Christmas cake - dilemma and decision

How much have you been feeding it? If it's too damp with brandy, the icing might discolour. You could put the marzipan on and let it dry for a day or so and then it should be OK to ice it.
Good luck!

How long do I wait until I can marzipan and ice my cake ? I have been feeding it with brandy now for 3 weeks ...

www.eatsamazing.co.uk/christmas/christmas-treat-recipes/tin-can-mini-christmas-cakes

Jackie8693 - Yes I do this every year with one of my 8" square rich fruit Christmas cakes to provide certain people with a gift of cake they can keep for a while but the most I have cut it into is four.
I make a rich fruit cake using a recipe from the Good Housekeeping Cook Book which involves almost 3lb of fruit and a certain degree of alcohol. I wrap the cake in tinfoil when it's gone cold after coming out of the oven, but before doing that I shave off any rising on the top to ensure it's completely flat. When I'm ready to do the marzipan I cut it up into four pieces (quarters) - there's no crumbling - I marzipan and then a couple of days later I ice them. I put a ribbon around each and they look great. You'll do that easily but I think if you try to get more pieces out it will look a bit strange as the cake will be very deep but thin.

I think marzipan is quite divisive. Personally I loathe the shop bought stuff - and so does most of my family. I make my own (egg white, icing sugar, ground almonds, orange zest) which is miles nicer (well, to me, anyway.)

Anyway the point is that is that if I were to sandwich fruit cakes together I'd use something else. Maybe a spice flavoured buttercream?

could you make your own dividers for the baking tin you have out of foil then cover in baking parchment maybe?

Large deep muffin tins sound good, though I do have a Yorkshire pudding tin a (4" or so cavities) and wonder if sandwiching two together with marzipan, base to base might be nice? It would be a bit like a simnel cake, but with the marzipan added after baking. Personally I love marzipan and a slightly softer marzipan center would keep it moist - not to everyone's taste I know though.
I have used a 6" soufflé dish for rich fruit cake in the past, but obviously these are more expensive and I did find it less moist than a big cake.
I think the idea of cutting up a big square cake sounds best, little cakes wouldn't take the longer cooking that mellows and melds all the tastes together. Might be best to leave it in one piece and feed it for as long as possible though, then it would be easier to cut to size.

I've made individual Christmas cakes in deep muffin tins. Worked perfectly.

I recommend cooking rich fruit cakes overnight in a 90 - 100° oven. You could probably steam your pudding in the oven too.

My mother made Christmas cakes or wedding cakes for all the family. She would make one the same size as the bottom tier of a wedding cake and cut it into the portions she wanted then marzipan and ice the individual pieces.
Mary Berry also has a recipe for Christmas cake portions so her recipe must stand up to being cut into small portions.

Well if you do a large one and cut it up, any faults will be well and truly covered by marzipan and icing. I made mine weeks ago, Delia's too. I don't know what came over me but it's steeped in Cointreau so should be okay!

Lakeland do a tin which will allow you to make 12 at a time. It is a bit pricey at £17.99 but it would also allow for making individual desserts. So that is my route and I will be assisted to decorate by 6 year old and 4 year old. All will be well.

I have largeish square muffin tins which I use to make individual (gluten free) Christmas cakes which are sold for charity.

We make 4 x 8" cakes in one of those tins with separators, using the recipe that comes with the tin. Make them in October, feed them and wrap them till December with a couple of extra feeds in between.

We used to give four away but have less people to give them to now. Two of the cakes were cut in half and iced and marzipanned for families (couples). The other two we eat now throughout the year (no icing or marzipan), just cut one in half and leave the rest wrapped until we want it. Lovely with a chunk of cheese.

Why not bake it in a tray? After you have marzipan and iced it, use a very sharp knife to cut it into squares.

My DP makes our Christmas cakes using Delias Celebration Cake recipe. During the year he makes round ones un-iced so we can have a small slice now and then! They're always so fruity and moist!
Last year he made a square cake (using measurements for usual round cake) then cut them into 4 once ready for marzipan and icing, so we could give 3 of them away and eat the 4th over Christmas. Worked really well with no drying out and they were wrapped in cellophane once complete. Enjoy your baking.

I often cut a larger square cake into 4 smaller ones.
Keep well wrapped until you are ready to decorate and treat as you would a large one. I’ve had no complains.

My husband (ex chef ) suggests buying individual foil pudding basins for your small cakes Jackie they are not expensive.

Sooo! All this talk of Christmas cake, I shall have to make one now.
So be it if it turns out poorly, I'll just scoff it!
And theres me trying to cut down

Lakeland used to sell a cake tin which had dividers that you could insert to make smaller cakes. But to be honest if you make one large cake leave it to mature whole then cut and marzipan and ice it shouldn't be any drier than normal , do you feed your cakes with alcohol after making this also helps to keep it moist . A good sharp knife to cut it should stop it crumbling too.

I am another one who has made small cakes in baked bean tins or similar.

GagaJo that sounds delicious, I think I would prefer it to marzipan and icing, a small Dundee cake would be good as well.

I made them in a deep muffin (as in American muffins) years ago. I didn't ice them, I put glazed fruit and nuts on after the alcohol treatment. They were delish and stayed fresh well. I found a few in a tin quite a while after xmas and they were still soft and edible.

It’s a long time ago and it depends on the density of fruit etc
I’ll have a hunt for the recipe. It came out of Child Education ?

MaybeMaw might remember. Her dog tins were the same ??

Peasblossom perhaps you can advise about a baking time.

Peasblossom that’s a great idea. I’m the only one of the family who likes Christmas cake so I usually buy a small one but a home made one would be so much nicer. I will look up Delia’s recipe unless anybody can recommend a better one.