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Any ideas? I probably don't have any equipment you'd expect although I do have some weighing scales somewhere, and I have an oven.

I also have a cake tin but it is anyone's guess as to what size it is and I doubt very much it has ever been used.

5yr old DS (asd) wants to make the Christmas cake this year. (Actually I think his interest will end after the eggs are cracked)

queen Delia can't go wrong!

Thank you. Already stuck at the candid peel. What's that?

And how do you soak the saltanas? In their packet? in a jug? For how many minutes?

Won't the newspaper catch fire? Why do you have to put it round the tin?

What does nutmeg look like and how do you grate it?

And what part of a fruit is the zest? Is that the juice? If so why not just say so?

If you don't bake very often (at all?) then you will spend a small fortune on ingredients that you will only use a tiny bit if and will clutter up your cupboard for the next 10 years!
Waitrose (I think) do a Delia Christmas cake kit where all the ingredients are measured for you already, might be better value for you

Are waitrose doing the cake mix again? It was great last year, costs a lot to buy all the ingredients.

No the brown paper won't catch fire, the oven is on for about4 hours gas mark two.
It desn't burn the cake around the outside, I has to be high with lots of string to tie.

I like the idea of candid peel.

I have been known to leave my sultanas soak for months but anytime is better tHan no time.

The zest is the peel on the outside, you can grate it.

Stick the fruit in a bowl and soak it overnight.

It's greaseproof paper and it'll stop the cake getting stuck - it won't catch fire!

Nutmeg looks a but like an acorn - you can use a cheese grater

Well I think if we can get it right, we'll bake lots. We'll probably have to have a few attempts at the cake anyway as I seriously doubt the first one will turn out alright.

Nutmeg is like a little nut and you need a fine grater, you can get grated nutmeg or mixed spice.

The zest is the skin of the orange and/or lemon.

You'll need grease proof paper and brown paper

Buy her kit!

I won one of these last year after the Delia webchat (thank you MNHQ and Delia!), and it was fab.

You have to supply the orange and the icing/marzipan, but you can buy the icing and marzipan ready rolled, so it is really easy.

It made a lovely, moist cake.

Xmas mixture is the best mixture to lick he spoon from

usually soak fruit overnight.

Newspaper won't catch fire but it does stop the outside of the cake burning black before the middle is cooked.

Nutmeg looks like a large wrinkled walnut - on the spice shelves and usually has a teeny tiny grater in the jar too.

Waitrose stock a cake mix for Delias christmas cake - all pre-measured and ready to go (which also means you don't end up with part packets of ingredients in the cupboard slowly going off)

I assume it will be back in stock nearer christmas.

oops serious x posts must learn to type faster

Ooh, might get the kit, but just fancied a long maths project with ds that didn't involved blimmin motorways or tape measures.

Also, ds is on extended half term from his special school, which is this week. I won't have time to do it closer to christmas.

Waitrose Christmas cake kits are £6.66 at the moment (includes marzipan and icing). I bought 2 and have baked one today in the interests of research. You need to add 170g butter, 3 eggs and orange zest.

Oh thank you clumber. Perhaps ds and I will pop off to waitrose tomorrow morning and have a look.

Candid peel says 'You're looking a bit porky, I think you should lay off the cake this year. Maybe dig out that exercise bike from last January instead.'

My research is complete and I can confirm my "homemade" cake is delicious!

yum

I use Delias cake recipe but I have altered it as cant understand why she uses currants as the main fruit, I used a mix of fruit (mainly sultanas) and omit the candid and cherrys. Add almonds, whole & extract, and use PX sherry not brandy.

You dont need to soak fruit overnight you can gently heat it up in the microwave - then cool.

It doenst require hardly any experience mainly mixing. Always use a deep tin not a standard tin. Double line/foil the outside tin and double line inside of tin with greaseproof.

I like the cooking technique of delia as its low and slow so no burning.

I have just ordered a 2 tier Dottie and Belle Christmas cake kit as i fancied a change from the traditional fruit cake - they also do a decoration only version if you want to decorate your home made cake.

I hope it tastes as good as it looks