Mary Berry Christmas Cake Calculator
Scale Mary Berry’s classic Christmas cake recipe for any round or square tin size. Get exact ingredient weights, baking times, and a feeding schedule for the perfect festive bake.
Recipe Scaler
Select your tin size and feeding schedule
An 18cm square tin is roughly equivalent to a 20cm round tin
Mary Berry recommends feeding weekly with brandy, sherry, or whisky
Scaled Recipe Summary
Ingredients & baking timeline
Select your tin size and feeding schedule, then click Scale Recipe to see your exact ingredient weights and baking times.
Christmas Cake Preparation Schedule
Follow Mary Berry’s recommended timeline for baking, feeding, and icing your Christmas cake to perfection.
| Time Before Christmas | Task | Details & Tips |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Months (Sept) | Bake the Cake | Bake, cool completely in tin, and wrap tightly in baking parchment and foil. |
| 2 Months (Oct) | Start Feeding | Unwrap, prick all over with a skewer, and drizzle with 1-2 tbsp of brandy or sherry. Rewrap. |
| 1 Month (Nov) | Apply Marzipan | Brush with warm apricot jam and cover with a smooth layer of almond paste (marzipan). |
| 1 Week (Dec) | Ice & Decorate | Roll out fondant icing, cover the cake, and add festive decorations or ribbons. |
| Christmas Day | Serve & Enjoy | Serve in thin slices with butter, mature cheddar, or alongside mince pies. |
Christmas Cake FAQ
Everything you need to know about baking, feeding, and storing a traditional Mary Berry Christmas cake.
A traditional Mary Berry Christmas cake should be about 5-6cm (2-2.5 inches) deep. To achieve this, the tin must be lined with a double layer of baking parchment and an outer layer of brown paper to prevent the edges from burning during the long, slow bake.
Yes, you can easily use a square tin. As a general rule, an 18cm (7 inch) square tin holds a similar volume to a 20cm (8 inch) round tin. Our calculator automatically adjusts the ingredient weights based on the exact area of the tin you select to ensure perfect proportions.
Mary Berry recommends feeding your Christmas cake once a week. Simply prick the cake all over with a skewer and drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons of brandy, sherry, or whisky over the top. This keeps the cake moist and enhances the flavour over time.
Because Christmas cake bakes for a very long time at a low temperature, the outside can easily burn before the inside is cooked. Lining the tin with a double layer of baking parchment and wrapping the outside in brown paper insulates the cake, ensuring it bakes evenly and stays moist.
If baked, fed weekly with alcohol, and stored in an airtight container in a cool, dark place, a traditional Christmas cake will easily last for up to three months. Many bakers make their cake in early November for Christmas Day.