Christmas cake

Made mine a couple of weeks ago it was using fruit soaked in Fireball that DD left here. Suits me as I love cinnamon and it’s a whiskey with cinnamon.

OH made ours about a month ago - he makes 4 small ones in one of those tins big tins that has dividers. He usually soaks the fruit overnight on whatever alcohol we have but this year got distracted and left it for three days. Then they get fed again a couple of times.

We've just finished one of last years, no icing and eaten with some nice cheese.

I hope to make mine next weekend from the same recipe I‘ve used since the 70s. I soak the fruit at least overnight, has been a couple of days if I’ve been busy, with no ill effects. Covered with clean tea towel of course. Each year I question why I bother as it’s rarely eaten at Christmas with big meals and other goodies around but it keeps moist and lasts well.

Black cake is traditional in the Caribbean. The rum pot was a permanent feature and added to as fruits came into season with sugar and more rum. It used to be buried in the garden to mature.
For cake making these days the fruit which is “put to soak” in rum and cherry brandy is normally a mixture of cut up prunes, currants, raisins, sultanas, glacé cherries and mixed peel. Ideally the fruit is soaked indefinitely, the longer the better so after a black cake is made for a birthday in say June the Christmas fruit is put to soak for the next six months.
A spoonful of the soaked fruit is delicious over vanilla or coconut ice cream. The true rum and raisin ice cream.

I would normally be making ours now but health issues are getting in the way. The dried fruit would be soaking for at least 24 hours, maybe even longer. I'm going to buy a cake this year and would welcome any recommendations please.

I have used the same recipe that i got from a R.A.F cook over 3 decades ago and it always turns out perfect. I soak my fruit in tea during the last weekend in September, after baking i wrap the cake in Muslin, i turn it and feed it a lid full of Brandy every week. It is certainly not for the children or those that are driving.

Soaked for 24 hours. My cake was made in November 2020 and never used so it’s wrapped up ready for this year with my pudding from then too!

Thanks to all of you. I really am the only one in the family that likes it, so I have halved the recipe, which is from Canadian Living magazine. I made it for the first time last year and it turned out nicely. I think it is very similar to Delia's or Mary Berry's recipe, although I think the cooking time was less. I'll check it as it bakes. It asked for the fruit to be soaked in dark rum or brandy for 24 hours. I had rum on hand, and it has soaked for 2 days. No nuts for me. The recipe called for dried pineapple, but can't find any in town, so just added extra cherries..

I won't ice mine, since I'm not a huge fan of marzipan. Just a slice of cake with a cup of tea. Yum!

For years I have purchased a small cake, but found they are a bit dry, or didn't have enough cherries (my fav bit). I have bought a store one and added rum which did help, but really enjoyed a home made one.

We will have to have a natter around Christmas time to critique our cakes...

I was going to say the same as Lincslass - treat yourself
It's only once a year ?

Black cake is traditional in the Caribbean. The rum pot was a permanent feature and added to as fruits came into season with sugar and more rum.
I made 3 Caribbean black cakes a couple of years ago, Esspee.
The recipe works well with GF flour as well, I learnt that from a local caterer.

Treat yourself was to Redhead56 (because you're worth it

We’ve just finished eating last year’s cake! My stepdaughter was staying for a while and she loved it! I made this year’s yesterday, didn’t soak the fruit but will add lots of alcohol as I go.

I make the world's best Christmas cake - genuinely (!) - but as it's gluten free I don't make it until the beginning of December because GF stuff doesn't keep as well as cake made with wheat flour.

It is, however, absolutely delicious.

Oh, and I soak the fruit for about a week beforehand, in a big plastic box with a lid.

Home made almond paste is completely different from bought marzipan. I flavour mine with orange zest and add some lemon juice to the royal icing.

I’m not keen on icing, so make a Dundee cake, and soak the fruit overnight in brandy or rum.

My tastes have changed as I get older. When I was young I hated fruit cake. Now the cake only lasts DH and me about a week, we scoff a slice each while watching the tv at night.

It soon disappears!

You’re very modest pen.

Probably next weekend. Mine is from Waitrose Christmas cake kit. Really lovely better then my old receipe, life’s to short to peal a grape.?

I buy ready soaked fruit. It us cheaper than buying a miniature bottle of brandy to feed it.

I soak the fruit in a mix of orange and lemon juice , I don’t use any alcohol because it gives me terrible heartburn! It keeps fine without and is definitely not dry

Soaked fruit for 48 hours made it 2 weeks ago.Feed it every 2 weeks.

but as it's gluten free I don't make it until the beginning of December because GF stuff doesn't keep as well as cake made with wheat flour.
I didn't know that pen50
Thanks for the tip.

I used to make my own marzipan but really, I'm the only one who likes it now. MIL and GMIL used to love it.

I dont make Christmas cake because we dont like it or Christmas pudding, but ive made a big batch of mincemeat a few weeks ago. I did make a cake once and put red icing on it instead of white.

I've only ever made two Christmas cakes. The first was made at school and proudly brought home. My father broke a tooth on the icing.

The second was (very carefully) made and decorated as my first mother-in-law was coming for dinner on the big day. She declined a piece and said she didn't like it.

I usually buy a small one, as nobody else in my family will eat it.

I baked mine. (Mary Berry Christmas cake recipe) plus the massive one I do for a local Christmas event, 2 weeks ago. Soaked fruit for 3 days in brandy and will feed with more brandy every couple of weeks. I always add extra cherries - simply because I like them! (Cooks privilege!)

I used a Make & Mature recipe which I took from bbc good food. I had made it last year and we loved it. This year for the first time I decided to use a cooking thermometer to ensure it was cooked. It took half an hour longer than stated and then I started to worry in case it was dried out. So this morning, before I fed it, I cut a tiny wee cube from the middle underside of the cake. It was totally gorgeous and would have been really moist and delicious even without the whisky. I just fed it with the alcohol anyway seeing the bottle was out and ready. I’m looking forward to cutting it at Christmas.