Traditional Honey Christmas Cake
No Sugar!
No Artificial Sweeteners!
(from the Honey Cookbook by Peter Russell-Clarke)
He says, “I pinched this recipe from the Australian Honey Board so it has to be good – I hope!”
Peter is correct – it is EASY and DELICIOUS, and NO SUGAR!! I’ve made it several times.
This looks like a lot to do but it’s super easy!
Note: This recipe is based on Australian cup measurements. There are many honey recipes using US cup sizes here at the Honey Board. Australian measurement recipes are more of a challenge to find.
- 3 cups raisins
- 1½ cups sultanas
- ¾ cup currants
- ¾ cup dates, chopped
- (= 6 cups total fruit – I used Sunbeam Mixed Fruit)
- 2/3 cup glace cherries, halved
- 2/3 cup glace apricots, chopped (I used plain dried apricots)
- 2/3 cup preserved sweet ginger, chopped (I used dried dates)
- ½ cup dark rum (I used sherry)
- 250g butter
- 1 cup raw honey
- 4 eggs
- 1 tsp almond essence
- ½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
- 2 cups wholemeal plain flour
- ½ cup self-raising flour
- ¼ cup cornflour
- 2 tsp ground mixed spice
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp sodium bicarbonate
- Extra glace cherry halves and walnut for decorations
- Pop the raisins, sultanas, currants, dates, cherries, apricots and ginger into a bowl.
- Add the rum/sherry and let it stand covered for 24 hours.
- Beat the butter and honey together.
- Add the eggs one at a time.
- Add almond essence and continue to beat until the mixture is light and creamy.
- Stir in the ½ cup walnuts.
- Sift the dry ingredients together (incl. spices) and add to the creamed butter and honey mixture.
- Add the fruit and rum.
- Butter and line a 20cm (8 in) cake tin with brown and baking paper.
- Spoon in the mixture, make sure it’s firm, decorate with the extra cherries and walnuts.
- Bake for 3 hours at 150 C (300 F). Check after 2½ hours.
Take the cake out of the oven, wrap it in a tea towel and let it cool in the tin. Slide it out of the tin and store in airtight container.
janetpoole.com 
A really delicious recipe. I used my honey skimmings, of which I always have plenty. Also I added more booze to the fruit soaking. It stores really well, still eating mine a month later and it tastes even better!
I have been making this cake for over 20 years and I lost my honey cookbook from the Australian honey board. im sure its in the house somewhere, so I was very happy to find this recipe online, THANK GOODNESS. It is the best cake ever for Christmas. I use a boozey icing made with icing sugar, sherry, and butter, (no water needed).