🍋 Sicilian Lemon Christmas Cake 🍋

This recipe holds a special place in my heart! I first collaborated with Renshaw in 2022 to bring you this beauty, and I bring it back every year because it’s that good.

This Sicilian Lemon Christmas Cake as a delicious alternative to the traditional fruitcake…and it’s super light!

With the tangy zest of Sicilian lemon and a hint of Limoncello, this cake is perfect for anyone looking for something a little different but still wonderfully festive.

The Renshaw Sicilian Lemon products really bring this cake to life, and I 100% recommend them if you're looking to add authentic, vibrant lemon flavour.

You can find them easily from Renshaw, trust me, they’re a game-changer for this cake!

Otherwise you can use any fondant and frosting you prefer.

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Baking Ingredients:

• 250g dried mixed fruit

• 50g mixed citrus peel

• 70g dried apricots

• 30g dried cherries (or glacé cherries)

• 40g dried cranberries

• 100ml Limoncello

• 200g baking spread

• 130g caster sugar

• 4 eggs

• 250g self-raising flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 130ml milk

Decorating Ingredients:

• 200g (1 tub) Renshaw Sicilian Lemon Icing

• Approx. 350g Renshaw Sicilian Lemon Fondant Icing

• A touch of green food colouring

• Red sprinkles or fondant balls

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Method to Make the Magic Happen:

Preparing the Fruit:

1. Weigh out all the dried fruits and place them in a bowl or tub with a lid.

2. Pour over the Limoncello and stir everything together.

3. Cover and leave the mixture to soak overnight to really absorb all those flavours.

Baking the Cake:

1. Preheat your oven to 160°C (Gas mark 3) and grease and line two 7-inch cake tins.

2. In a large bowl, add the baking spread and caster sugar. Beat them together until creamy and well-combined.

3. Gradually add the eggs, mixing them in until fully incorporated.

4. Gently mix in the self-raising flour, baking powder, and milk until smooth.

5. Stir in the soaked fruit mixture and combine it into the batter.

6. Split the mixture evenly between the two prepared tins.

7. Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.

8. Once done, cool the cakes in the tins for 10 minutes, then remove them from the tins to cool completely on a wire rack.

Assembling the Cake:

1. Place one of the cooled sponges onto your cake stand.

2. Pipe the Renshaw Sicilian Lemon Frosting in swirls to cover the top of the first sponge.

3. Add the second sponge on top and smooth more of the frosting over the top to create a smooth surface.

4. Roll out the Renshaw Sicilian Lemon Fondant and use a pizza cutter to carve out the shape of the Christmas pudding icing (see picture for reference).

5. Lay the fondant over the cake and gently press it into place.

6. With the fondant offcuts, use some green food colouring to make holly leaves and berries. Arrange them on top of the cake to finish.

And there you have it—a beautifully festive Sicilian Lemon Christmas Cake that’s an alternative to the traditional fruitcake but just as delicious and full of festive spirit.

This cake is always a showstopper at the Christmas table, enjoy!