From Saga Magazine, received 2024 12 17, Best Christmas cakes, tried and tasted
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Colin Howard
Dec 17, 2024, 9:13:14 AM12/17/24
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We've tested the supermarket and brand Christmas cakes, from luxury to
individual slices, to reveal the best and the worst for 2024.
By Phillipa Cherryson | Published - 16 Dec 2024
There's nothing like a slice of Christmas cake during the festive season
with a cup of tea or a glass of something stronger.
If you bake your own, they are traditionally made at the end of November and
left to mature, before being topped with marzipan and icing ready for the
Yuletide celebrations.
But if you've left it too late or don't have the time or inclination to make
your own, which of the supermarket and big brands Christmas cakes are best
and which should be left on the shelf?
We've tested the big brands to find out.
Our test
In our test we included big cakes designed to serve a gathering, mini
Christmas cakes for one or two people and Christmas cake slices to take
away.
Our testing panel was comprised of people who enjoy eating Christmas cake
every year, both home made and shop bought. Our testers shop at a variety of
supermarkets, some are self-confessed gourmets and others say good value is
most important to them.
The best Christmas cake of 2024
Our unanimous winner was the Aldi Specially Selected Rich Iced Christmas
Cake. It felt luxurious and was a well-balanced moist, richly spiced cake,
with
a good taste of marzipan and a sweet icing.
Our best mini cake was Morrisons The Best All Butter Christmas Star Fruit
Cake and our favourite slice, although the panel wasn't blown away by any of
the slices, was Lidl's Favorina Top Iced Christmas Bar.
Best festive food
We've also been putting other festive food to the test, including
best mince pies,
best festive champagne and sparking wine,
and
best Christmas pudding, stollen and gingerbread.
Large Christmas cakes
1. Aldi Specially Selected Rich Iced Fruit Cake
Winner - best Christmas cake
907g RRP: £8.49
The Aldi Rich Iced Fruit Cake was our unanimous winner
Our panel thought this cake looked the part. Described as hand decorated,
our team noted the detailing and the fabric ribbon encircling it.
On cutting, the cake looked dark and rich, there were obivous layers of
marzipan and icing and it didn't crumble.
"It's almost like a Christmas pudding," one of our testers remarked.
The cake was very moist and rich, with a lot of fruit crammed into it.
Taste-wise it was well balanced. The cake tasted of fruit, spices and had a
hint
of alcohol, while the icing was soft and sweet and the marzipan taste came
through.
It was the unanimous winner, with all testers saying they would go out and
buy this cake for their families.
list of 1 items
4.5/5
list end
2. Sainsbury's Frosty Iced Fruit Cake, Taste the Difference
Our runner up
900g RRP: £11.50
The Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Frosty Iced Cake was our runner up
The Sainsbury's cake was lighter than Aldi's. It felt softer when it was
being cut and although the ingredients list was the same as the Aldi cake,
it
tasted different.
Testers said it was a sweet cake, the fruit came through, but the spices and
alcohol weren't apparent. It was slightly.
Our panel didn't like the hard bits of peel in the cake nor how there were
obvious layers within the cake. The marzipan taste did come through and the
icing was sweet.
"I've had a lot worse," said one tester. The panel agreed, it was a nice
enough cake, but not as nice as our winner.
list of 1 items
3.5/5
list end
3. Tesco Finest Rich Fruit Cake
907g RRP: £10.50
The Tesco Finest Rich Fruit Cake was spiced but dry
The Tesco offering looked very similar to the other two cakes, but it's
ribbon was foil rather than fabric.
It was crumblier to cut and the cake itself was lighter in colour and didn't
have as much fruit as the Aldi and Sainsbury cakes. There was also less
icing
surrounding it.
"I can taste ginger," one of our panel commented. The cake was quite dry and
floury to taste, it had the least fruity taste and very little marzipan
taste.
