Sri Lankan Christmas Cake is a traditional Sri Lankan recipe for a classic rich fruited Christmas cake with chow chow, melon candy and cashew nuts served in squares topped with white marzipan. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Sri Lankan dish of: Sri Lankan Christmas Cake.
(click this button to prevent the screen from sleeping so Cook Mode is 'ON')
I was given this recipe many years ago by a Sri Lankan friend. It's languished as a scan on a recovered hard drive for decades. It finally came to light as I was going through my recipe collection. I finally decided to prepare it as my wife loves cashew nuts and the local Asian store had some ash pumpkins for making pumpkin preserve. So this became out Christmas cake for 2025. Note that this is a cake that requires maturing, so prepare it at least two weeks before Christmas day.
Ingredients:
250g Sultanas
100g Raisins
125g preserved ginger or candied ginger chopped
125g chow chow chopped
250g glacé cherry or macerated cherries chopped
200ml Brandy
juice of 1 lime
juice of 1/2 orange
Semolina and Butter mix:
250g unsalted Butter
200g fine Semolina
Egg yolk mix:
400g White Sugar
13 Egg yolks
Spices and flavourings:
1 tbsp Almond essence
1 tbsp Vanilla extract
2 tsp Rose water
3 tsp Mixed spice
1 tsp ground allspice
Final ingredients:
40g Golden syrup or honey
200g Strawberry jam
400g Cashews nuts, chopped
400g Pumpkin preserve (also known as melon candy or puhul dosi), chopped
7 Egg whites, Beaten to soft peak
Assembly:
250g marzipan (almond paste)
Enough brandy to brush on the cake
Method:
About two to three days prior to baking the cake, take a large bowl and add the raisins and sultanas along with the chopped ginger (preserve or candied), chow chow and quartered glacé cherries. Add half the flavourings and spices along with the brandy and citrus juices. Cover the bowl with clingfilm then set aside to macerate for at least two days (if you have time give them two weeks).
When ready to bake pre-heat your oven to 150C and line two square cake tins with greaseproof (waxed) paper. Set these aside.
Set a large frying pan over low heat then add the semolina and toast it for about 5-6 minutes until it is toasted and has a slight brown colour like sand.
Turn the toasted semolina into a mixing bowl and whilst still hot add the butter, mixing thoroughly with a wooden spoon until completely combined. Set aside.
Separate your eggs then combine the yolks and sugar in a bowl. Beat with an electric whisk until pale, creamy and doubled in volume. Set aside.
Uncover the fruit mix and blend in the remaining spices and flavourings. Warm the strawberry jam until soft then mix this into the fruit too. Fold the ingredients by hand using a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.
Into the bowl with the semolina mix add the egg yolk mix, soaked fruit, golden syrup (or honey), cashew nuts, pumpkin preserve and fold with a wooden spoon until well incorporated. (do not over mix).
In a clean mixer with the whisk attachment place the egg whites and beat until soft peaks are formed, finally gradually fold the whisked egg whites into the main cake mixture.
Divide the resultant cake batter between the prepared cake tins (note that the cake will not rise, so you can fill the cake tins to the top) then transfer to the centre of your pre-heated oven and bake for 120–150 minutes, or until cooked through (a skewer inserted in the centre will emerge cleanly). Check the cake after an hour and if the top looks like it's colouring too quickly cover the cake with foil and continue baking.
Once fully baked, and whilst still hot brush barndy over the top of the cakes. Allow them to cool completely in the cake tins.
Once cooled, remove the cakes from the tins (the greaseproof paper will help here) then wrap in greaseproof paper and envelop tightly with kitchen foil. Every 2 days unwrap the cake and brush all over with brandy.
When ready to serve, unwrap the cake and brush with brandy then add a layer of marzipan on the top (roll out the marzipan to 1mm-2mm thickness)
Cut the cake into square pieces (45mmx45mm) and wrap it with tissue paper and wrapping paper straight away.
