Chocolate Fruit Cake for Christmas

Our answer

The beauty of the Incredibly Easy Chocolate Fruit cake is that it does not necessarily need to be made in advance. It is rich, damp and dark and will be delicious if served the day after baking, so is an ideal choice if you have very little time to make a Christmas cake.

However you can make the cake in advance if you prefer. It can be made up to 3 months in advance and frozen (undecorated), tightly wrapped in a double layer of clingfilm (plastic wrap) and a double layer of aluminium foil. Defrost overnight at room temperature. The cake can also be made 2-3 weeks in advance and stored in a cool place, tightly wrapped in a double layer of greaseproof paper or baking parchment (parchment paper) and a double layer of aluminium foil.