Testers said it tasted of ginger and sugar and not much else.
list of 1 items
3/5
list end
4. M&S Top Iced Christmas Cake
835g RRP: £8
The Marks and Spencer Christmas cake was a bit bland and sweet for our panel
The Marks and Spencer cake wasn't fully iced like the others, so our testers
thought it may not be as moist as the others. But in fact the Tesco cake was
drier.
Testers liked the festive decorations and the shaping of the cake. It wasn't
as dark as our winner and tasted more like a fruit cake than a rich
Christmas
cake. Testers struggled to taste any spice and there was no alcohol taste.
There was also less fruit than our two favourite cakes.
"Bland and sweet" was the conclusion of our panel.
list of 1 items
3/5
list end
5. Waitrose No.1 Hand-decorated Matured Rich Fruit Cake
1.5kg RRP: £19
The Waitrose No1 Christmas cake was the biggest and most expensive in the
test
The Waitrose cake was the biggest and most expensive in our test. Our panel
expected this to be a rich and luxurious cake, but unfortunately they were
disappointed.
The cake itself looked the part, nicely decorated and with a real fabric
ribbon.
However, when it was cut, it wasn't as dark as our two top cakes, it was
crumbly to the touch and had air pockets within the cake mixture.
"It's a bit tasteless," said one of our testers. "You can't taste the fruit,
where's the spice and the alcohol?"
It was an opinion shared by the rest of the panel. Testers concluded it was
too dry and sweet.
list of 1 items
2.5/5
list end
The history of the Christmas cake
Christmas cakes started in the Middle Ages as a plum porridge which was used
to break the religious fast on Christmas Eve. The 'porridge' was made of
boiled
beef, fruit and spices, and thickened with bread and oats - it was more like
a soup or broth.
It wasn't until the 16th century that the beef, bread and oats were replaced
by butter, flour and eggs and it started to resemble the cake we eat today
- richer families would also wrap their cake in marzipan.
Mini Christmas cakes
1. Morrisons The Best All Butter Christmas Star Fruit Cake
Mini Christmas cake winner
147g RRP: £3.50
The Morrison's Christmas Cake Slice was the panel's favourite portion-sized
offering
The Morrison's mini cake looked really quite sweet. Our panel was pleasantly
surprised at how moist this cake was. Testers liked that they could taste
the fruit and spice but would have appreciated a hint of alcohol to it.
The marzipan came through and it had a nice icing on top. It was another
unanimous winner as our best mini/individual cake.
list of 1 items
3/5
list end
2. Lidl Favorina Mini Christmas Cake
150g RRP: £2.49
The Lidl mini Christmas cake was found to be very dry
This cake didn't look like a Christmas treat. It crumbled as it was cut in
half, it was pale in colour and dry to taste.
"I can taste the spice and the marzipan but that's it," one of our testers
commented.
It wasn't a popular cake.
list of 1 items
2/5
list end
3. Waitrose Mini Iced Classic Christmas Cake
150g RRP: £3
Our testers thought the Waitrose Mini Christmas cake was dry and more like a
fruit cake
"Waitrose isn't doing very well today," one of our testers commented.
The mini cake looked nice enough and had a firm icing, but it was dry and
crumbly. Our testers said it tasted like a fruit cake not a Christmas cake.
No
spice or alcohol came through and there was only the merest hint of marzipan
taste.
list of 1 items
2/5
list end
Christmas cake slices
1. Lidl Favorina Top Iced Christmas Cake Slice
Christmas cake slice winner
200g RRP: £2.49
Testers thought the Lidl Favorina Top Iced Christmas cake slice had a burnt
taste
The Lidl Christmas cake bar is the right size for anyone who thinks a
full-sized version would be too big. At 400g it was bigger than the minis
and half
the size of the 900g cakes.
The cake was dark and looked like a Christmas cake, it wasn't as dry as some
of the others but it split opinion. Some thought it was okay but a few felt
it tasted burnt.
