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Mary Berry Christmas Cake Bites

Mary Berry Christmas cake bites are made from brandy-soaked dried fruit baked into a spiced cake, then topped with marzipan and lemon icing. Cut the finished cake into 36 small bites for a festive treat with a rich fruit-cake texture.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 5 minutes
Soaking, cooling, and setting 3 hours
Total Time 5 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 36 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: British
Calories: 225
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the cake
  • 1 lb mixed dried fruit such as raisins, currants, and golden raisins
  • 0.5 cup candied citrus peel chopped
  • 0.33 cup brandy
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar light, packed
  • 4 eggs large, at room temperature
  • 1 tsp lemon zest finely grated
  • 1.75 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.5 cup ground almonds
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • nonstick cooking spray
For the marzipan topping
  • 0.25 cup apricot preserves
  • 14 oz marzipan
  • 1 tbsp confectioners’ sugar for dusting
For the icing
  • 1.5 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp water

Equipment

  • 1 8-inch square baking pan

Method
 

Make the cake
  1. Stir the dried fruit, candied peel, and brandy together in a large bowl, cover, and soak for at least 2 hours at room temperature.
  2. Heat the oven to 300°F.
  3. Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  4. Line the bottom and sides of the pan with parchment paper.
  5. Beat the butter and brown sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  6. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
  7. Mix in the lemon zest.
  8. Whisk the flour, ground almonds, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a separate bowl.
  9. Fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture just until combined.
  10. Fold in the soaked fruit and any remaining brandy until evenly distributed.
  11. Spread the batter in the prepared pan.
  12. Bake for 1 hour 50 minutes to 2 hours 20 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean; loosely tent with foil if the top darkens too quickly.
  13. Cool the cake in the pan for 30 minutes.
  14. Lift it out using the parchment and cool completely.
Cover with marzipan
  1. Warm the apricot preserves in a small saucepan over low heat until loose, about 1 minute.
  2. Brush the preserves over the top of the cooled cake.
  3. Dust the work surface with the confectioners’ sugar.
  4. Roll the marzipan into an 8-inch square about 1/4 inch thick.
  5. Lay the marzipan over the cake and trim the edges.
  6. Cut the cake into 36 equal bites, using a sharp knife and wiping the blade between cuts.
Ice the bites
  1. Stir the confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, and water together until smooth and thick.
  2. Spoon a small mound of icing onto each bite.
  3. Let the icing set for 30 minutes.

Notes

For neat portions, wipe the knife blade between cuts as directed. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days; these bites can be frozen for up to 2 months. A gluten-free all-purpose flour blend can be used as a dietary swap, though the cake texture may vary.