Has everyone already made their Christmas cake?

Does anyone put nuts in their Christmas cake?

Maggiemaybe

When it comes to boozy cakes, it’d be hard to beat Delia’s Creole recipe, which I use every year. It doesn’t need maturing, so I usually start it a month before. I mix and match the booze, depending on what I need to use up.

It's a lovely cake, I too have been making this, since I was given her Christmas Cook book. The inscription inside to me is October 1990.
I even used the recipe to make a tier of my DD wedding cake.

Funnily enough I took the book out this afternoon as I started a Christmas Pud, it's have a nice soak in some Booze.

Thanks everyone. I just bought the fruit today, and will mix it up with some rum to soak overnight. I've always used a nice Jamaican dark rum instead of brandy.

I use a recipe from Canadian Living Magazine which I cut in half. It makes a nice loaf size cake. Looking at the recipe, it is very similar to Mary Berry's. I never bother to use either marzipan or icing, so I guess I should just call it fruit cake!

My Mum used to make a dark one and a light one, but I always loved the dark one the best. I seem to remember she made them in a tube cake pan, I think because it was faster to bake, and easier to cut.

Does everyone buy separate dried fruits or the mixed fruits?

I used to measure out all the different dried fruits carefully.

A loaf cake or two might be a good idea, CanadianGran
🤔

I make a gluten free Christmas cake using almond flour and baking powder. Lots of dried fruit steeped in brandy, and I have to use marzipan and icing, tbh I just love marzipan and scoff it as I roll it out.
Will start next week. I used to start much earlier but this year has been a bit tricky to say the least so am playing catch up.

I made mine last month and soaked the fruit in brandy the night before. I've fed it this week and will do next week. Maybe once more after that. I will leave it a few days then marzipan it and let it dry out before I Royal Ice it.

tbh I just love marzipan and scoff it as I roll it out.

Me too, well someone has to eat the scraps. 😀

When all the family lived at home I used to make the cake, almond paste and royal icing from scratch, plus Christmas pudding and brandy butter, mincemeat, sausage rolls and mince pies. I’m the only one who actually likes any of it and now I happily live alone I don’t bother.

Allira

Does everyone buy separate dried fruits or the mixed fruits?

I used to measure out all the different dried fruits carefully.

I use separate dried fruits. as I don't like mixed peel.

Oh yes, the dreaded mixed peel!

Maggiemaybe

When it comes to boozy cakes, it’d be hard to beat Delia’s Creole recipe, which I use every year. It doesn’t need maturing, so I usually start it a month before. I mix and match the booze, depending on what I need to use up.

I used to make that but since OH died I don't bother, he was the one who really loved Christmas cake, same with puddings, I used to use an ancient recipe from Dorothy Sleightolmes Yorkshire Farmhouse Kitchen, a tv prog yonks ago, her parkin recipe is superb too.

I make the Mary Berry white Christmas cake and it doesn’t keep so I make it days before Christmas. No alcohol.

Allira

^tbh I just love marzipan and scoff it as I roll it out.^

Me too, well someone has to eat the scraps. 😀

🤣🤣 me too back in the day when I made a cake. In fact I ended up having to make my own marzipan because I would eat the ready made before I had a chance to put it on the cake.

I’m another marzipan scoffer. It doesn’t really help if I make my own, as I like that even more.

Does anyone else prefer the raw cake mix (any cake) to the actual finished article? I always make sure there’s plenty left round the bowl to scrape out.

Made a 9inch one a couple of weeks ago. Half a bottle of brandy in it and covered in almonds. Dh doesn’t care for marzipan and icing. Always used to decorate it when the family were younger. However,until a couple of years ago I used to also make a white Christmas cake which was very popular and that was marzipanned and covered in brandy butter icing. I used tomake that nearer Christmas and ice it a couple of days before. Friend gave me the recipe years ago and then saw it in Paul Hollywood’s book on baking. It’s packed with pineapple,glacecherries, walnuts, angelica, whole peel cut up etc .

Maggiemaybe you bought back memories my late dad always made the Christmas cake and I was the one allowed to to scrape the bowl never ate the cake just the raw mix.

Maggiemaybe

I’m another marzipan scoffer. It doesn’t really help if I make my own, as I like that even more.

Does anyone else prefer the raw cake mix (any cake) to the actual finished article? I always make sure there’s plenty left round the bowl to scrape out.

I used to but Edwina Curry put me off 😲

I love to lick the bowl....Tesco has brandy flavoured marzipan, I'd never heard of it before, I've ordered some to try. will make a loaf sized cake .

Always put brandy in my homemade marzipan.

I've just put the fruit on to soak for a few days in a mixture of sherry and brandy.

Made mine last week. Have tried my own recipe this year so fingers crossed it will be ok. It's wrapped in greaseproof in the pantry and I will be feeding it with Chambourd for a change from my usual rum. I'll let you know.

HAven't made one since the 1960s/70s! I quite like them - particularly the marzipan... but after a huge dinner/lunch nobody is very hungry and if anyone yearns for more food it's usually towards more savoury snacks and the cake rarely got eaten til weeks after Christmas and then reluctantly to 'use up'!

I’ll make mine in the next week or so. I cheat now, with a waitrose kit and it’s perfectly good. At least…it all gets eaten!

Just made The Hebridean Baker’s Cherry Christmas cake and it is so nice , doubled recipe and got 2 large and one small delicious 😋