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Easy Christmas Cake with Crunchy Apple Frosting

November 28, 2016

A light and easy Christmas cake, infused with crunchy apple, sultanas, dates, cinnamon and brandy. Recipe commissioned by Emily Crisps.

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Print

Easy Christmas Cake with Crunchy Apple Frosting

Author Ren Behan

Ingredients

  • 150ml warm water mixed with 2 tsp honey
  • 60g Emily Fruit Crisps Crunchy Apple
  • 80g pitted dates, chopped into sultana-sized pieced
  • 200g raisins or sultanas
  • 1 tbsp brandy
  • 200g butter
  • 4 eggs
  • 100g light brown muscovado sugar
  • 100g dark brown muscovado sugar
  • 200g self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract or the seeds of one vanilla pod
  • 3 tsp cinnamon

Apple Crisp Frosting

  • 500g icing sugar
  • 250g unsalted butter
  • 60g Emily Fruit Crisps Crunchy Apple (finely blitzed to a powder)

To decorate

  • 60g Emily Fruit Crisps Crunchy Apple

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas Mark 2. Line 2 x 9inch cake tins with baking parchment. 
  2. Boil a kettle, add 2 tsp runny honey to 150ml water. Pour over the fruit (apple crisps, sultanas and dates) with 1 tbsp brandy and leave to soak.
  3. Beat the butter with the eggs and sugars. Stir in flour and baking powder. Add the vanilla and cinnamon.
  4. Stir in the pre-soaked fruit.
  5. Pour into the cake tins, bake for 1 hour at 150C.
  6. Remove the cakes and leave to cool completely. 
  7. For the frosting, beat the butter until creamy and light in colour. Add the icing sugar and the powdered apple. 
  8. Place 1 cake layer on a cake stand. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake. Decorate with apple pieces and other Christmas decorations. 

easy-christmas-cake-crunchy-apple-crisps-5

For more festive treats with Emily Crisps try:

  • Katie’s Dark Chocolate, Banana and Date Fridge Cake
  • Helen’s Mincemeat and Banana Loaf Cake
  • Sarah’s Posh Cheese and Pineapple Sticks 
  • Or Jacqueline’s Vegan Gingerbread Cupcakes with Pineapple Frosting

easy-christmas-cake-crunchy-apple-crisps-6

With thanks to Emily Crisps for this festive-inspired commission. #ad 

Filed Under: Baking and Desserts, Christmas Holidays, Recipe21 Comments

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About Ren

Ren Behan is a British-born food writer of Polish descent. She is a mum to three young children (13, 10 and 5) and spends lots of time with them in the kitchen. Ren writes about seasonal, family-friendly food on her blog www.renbehan.com. She also contributes recipes and articles to online and print food publications, such as Food52.com, GreatBritishChefs.com, Huff Post Food and JamieOliver.com. She holds a Diploma in Food Journalism with Distinction and has completed a Food Styling course at Leiths School of Food and Wine.

Ren’s cookbook, Wild Honey and Rye: Modern Polish Recipes, draws upon her Polish heritage and regular travels to Poland.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Helen @ Fuss Free Flavours says

    December 10, 2016 at 3:39 pm

    This is such a beautiful cake Ren, and innovative use of Emily Crisps. I love the product so much.

    Reply
  2. Laura@howtocookgoodfood says

    December 8, 2016 at 5:28 pm

    This is the perfect festive cake, love the list of ingredients and can only imagin ehow good it tastes. A fruity apple flavoured icing makes a welcome change to the traditional Xmas cakes whcih are often too heavy. I think these fruity apple crisps look great, and they win prizes for the best packaging. A cake for the whole family!

    Reply
  3. Kavey says

    December 8, 2016 at 4:41 pm

    What an amazing, beautiful and creative cake. Would never have thought to use those lovely apple crisps this way but love it!

    Reply
  4. Camilla Hawkins says

    December 6, 2016 at 2:09 pm

    What a lovely light Christmas Cake, so pretty with the apple chips on top. Will look out for these when I’m next in Waitrose!

    Reply
    • Ren Behan says

      December 8, 2016 at 3:40 pm

      Thank you Camilla, it’s a firm favourite here 🙂

      Reply
  5. Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says

    December 6, 2016 at 11:36 am

    That is a such a beautiful cake Ren, and what a great idea for a topping. I love apple on cakes!

    Reply
    • Ren Behan says

      December 8, 2016 at 3:41 pm

      Thanks Dannii, really appreciate that.

      Reply
  6. Lucy Parissi says

    December 5, 2016 at 8:28 pm

    What an absolutely gorgeous cake! Love fruit crisps will be on the lookout for Emily’s crisps I know my kids would go mad for them!

    Reply
    • Ren Behan says

      December 8, 2016 at 3:41 pm

      Thanks Lucy, yes mine are hooked!

      Reply
  7. Sally - My Custard Pie says

    December 3, 2016 at 3:50 pm

    Beautiful fusion of traditional with modern Ren. Love the feel of these photos which are the same. That little hand….
    Really like the sound of the vegetable crisps

    Reply
    • Ren Behan says

      December 8, 2016 at 3:42 pm

      Thank you Sally always so kind :-))

      Reply
  8. Sarah Maison Cupcake says

    December 1, 2016 at 8:50 pm

    This cake looks superb! The apple crips have been my favourite and I really love how you’ve used them in this recipe.

    Reply
    • Ren Behan says

      December 8, 2016 at 3:42 pm

      Thanks Sarah! Loved your recipe for Emily Crisps, too.

      Reply
  9. Jacqueline Meldrum says

    November 30, 2016 at 10:27 pm

    That looks amazing Ren! I love the naked frosting look, it’s so elegant and a better amount of frosting to my mind. Love the decoration too. Nice idea.

    Reply
    • Ren Behan says

      December 8, 2016 at 3:43 pm

      Thanks Jac, loved your recipe too – definitely trying the cupcakes over Christmas

      Reply
  10. Katie Bryson says

    November 30, 2016 at 8:24 am

    What a stunning cake Ren, and a real contender for the Christmas cake crown… I think I’ll make this for Christmas Eve! The apple crisps are so tasty… I love how pretty they are too so are fabulous cake decorations 🙂

    Reply
    • Ren Behan says

      December 8, 2016 at 3:43 pm

      Thanks Katie yes they turned out so pretty! Hope you try it over xmas.

      Reply
  11. Rachael says

    November 29, 2016 at 4:39 pm

    This cakes so beautiful and tasty. Also, I love your styling in the photos, so pretty!

    Rachael xx.

    theteacozykitchen.blogspot.co.uk

    Reply
    • Ren Behan says

      December 8, 2016 at 3:44 pm

      Thanks so much Rachel for popping over.

      Reply
  12. Georgina says

    November 29, 2016 at 1:52 pm

    Wow, this cake looks beautiful and so Christmassy. I love the idea of putting those fruit crisps into the frosting – such a good tip! Thank you for sharing the recipe.

    Reply
    • Ren Behan says

      December 8, 2016 at 3:44 pm

      Thanks Georgina, so glad you like it.

      Reply
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