It won our best slice, even though it divided opinion.
list of 1 items
2/5
list end
2. Greggs Christmas Cake Slice
100g RRP: £1.60
The Gregg's Christmas cake slice didn't hit the spot with our testers
Gregg's Christmas cake bar is a great idea. A slice to take away and have
with your morning coffee, but unfortunately its name was its only link to a
Christmas
cake.
The cake part was very pale, with no obvious fruit, it was dry, very sweet
and tasting of marzipan and not much else. Naming it something else might
help.
Our panel wasn't keen.
list of 1 items
1.5/5
list end
3. Mr Kipling 6 Christmas Slices
252g RRP: £2
Mr Kipling's Christmas Slices weren't popular with our testers
The Mr Kipling slices are made up of fruit cake, with an almond topping and
white icing. Our testers could taste the almond and the sugar, they agreed
there was some spice coming through too.
But they complained that they tasted of flour and were claggy.
"I really don't want to eat this," said one of our panel.
list of 1 items
1/5
list end
Gluten free and vegan Christmas cakes
Our test was of the most popular Christmas cakes but there are other options
for those who are vegan or gluten intolerant.
For vegans, fruit cake is one of the more difficult cakes to source. A poll
of our team found that Waitrose has the most popular choice, with its
Plant Living: Iced Christmas Cake
(760g £10).
Waitrose is also popular for those who are gluten intolerant, with its
Free From Milk & Gluten Free Christmas Cake
(480g RRP £6.80), and Sainsbury's also got a recommendation for its
Free From Iced Fruit Cake Slices
(210g £2.75).
A big thanks to
Goytre Hall,
in Abergavenny, for hosting our tasting session.
Phillipa Cherryson
Written By: Phillipa Cherryson
Senior Digital Editor
Phillipa Cherryson is senior digital editor for Saga Magazine. Phillipa has
been a journalist for 30 years, writing for local and national newspapers,
UK magazines and reporting onscreen for ITV. In her spare time she loves the
outdoors and is a trainee mountain leader and Ordnance Survey Champion.
individual slices, to reveal the best and the worst for 2024.
By Phillipa Cherryson | Published - 16 Dec 2024
There's nothing like a slice of Christmas cake during the festive season
with a cup of tea or a glass of something stronger.
If you bake your own, they are traditionally made at the end of November and
left to mature, before being topped with marzipan and icing ready for the
Yuletide celebrations.
But if you've left it too late or don't have the time or inclination to make
your own, which of the supermarket and big brands Christmas cakes are best
and which should be left on the shelf?
We've tested the big brands to find out.
Our test
In our test we included big cakes designed to serve a gathering, mini
Christmas cakes for one or two people and Christmas cake slices to take
away.
Our testing panel was comprised of people who enjoy eating Christmas cake
every year, both home made and shop bought. Our testers shop at a variety of
supermarkets, some are self-confessed gourmets and others say good value is
most important to them.
The best Christmas cake of 2024
Our unanimous winner was the Aldi Specially Selected Rich Iced Christmas
Cake. It felt luxurious and was a well-balanced moist, richly spiced cake,
with
a good taste of marzipan and a sweet icing.
Our best mini cake was Morrisons The Best All Butter Christmas Star Fruit
Cake and our favourite slice, although the panel wasn't blown away by any of
the slices, was Lidl's Favorina Top Iced Christmas Bar.
Best festive food
We've also been putting other festive food to the test, including
best mince pies,
best festive champagne and sparking wine,
and
best Christmas pudding, stollen and gingerbread.
Large Christmas cakes
1. Aldi Specially Selected Rich Iced Fruit Cake
Winner - best Christmas cake
907g RRP: £8.49
The Aldi Rich Iced Fruit Cake was our unanimous winner
Our panel thought this cake looked the part. Described as hand decorated,
our team noted the detailing and the fabric ribbon encircling it.
