Christmas cake

[Borlotti]

Just off to buy the ingredients for my Christmas cake.  Anyone else made theirs yet???  Going to check the cost of the ingredients as I am mean and hard up, what with dentist and new glasses.  We don't like brandy or rum so will try and get a minature bottle.

[Borlotti]

[small]

Thanks for the reminder - I've always made mine in autumn half-term, this is the first time in thirty years we have noone affected by that so I'd totally forgotten! Last year I made 4 big ones and it nearly killed me so this year it'll be one whopper, quartered to share. It's the marzipan and icing that's the financial killer, and a new jar of apricot jam every year - I tried orange marmalade as a substitute once, it was awful.....
How about making mincemeat? Time for that too!

[tomatoada]

Are you buying the "delia" pack from waitrose?

[Duke Ellington]

I know someone that also hates brandy and rum and they make their Christmas cake using fresh orange juice as the booze replacement.

Duke :)

[Obelixx]

None of us likes icing or marzipan so I don't bother.  Last year I made Delia's Creole cake just the week before Xmas.  It has all the booze in at the start so no messing with feeding alcohol after it's cooked.

We didn't actually start eating the thing till Easter and I finished the last bit yesterday so, even though it was delicious, I'm not sure I'll bother this year.

[gwynnethmary]

Thanks for reminding me- need to start getting on with things!

[Sparkly]

I made ours in Aug  ;D

[katynewbie]

I don't like Christmas Cake, but last year I made one for my Mum (aged 90) who loves it and sees it as an important ritual. We made Delia's classic and it turned out very well. We did it again last Sunday and the whole house was full of those christmassy aromas, fantastic!

http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/cuisine/european/english/the-classic-christmas-cake.html

Easy even for a cake novice like me!

[valmarg]

And for any of you who leave it too late, I can recommend this:

A LIGHT, MOIST FRUIT CAKE FOR CHRISTMAS

2oz (50g) ready-to-eat apricots
2oz (50g) stoned dates
3oz (75g) ready-to-eat figs
2oz (50g) dried cranberries
2oz (50g) sultanas
3 tablespoons brandy
7oz (200g) butter, softened
7oz (200g) caster sugar
30z (75g) ground almonds
3½oz (95g) plain flour
4 large eggs, beaten
grated zest and juice 1 orange
golden icing sugar, for decoration (optional)

You will also need a cake tin measuring 9in (23cm) in diameter, the base lined with baking parchment.

Preheat the oven to gas mark 4, 350oF, 180oC

Chop the apricots, dates and figs so that they are roughly the size of candied peel.  Tip into a bowl, together with the other fruits, pour over the brandy and set aside for an hour for the brandy to flavour the fruit.

Using an electric mixer or hand-held electric whisk, mix the butter and sugar together until fluffy and white, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go.  Mix the almonds and flour together.  Gradually add the eggs, a little at a time.  If the mixture curdles slightly, don't panic and add a spoonful of the flour.  Then, carefully fold in the almonds and the rest of the flour, a third at a time.  Slowly fold in the dried fruit, orange zest and juice, taking great care not to overmix.

Transfer the mixture to the lined cake tin, gently smoothing the top, and bake for 45 minutes.  Then, leave the cake to cool in the tin, running a palette knife around the edges to loosen it as it cools.  Wrap the cake in foil and store overnight.  You can, if you want to, dust the cake with a thick layer of icing sugar before serving.


I can recommend it, it really is delicious.

If there are any of the dried fruits you don't like, just use the ones you do. ;D

valmarg

[grannyjanny]

I make a rum & raisin one. Last year I made one for daughter no 2. She gave a huge piece away before tasting it & gave pieces to friends. This resulted in requests to make 3 more. I didn't marzipan & ice them. I worked out the cost & to make 3 cakes will be £24. I didn't think that was to bad & it was very rummy. A very well fed cake ;) ;D

[honeybee]

I made mine the first week of September as is per custom in this household and it has already had three brandy feeds and plumping up nicely, not that I ever eat it, but I know three wise men that do  ;D

[Borlotti]

I could eat Christmas cake/wedding cake all year round with a cup of coffee in the morning and maybe another piece at night.  Thanks for the tip about orange juice, one cake with orange juice for the non drinkers, and one with my minature bottle of brandy in (cost £2) for me and OH, although I don't like brandy as a drink but it is OK in the cake if you see what I mean.

[Lottiman]

Would rather have a realy good triffle.  :P ;D ;D ;D

[brownowl23]

had more than enough cake this year as im doing my PME MAsters in Sugarcraft, only got 3 weeks to go to get my masters yipeeeeeee

[antipodes]

You won't believe this, I made a Christmas pudding last year and we never got to eat it (my parents in law don't eat it so it just sat there)
Would it still be edible? I have not even looked at it! I make mine by soaking half whisky half dark beer with the fruit so it's pretty rich.
and yes I should make some mincemeat too.
In Australia we make rum balls at Christmas, anyone like those? I have a good Ozzie recipe if you like.

[susan1]

I have made 2 already in the last month and have another one yet to do

[gertie50]

I made mine 2 weeks ago whilst watching It's a wonderful life.
Christmas is creepin' up on us, the cola advert will be on soon.
Watched it on you tube and it's a heart warming ad. It'll be shown
on TV in the early part of Nov.

:)  :) :)

Sorry but I love Christmas, even if I do get a little stressed.  ;D

[mat]

Thanks Valmarg for that recipe.  It sounds delicious  :)

I have never made a christmas cake before, but may try one this year...

any other recipes/suggested ingredients/tips? 

I will not be aiming to add much/any alcohol...  certainly none after cooking as I cannot have alcohol (before cooking will eb okay, as the cooking will remove the alcoholic content!)


mat

[plot51A]

You won't believe this, I made a Christmas pudding last year and we never got to eat it (my parents in law don't eat it so it just sat there)
Would it still be edible? I have not even looked at it! I make mine by soaking half whisky half dark beer with the fruit so it's pretty rich.
and yes I should make some mincemeat too.
In Australia we make rum balls at Christmas, anyone like those? I have a good Ozzie recipe if you like.

It should be fine antipodes, Christmas puddings store for ages. Reminds me that I've still got one at the back of the cupboard from last year.......

[busy_lizzie]

Thanks for the reminder, as this is about the time I usually make mine. We make a bit of a ceremony of it as well. I soak the fruit in brandy for a week and then my family come around for the stir when the cake is made.  I play the first Christmas music (nothing too over the top) and we have a glass of port and some snacks, then everyone gathers in a circle around the bowl of cake mix for a stir and they make a wish and stab the devil (a cherry) for good luck. I think it makes the cake taste that little bit nicer to have had all those good wishes inside it.

I have always used my mother's recipe which she passed on to me, and it never fails me.  :D busy_lizzie