For many across the UK, a rich, fruity Christmas cake is the centrepiece of the festive table. Yet this traditional treat is famously a labour of love, demanding preparation months in advance. This year, however, one forgetful baker discovered a clever supermarket shortcut that bypasses the lengthy wait entirely.
The Panic of a Missed Deadline
Senior Spare Time Reporter Mia O'Hare faced a festive dilemma in early December 2025. She had completely forgotten to start her Christmas cake, missing the crucial Stir-up Sunday benchmark and the advised two to three-month lead time. The reason for this long preparation is to allow the dried fruit to mature and for the cake to be regularly 'fed' with alcohol like brandy or sherry, a process that deepens the flavour.
Determined not to go without, Mia embarked on a mission to find a solution that didn't require weeks of patience. Her search led her to the baking aisle of Lidl, where she found her saving grace: a large bag of mixed fruit that had already been pre-soaked in brandy.
The Game-Changing Supermarket Find
This pre-soaked fruit proved to be a complete game-changer. By using fruit already drenched in brandy, the need to soak it for weeks at home was eliminated, saving a significant amount of time and hassle. It provided the essential matured fruit flavour without the traditional wait.
To construct the cake, Mia turned to a trusted BBC Good Food recipe designed for last-minute bakers. She adapted it by swapping the 1kg of standard mixed dried fruit for her 1kg of pre-soaked Lidl fruit. Because the fruit was already alcohol-rich, she also wisely reduced the quantity of sherry used elsewhere in the recipe.
How to Make Your Own Last-Minute Masterpiece
Ingredients:
- 1kg pre-soaked mixed fruit (or standard mixed dried fruit)
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 150ml sherry (reduce if using pre-soaked fruit)
- 250g butter
- 200g light muscovado sugar
- 150g plain flour
- 75g ground almonds
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp mixed spice
- 75g whole almonds
- 40g crystallised ginger (optional)
- 4 eggs
Instructions:
- If using pre-soaked fruit, you can skip the initial simmering step. Otherwise, combine the dried fruit, lemon zest and juice, 150ml sherry, butter, and sugar in a large pan. Simmer for 8 minutes, then cool for 30-60 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Line a 20cm cake tin with a double layer of baking parchment.
- Stir the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, mixed spice, whole almonds, ginger, and eggs into the fruit mixture until thoroughly combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin, smooth the top, and bake for 2 to 2.5 hours. It's ready when a skewer inserted comes out with just a few crumbs.
- Remove the cake from the oven and pierce it all over with a skewer. Drizzle over 3 tablespoons of sherry. Let it cool completely in the tin before removing.
Finishing Touches and Festive Storage
Once cooled, the creative decoration can begin. A classic finish involves brushing the cake with warmed apricot jam, then layering on marzipan and fondant icing. The best part? This last-minute Christmas cake can be stored in an airtight container for several weeks, making it the perfect make-ahead dessert for Christmas Day itself.
This clever supermarket shortcut demonstrates that even the most time-honoured festive traditions can be adapted for modern, busy lives. With a little ingenuity, a showstopping Christmas cake is still well within reach, no matter how late you start.