On cutting, the cake looked dark and rich, there were obivous layers of
marzipan and icing and it didn't crumble.
"It's almost like a Christmas pudding," one of our testers remarked.
The cake was very moist and rich, with a lot of fruit crammed into it.
Taste-wise it was well balanced. The cake tasted of fruit, spices and had a
hint
of alcohol, while the icing was soft and sweet and the marzipan taste came
through.
It was the unanimous winner, with all testers saying they would go out and
buy this cake for their families.
list of 1 items
4.5/5
list end
2. Sainsbury's Frosty Iced Fruit Cake, Taste the Difference
Our runner up
900g RRP: £11.50
The Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Frosty Iced Cake was our runner up
The Sainsbury's cake was lighter than Aldi's. It felt softer when it was
being cut and although the ingredients list was the same as the Aldi cake,
it
tasted different.
Testers said it was a sweet cake, the fruit came through, but the spices and
alcohol weren't apparent. It was slightly.
Our panel didn't like the hard bits of peel in the cake nor how there were
obvious layers within the cake. The marzipan taste did come through and the
icing was sweet.
"I've had a lot worse," said one tester. The panel agreed, it was a nice
enough cake, but not as nice as our winner.
list of 1 items
3.5/5
list end
3. Tesco Finest Rich Fruit Cake
907g RRP: £10.50
The Tesco Finest Rich Fruit Cake was spiced but dry
The Tesco offering looked very similar to the other two cakes, but it's
ribbon was foil rather than fabric.
It was crumblier to cut and the cake itself was lighter in colour and didn't
have as much fruit as the Aldi and Sainsbury cakes. There was also less
icing
surrounding it.
"I can taste ginger," one of our panel commented. The cake was quite dry and
floury to taste, it had the least fruity taste and very little marzipan
taste.
Testers said it tasted of ginger and sugar and not much else.
list of 1 items
3/5
list end
4. M&S Top Iced Christmas Cake
835g RRP: £8
The Marks and Spencer Christmas cake was a bit bland and sweet for our panel
The Marks and Spencer cake wasn't fully iced like the others, so our testers
thought it may not be as moist as the others. But in fact the Tesco cake was
drier.
Testers liked the festive decorations and the shaping of the cake. It wasn't
as dark as our winner and tasted more like a fruit cake than a rich
Christmas
cake. Testers struggled to taste any spice and there was no alcohol taste.
There was also less fruit than our two favourite cakes.
"Bland and sweet" was the conclusion of our panel.
list of 1 items
3/5
list end
5. Waitrose No.1 Hand-decorated Matured Rich Fruit Cake
1.5kg RRP: £19
The Waitrose No1 Christmas cake was the biggest and most expensive in the
test
The Waitrose cake was the biggest and most expensive in our test. Our panel
expected this to be a rich and luxurious cake, but unfortunately they were
disappointed.
The cake itself looked the part, nicely decorated and with a real fabric
ribbon.
However, when it was cut, it wasn't as dark as our two top cakes, it was
crumbly to the touch and had air pockets within the cake mixture.
"It's a bit tasteless," said one of our testers. "You can't taste the fruit,
where's the spice and the alcohol?"
It was an opinion shared by the rest of the panel. Testers concluded it was
too dry and sweet.
list of 1 items
2.5/5
list end
The history of the Christmas cake
Christmas cakes started in the Middle Ages as a plum porridge which was used
to break the religious fast on Christmas Eve. The 'porridge' was made of
boiled
beef, fruit and spices, and thickened with bread and oats - it was more like
a soup or broth.
It wasn't until the 16th century that the beef, bread and oats were replaced
by butter, flour and eggs and it started to resemble the cake we eat today
- richer families would also wrap their cake in marzipan.
