Easy 3-Ingredient Baileys Christmas Fruit Cake Recipe

If you love rich, festive bakes with minimal effort, this 3-ingredient Christmas cake is for you. Packed with plump dried fruit, soaked overnight in Baileys, and baked into a beautifully moist cake.

It's the kind of fruit cake that delivers maximum flavour with little fuss.

This might sound mad, but I don't like drinking Baileys as it's so sickly sweet. However, using it to soak dried fruit for this easiest-ever fruitcake is just pure festive joy!

I used to be the one feeding my Christmas cakes for months, but this version will help you realise your life choices! Because no need for fancy mixers, or a long list of ingredients.

It's just fruit soaked Baileys and self raising flour. Albeit it looks more expensive initially, but it's more efficient! I now love making this cake when I want instant holiday vibes without stress. A true festive miracle!

✔️ Why You'll Love This Recipe

Here's why this Christmas cake is a keeper:

• Easy to remember sweet treat recipe
• A true 3-ingredient Christmas cake
• No creaming, beating, or fancy mixers
• Rich fruit mixture that stays moist
• Perfect for holiday parties and gifts
• Keeps beautifully and tastes even better the next day
• Easy to adapt into a vegan version - use almond milk

🛒 Ingredient Notes

Please see the printable recipe card with exact ingredient quantities and preparation instructions at the bottom of this post.

Mixed dried fruit - this is a good mix of raisins, sultanas, currants, citrus peel, and can be mixed with dried cherries, cranberries, dates, apricots etc.

Baileys Irish Cream - this is to soak the dried fruit overnight, for a traditional Christmas cake taste and help preserve it longer. And also, more used to loosen the cake mix the next day.

Self-raising flour - or use 300g plain flour (all purpose) and add 6 teaspoons of baking powder (not bicarbonate of soda).

📋 Instructions

Here are my easy step-by-step instructions with no stress or fuss.

1. Soak the fruit:
Place the dried fruit into a large bowl and pour over 600ml of the Baileys Irish cream.

Stir well, cover with cling film, and leave to soak overnight or at least 6 hours.

Bailey's alternatives: you can also use orange juice, apple juice, ginger ale, chocolate milk, strong black tea, or any liquid of your choice.

2. Loosen the mix:
Now preheat the oven to 150°c fan/170°c conventional, gas mark 3 or 340°f conventional/300°f fan.

Once the dried fruit has soaked up all the Baileys, stir in an additional 140ml and stir to loosen.

3. Add the flour:
Now add the self raising flour to the soaked dried mix.

4. Stir:
Give the fruit mixture and flour a good stir until fully combined.

The batter will be very thick but spoonable.

5. Prep your tin

Line a deep springform cake tin (20-22 cm diameter) with baking paper.

Spoon into the prepared tin and smooth the top.

6. Bake low and slow:

Then cut a large piece of baking paper twice the size of the cake tin, then fold it into 4 and cut a small notch out of the folded corner to create a vent.

Place over the cake and bake in the oven for 2:30 hours.

Test the centre of the cake with a skewer. If it doesn't come out clean, bake for a further 5 minutes.

Then remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the tin.

Tip: Prick the cake while cooling and feed it with 200ml brandy to help it keep longer.

👩‍🍳 Substitutions

Depending on your dietary needs, here are a few simple swaps you can make:

• Alcohol-free: use fruit juice, orange juice, apple juice, ginger ale, black tea or chocolate milk. Note: I've also used 600g dried fruit + 400g ready made mincemeat and it works perfectly
• Bailey's alternative: I've also tested it with 70cl Hotel Chocolat Velvetised Espresso Martini chocolate cream
• Vegan version: use almond milk, or any vegan mil you wish
• Gluten-free version: use gluten-free self-raising flour

⚖️ Variations

Here are some different ways you can enhance and truly personalise this recipe:

• Marzipan and Icing sugar - I ALWAYS follow this how to marzipan and ice a Christmas cake video tutorial
• Dust with icing sugar - decorate using snowflake stencils or other festive patterns
• Leave as is - and serve warm as a pudding or simple coffee cake

🔪 Equipment

Please note that as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases made through affiliate links.

• Springform cake tin
• Baking paper
• Large mixing bowl
• Wooden spoon
• Cling film

❄️ Storage

Storing: Wrap well and keep in an airtight container for up to 3-4 weeks

Freezing: Freeze slices for up to 3 months, so you can remove a slice at a time without thawing the whole cake

🍽️ Serving Suggestions

This 3-ingredient Christmas cake is wonderfully versatile and suits everything from cosy evenings to festive gatherings.

• Serve sliced at room temperature with a hot mug of tea or morning coffee
• Lightly warm a slice and dust with icing sugar for a simple dessert.
• Add a spoon of whipped cream, custard, or vanilla ice cream.
• For gifting, marzipan and ice all over, or just the tops and present on a cake board, wrapped in sellophane.
• It also pairs beautifully with a small glass of Baileys, mulled wine, or even fruit juice if you're keeping things light.

❓ FAQ

➕ More Fruit Cake Recipes

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these: