A traditional fruit cake is the highlight of so many Christmases. Ask around, and plenty of people will remember it as more than just a holiday dessert, but as the centrepiece of the Christmas table and as much a holiday season decoration as it is a food.
Many people like to bake the cake themselves. However, a traditional Christmas cake recipe is no small thing to bake. Soaked dried fruit, enough alcohol to put someone to sleep, and a lot of time are all but vital. Just look at some recipe videos to see how much goes into making one.
For an easy Christmas cake, Britain's supermarkets strive to replicate the classic white cake many people will remember from childhood. To save you from having to eat eight of them yourself to find the best, we've put TopCashback's best and brightest staff members on the case.
We taste-tested eight iced fruit cakes from major supermarkets, and ranked them on both quality and value for money. If you want the best supermarket Christmas cake that's also the cheapest, read on and enjoy.
How we ranked our Christmas cakes
Seven volunteer tasters from different TopCashback departments ate small iced fruit cake slices from eight different supermarkets, without knowing which was which.
To keep things fair, we went for premium iced fruit cakes where they were available.
Some were suitable for vegetarians, but none of them were vegan-friendly. Many also contained brandy or cognac. If animal products or alcohol are a dietary concern, please read the supermarket website thoroughly before buying.
Our taste-testers enjoyed eight pieces of fruit cake, one from each supermarket, at room temperature. Each time they tested a cake, they rated it on four metrics.
Flavour (/10):
Our taste testers weighed up how pleasant each cake tasted. Was there a good balance of mixed spice present? Were the dried mixed fruit well-chosen and well-prepared? Was it rich, with just enough sweetness and a hint of alcohol to round out the flavours?
Texture (/10):
Equally important for our tasters was how pleasant the cake felt as they were eating it. Few fruit cakes are light and fluffy, but we wanted to know if it was a moist cake, if it was pleasantly soft, and if there was a good balance of body, marzipan, and icing in its construction.
Appearance (/10):
We also passed around a whole fruit cake with one slice on show, given how important the look is to Christmas food. Our testers scored it based on whether the fruit cake recipe resulted in a good-looking end product. Was it a good dark brown colour? Did the royal icing stand out and make it look like a classic Christmas delight, or a non-descript white blob?
Overall (/10):
Once our tasters had been able to both look at and taste these Christmas cakes, we had them give them an overall score. Put simply, with all elements considered, how good a cake was it? Was it a Christmas baking triumph they wanted more of, or was it lacking in some area that would make it a flop at any Christmas party?
We then used these Overall scores to work out an average for each cake from every tester, helping us decide which iced Christmas cake was the best and which lagged behind.
What about value for money?
Of course, TopCashback are a money-saving site first and foremost. As important as the perfect cake mixture, cooked to perfection and decorated beautifully is, budget is a real consideration. None of these cakes were cheap, but the prices varied immensely.
To make sure our readers get the best fruit cake for their money, we’ve also assigned each one a value score out of three, based on its price. Fruit cakes in the cheapest band get three points, and the most expensive get one.
The score bands are:
Under £8: Three points, the most affordable
£8 - £9.99: Two points
£10 or over: One point
Our final results combine this value score with the Overall reviews of our taste-testers.
The top-scorer isn't the best Christmas cake with money being no object, but the one that combines quality with the best price. If two have the same score with value thrown in, we'll rank higher the one our testers preferred.
Our value ranking doesn't take any time-limited discounts or promotions into account. You may be able to find a lower price for your mince pies depending on when you shop.
Our Christmas cake taste test results
You're probably not here for statistics. You want to know which supermarkets make the best Christmas cake for you and your family this year. Whether any of them can make the sort of rich fruit cake from memories of Christmas past, and where you can buy this delightful festive touch without breaking the bank.
Well, here are your results. The very best cakes are at the end, to complete the article on a happy festive note. If you just want to skip ahead to these best ones, we won't blame you. If you want to see just how good every supermarket’s latest recipes are, however, just start reading.
All prices and cashback rates are accurate as of the 21st of October, 2026.
#8: Waitrose Christmas Top Iced Classic Christmas Cake
Final score: 6.3/13
Price: £9.50 £7.60
Taste test score: 4.3/10
Average score for appearance: 4.9/10
Average score for flavour: 4.9/10
Average score for texture: 4.6/10
This one might surprise people. For most things, including many Christmas recipes, Waitrose are a sign of quality in the UK. However, this offering just didn't hit the mark for many of our testers, and the price didn't help.
None of the texture, flavour, or appearance received very high marks. Taster Fran said it was ‘half-naked’ and ‘not traditional enough.’ Some had more time for it, with one person giving praise for its ‘cute decorations,’ but overall the reception was tepid. Alex discussed its ‘strange aftertaste’, but acknowledged it as ‘very filling.’ Other comments included that it had ‘no smell, little flavour’.
Its price didn't help it. Although this cake isn't the most expensive on this list, it's £3 more than Lidl, and a bit more expensive than some ranking higher in Overall quality. Between failing to wow our tasters and being pricier than some that did, this Waitrose Christmas cake falls into last place.
#7: Exceptional by Asda
Fully-Iced Fruit Cake
Final score: 6.4/13
Price: £11
Taste test score: 5.4/10
Average score for appearance: 4.57/10
Average score for flavour: 6.3/10
Average score for texture: 6/10
Asda's luxury Christmas celebration cake was another case where the quality just didn't match up to the price tag. Of the eight cakes tried and tasted, Asda failed to impress on several levels. It scored the worst on appearance, being too understated and plain compared to the others on offer.
Its texture was also divisive. Chloe's take, that the cake was 'perfectly moist', clashed hard with others who found it 'sticky and sweaty'. It held its own much better in the flavour department. TopCashback employees praised its tasty fruit and nut recipe, helping it tie in third place with two other cakes.
Despite some positives, this cake struggled to justify how much it cost. Plain cake decoration and a unique take on the Christmas taste might have been more successful on a cheaper dessert. As this one is tied at the top spot for price, however, it had to be exceptional to be our favourite cake with value for money taken into account.
#6: Iceland Luxury
Christmas Cake
Final score: 7.1/13
Price: £10
Taste test score: 6.1/10
Average score for appearance: 6.2/10
Average score for flavour: 5.7/10
Average score for texture: 7.1/10
Sometimes, shining in one area can help a cake, but it can't bring it to the top spots. If you bring this Iceland offering to a holiday celebration, you're most likely to hear a lot of praise for its texture. This cake was the clear winner in that category. Although some people said it felt more like a sponge cake, people broadly loved how it felt to eat, with a pleasantly light and crumbly texture.
It held its own in some other areas, as well. Icing the cake only on top is a decision that split our group, with some thinking it looked fantastic, whilst others thought it underwhelming. It tied with Tesco in flavour, with comments like 'sugary' and 'lovely flavour' showing it as decent, even if not a chart-topper.
Being a joy to eat and reasonable in other areas are notable virtues of this Iceland Christmas cake, but the price holds it back. At £10, it's up there with the most expensive cakes on this list while falling behind in some areas. As a result, it's low in these rankings despite some reviews being full of praise.
#5: Tesco Finest
Rich Fruit Cake
Final score: 7.3/13
Price: £11
Taste test score: 6.3/10
Average score for appearance: 5.9/10
Average score for flavour: 5.7/10
Average score for texture: 7/10
This fruit cake had a fair few detractors among our tasters, but also some defenders. Even in more positive reviews, the cake was described as slightly bland or overly sweet, with some suggesting they could have done with a better range of mixed dried fruit in the recipe.
Its design also wasn't a crowd-pleaser. Taster Kayleigh outright criticised its ‘basic appearance’, while others talked about the minimal decoration.
Where the Tesco Finest Rich Fruit Cake shone was in texture. Even people who weren't fans of the flavour had good things to say about the mouthfeel. This cake, moist and airy, came joint-second of all supermarkets for how it felt to eat.
Unfortunately, this wasn't enough to save it when prices were compared. This was tied for the most expensive Christmas cake on our list. While it was more liked than the other most expensive cake, and our tasters didn't turn their noses up at it, its virtues didn't overcome value-for-money concerns.
#4: Morrisons The Best
Iced Christmas Cake
Final score: 7.7/13
Price: £10.75
Taste test score: 6.7/10
Average score for appearance: 6.9/10
Average score for flavour: 6.3/10
Average score for texture: 7/10
It's a similar story for this Morrisons cake, with some decent scores, but some detractors and a high price. Generally speaking, this was very well-liked by most of our testers. It had the joint-third-best flavour and tied with Tesco for the second-best texture, while also coming third for appearance.
While not a standout winner in any category, this good-size cake did a lot right. Comments focused on its ‘strong vanilla flavour’ and ‘creative decoration’, with others taking the time to praise its ‘interesting design.’ Even while noting that the ‘marzipan fairy was on strike’, Fran applauded its taste. Kayleigh put it very simply in her review: ‘Great cake.’
However, having the third-highest cost of any cake on this list proved a significant disadvantage for Morrisons. It's by no means a bad purchase, likely to satisfy many customers. Nonetheless, it loses ground to slightly better cakes that are slightly cheaper, or ones almost as well-liked that cost a lot less.
#3: Aldi Specially Selected
All Over Iced Cake
Final score: 8.4/13
Price: £8.99
Taste test score: 6.7/10
Average score for appearance: 6.4/10
Average score for flavour: 6.6/10
Average score for texture: 5.9/10
The first Christmas cake in the top three is exactly what you'd expect: a reliable, enjoyable Christmas party food that shone in some areas but not in others. Aldi's Specially Selected rich iced Christmas cake was, on the whole, well-liked, but it didn't make the earth move either.