Mini Christmas cakes
1. Morrisons The Best All Butter Christmas Star Fruit Cake
Mini Christmas cake winner
147g RRP: £3.50
The Morrison's Christmas Cake Slice was the panel's favourite portion-sized
offering
The Morrison's mini cake looked really quite sweet. Our panel was pleasantly
surprised at how moist this cake was. Testers liked that they could taste
the fruit and spice but would have appreciated a hint of alcohol to it.
The marzipan came through and it had a nice icing on top. It was another
unanimous winner as our best mini/individual cake.
list of 1 items
3/5
list end
2. Lidl Favorina Mini Christmas Cake
150g RRP: £2.49
The Lidl mini Christmas cake was found to be very dry
This cake didn't look like a Christmas treat. It crumbled as it was cut in
half, it was pale in colour and dry to taste.
"I can taste the spice and the marzipan but that's it," one of our testers
commented.
It wasn't a popular cake.
list of 1 items
2/5
list end
3. Waitrose Mini Iced Classic Christmas Cake
150g RRP: £3
Our testers thought the Waitrose Mini Christmas cake was dry and more like a
fruit cake
"Waitrose isn't doing very well today," one of our testers commented.
The mini cake looked nice enough and had a firm icing, but it was dry and
crumbly. Our testers said it tasted like a fruit cake not a Christmas cake.
No
spice or alcohol came through and there was only the merest hint of marzipan
taste.
list of 1 items
2/5
list end
Christmas cake slices
1. Lidl Favorina Top Iced Christmas Cake Slice
Christmas cake slice winner
200g RRP: £2.49
Testers thought the Lidl Favorina Top Iced Christmas cake slice had a burnt
taste
The Lidl Christmas cake bar is the right size for anyone who thinks a
full-sized version would be too big. At 400g it was bigger than the minis
and half
the size of the 900g cakes.
The cake was dark and looked like a Christmas cake, it wasn't as dry as some
of the others but it split opinion. Some thought it was okay but a few felt
it tasted burnt.
It won our best slice, even though it divided opinion.
list of 1 items
2/5
list end
2. Greggs Christmas Cake Slice
100g RRP: £1.60
The Gregg's Christmas cake slice didn't hit the spot with our testers
Gregg's Christmas cake bar is a great idea. A slice to take away and have
with your morning coffee, but unfortunately its name was its only link to a
Christmas
cake.
The cake part was very pale, with no obvious fruit, it was dry, very sweet
and tasting of marzipan and not much else. Naming it something else might
help.
Our panel wasn't keen.
list of 1 items
1.5/5
list end
3. Mr Kipling 6 Christmas Slices
252g RRP: £2
Mr Kipling's Christmas Slices weren't popular with our testers
The Mr Kipling slices are made up of fruit cake, with an almond topping and
white icing. Our testers could taste the almond and the sugar, they agreed
there was some spice coming through too.
But they complained that they tasted of flour and were claggy.
"I really don't want to eat this," said one of our panel.
list of 1 items
1/5
list end
Gluten free and vegan Christmas cakes
Our test was of the most popular Christmas cakes but there are other options
for those who are vegan or gluten intolerant.
For vegans, fruit cake is one of the more difficult cakes to source. A poll
of our team found that Waitrose has the most popular choice, with its
Plant Living: Iced Christmas Cake
(760g £10).
Waitrose is also popular for those who are gluten intolerant, with its
Free From Milk & Gluten Free Christmas Cake
(480g RRP £6.80), and Sainsbury's also got a recommendation for its
Free From Iced Fruit Cake Slices
(210g £2.75).
A big thanks to
Goytre Hall,
in Abergavenny, for hosting our tasting session.
Phillipa Cherryson
Written By: Phillipa Cherryson
Senior Digital Editor
Phillipa Cherryson is senior digital editor for Saga Magazine. Phillipa has
been a journalist for 30 years, writing for local and national newspapers,
UK magazines and reporting onscreen for ITV. In her spare time she loves the
outdoors and is a trainee mountain leader and Ordnance Survey Champion.
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