cakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two months, or you can freeze them and when you are ready to eat them, defrost them.
   

Recipe Note

• You will need to make the Spiced Summer Fruit Mix at least 3 days before you bake the cakes.

• I recommend soaking the Spiced Summer Fruit Mix for at least 7 days and store it in the fridge.

• You will need a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer, 8 mini cake tins, baking paper and ribbon.

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