Our taste testers generally liked the cake's flavour, highlighting its fruit mixture and strong marzipan. It came second only to M&S in terms of flavour. A strong booze hit was a recurring theme in the feedback, with some testers enjoying the strong brandy taste and others finding it the only letdown.
An average appearance and a poorly-scored texture undercut the flavour, however. Some thought the soaked fruit pieces were too large, while others thought there was too much moist marzipan. The price was another sticking point. Despite being from Aldi, it was surprisingly more expensive than some others in the range, and only 51p behind some of Britain's noted luxury supermarkets.
#2: M&S Top
Iced Christmas Cake
Final score: 9/13
Price: £9.50
Taste test score: 7/10
Average score for appearance: 7.1/10
Average score for flavour: 6.9/10
Average score for texture: 6.9/10
Now that we're near the end of this list, we're looking at some of the best cakes on offer. The remaining choices are moist, easy to eat, tasty, and visually appealing. Even in this crowded space, the M&S cake managed to stand out on merit.
It came first in flavour and second in appearance, coming top of the overall rankings before value for money was taken into account. Our tasters liked its 'nice level of spice' and 'lovely marzipan and gingerbread taste'. Even the few marks against it, such as a restrained amount of icing, didn't ding its scores badly.
If you have a high budget for your Christmas dessert, this is probably the cake our taste testers would recommend. If you're looking for both quality and a bargain, however, the £9.50 price might give you pause. Ahead of it, we have a cake that was almost as well-loved, but cost substantially less.
#1: Lidl FAVORINA
Iced Christmas Cake
Final score: 9.4/13
Price: £6.49
Taste test score: 6.4/10
Average score for appearance: 6.4/10
Average score for flavour: 6.6/10
Average score for texture: 5.9/10
One cake stood out from the rest for being both a bargain and a fantastic Christmas dessert. Lidl's FAVORINA fruit cake came top of the pack for appearance and joint third for flavour. It was nice both to look at and to taste. Even in texture, where it wasn't as strong, it was thoroughly middle of the pack.
Comments were broadly appreciative. Fran applauded its 'good spice' and noted that the 'marzipan is delicious'. Kayleigh was enthusiastic about the 'nutty and aromatic sponge'. Alex praised its 'traditional look' and said it was a 'prime contender for top cake'. Well, he was right!
Helping propel this well-liked fruit cake above the others was its price. It's the single cheapest one on offer that we tested, and yet it holds its own against the others. Our testers liked it almost exactly as much as the Aldi one, despite it being £2.50 cheaper!
Our verdict on the best fruit cake for 2026
Almost every fruit cake we taste-tested had something people liked about it. Some people were just glad to see a beautiful Christmas cake from brands like M&S, Lidl, and Morrisons. Others applauded the great layer of marzipan in Aldi's. If you're looking for a cake to bring to a holiday table, you could do a lot worse than most of the ones tested in this guide.
However, we're happy to crown the Lidl FAVORINA as the best 2026 supermarket fruit cake. From a breathtaking appearance to a lovely flavour and a very likeable price point, this cake stood out in a competitive field.
This cake is perfect for anyone who wants to shave some of the cost off their Christmas shop without passing up a brilliant dessert.
If money is no object, then we can also recommend the M&S Top Iced Christmas Cake on quality alone. While it is more expensive – and we do love a bargain here at TopCashback – the scores speak for themselves.
Of course, we only looked at a few of the available cakes this year. There are plenty of other pound cakes and rum cakes out there at these supermarkets, all being sold with their own twists. There's never any harm in trying it out! You can even pick some of the best mince pies for this year, if you're still hungry.
One last money-saving tip
You'll have to look elsewhere for recipe tips or how to make the cake mix for your own fruit cake, but we know a thing or two about saving money. So, if you want some easy Christmas cake ideas that don't cost an arm and a leg or require weeks of preparation, we recommend shopping with TopCashback.
We're partnered with many of the supermarkets in this guide. When you click on our cashback link for one of our partners and make a purchase (that can include a fruit cake!), they give us money for recommending them as a shop. We then pass 100% of that money on to you.
If you haven't yet signed up to TopCashback, then we even have a little Christmas gift for you. Sign up with the button below, and there's a £15 bonus in it for you. That could buy a lot of Christmas cake, or even the ingredients for baking the cake yourself!
Get £15 cashback
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This can turn a good deal on a Christmas cake into a great one. You might find that our #4 suggestion, Morrisons, becomes an even better deal when you get Morrisons cashback! If you're shopping in store, we recommend checking the supermarkets on TopGiftCards to see if you can save extra there as well.
What desserts are you looking forward to this festive season? Are you planning to bake your own Christmas cake, or pick up a supermarket bargain? Let us know down below and share some Christmas excitement!
Some products featured in this taste test were provided free of charge by the retailer, while others were purchased at retail price. All reviews and rankings are based solely on the opinions of our tasting panel. Retailers had no involvement in the testing process or final rankings.
