Christmas Cake Bites

These Christmas Cake Bites are a fun twist on classic fruitcake: rich squares packed with dried fruit and cherries, topped with apricot-glazed marzipan and icing. Perfect for gifting, nibbling and holiday dessert platters.

Love this recipe? Check out this other Mary Berry-inspired Mincemeat Loaf Cake!

Think of these Christmas Cake Bites as mini luxury fruitcakes you don’t have to slice at the table. A buttery fruit-studded sponge scented with brandy is baked in one pan, then covered with golden marzipan and snowy white icing before being cut into dainty, bite-sized squares.

We have Mary Berry to thank for this genius idea – I have been relying on her Christmas baking recipes for years! This recipe starts with a rich, moist fruit cake loaded with dried apricots, mixed dried fruit and jewel-like cherries soaked in brandy.

Once baked, the cake is topped with a layer of marzipan and ready-rolled white icing then sliced into neat little squares. These Christmas cake bites are the perfect make-ahead treat for holiday parties, edible gifts, or for sneaking with a cup of tea in the run-up to Christmas.

Here’s What You’ll Need

• Dried apricots and brandy: Finely chopped apricots are briefly warmed in brandy so they plump up and soak in the flavor. This adds a gentle boozy note helps the cake stay moist and fresh for days.
• Unsalted butter: Make sure it’s soft so it creams easily with the sugar.
• Light brown sugar: Adds sweetness plus a hint of caramel from the molasses, which works beautifully with dried fruit and brandy.
• All-purpose (plain flour): Provides structure for your fruitcake while still allowing a tender crumb that can stand up to all the fruit.
• Mixed dried fruit: A medley of raisins, sultanas and currants is the classic fruit mix for Christmas cake, but you can also use dried cranberries or dates. Make sure the fruit is chopped if large to make the cake easier to slice neatly.
• Glacé or cocktail cherries: Chopped cherries add festive color and a soft, candied texture throughout the cake – those jewel-like pops in each bite. Rinse and dry completely before using.
• Apricot jam: Warm apricot jam is our “glue” that helps the marzipan and icing cling onto the fruit cake.
• Ready-rolled marzipan (almond paste): A thin layer of golden marzipan sits between the cake and icing.
• Ready-rolled white icing: A neat, snowy-white top that finishes the bites beautifully. Ready-rolled fondant saves time and gives a smooth, professional look.

How to Make Christmas Cake Bites

Make the Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 320°F / 160ºC (285°F / 140ºC Convection/Fan Oven). Grease and line a square 8-inch pan.
2. Put the chopped apricots into a bowl, add the brandy and microwave for 20-30 seconds. Leave them to cool and allow the liquid to be absorbed.
3. Cream the butter and sugar using a hand or stand mixer until pale and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs and  flour and beat again. Stir in the dried fruit and cherries until evenly combined.
5. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and level (make sure it is packed down so there are no air pockets).  Bake for 60-75 minutes or until golden brown. A skewer inserted in the center should come out clean. Let the cake cool down completely before decorating.

Decorate and Slice

1. Cut the marzipan and icing to the right size using the cake pan as a guide. If you have any leftover icing you can use it to cut out small festive shapes using cookie cutters to decorate the cake with.
2. Place the cake on a plate bottom-size up. Brush the top of the cake with warm apricot jam and place the marzipan top, pressing down so it adheres.
3. Brush the marzipan with a little jam and position the rolled icing on top. Stick any decorations on top with a little jam. Leave the cake overnight at room temperature in a covered container before slicing.

Storing Instructions

• Room temperature – Store the bites in an airtight container in a cool place away from direct heat for 7–10 days, placing baking parchment or wax paper between layers if stacking so the icing doesn’t stick.
• Fridge – Not recommended as it can soften the icing and make it bleed.
• Freezing – You can freeze the fruitcake, without the marzipan and icing, well wrapped in layers of baking parchment and foil, for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight at room temperature before decorating.
• Make-ahead – Bake the cake a couple of days before you plan to serve, then decorate the day before. You can also bake the fruit cake up to two weeks before Christmas, feeding with a little brandy to keep the fruit cake moist.

FAQs and Answers

Yes. Simply replace the brandy with orange juice or apple juice. Warm the juice with the apricots in the same way so they still plump up and soften.

If your mixed dried fruit is quite hard, you can soak it briefly in a little extra brandy or juice before adding it to the batter. Drain off any excess so you don’t make the cake too wet.

Marzipan is traditional and adds a lovely almond flavor, but if you’re not a fan you can skip it and decorate the cake with nuts.

Allow the marzipan and icing to firm up overnight. Slice using a long sharp knife, wiping the blade clean between each cut for crisp edges.