Your favourite Christmas cake recipe?

[NancyEspana]

Hello!

As it says really [santa].
.

I am going to make my first Christmas cake in years this year, hopefully this weekend and I don't know which one to make... I've heard good things about Delia's creole and Mary Berry's traditional one, but I also saw one on This Morning which claimed to be the best ever!

TIA .

[Thanksgiving2019]

There was a thread on here last year with everyone giving their ideas.

I think I tried Mary Berry’s last year but have now reverted back to Delia’s classic one - you can’t fail to make a great cake with her recipe.

My kids can’t eat nuts to I exclude the ground almond powder and the consistency is still absolutely fine.

[Batinahat]

I recommend Nancy Birtwhistle's recipe (bake off winner), it's on her Instagram and on her website. Nice and easy and deliciously moist. A winner for me!

www.nancybirtwhistle.co.uk/recipes/christmas-cake/

[Thanksgiving2019]

Bat that looks good. I like a citrus kick. I think the ginger and cinnamon and extra orange juice must give it a lovely extra kick.

Now I want to make a second cake and try your recipe :)

[beingchampion]

Delia is brill. Her basic recipe is so nice and reassuring, in time people adjust a little (we add quite a few chopped dates), but for a first time it's perfect. Written well and easy to follow.

[NancyEspana]

Thanks all!

The Nancy Birtwhistle has far fewer expensive ingredients, so I'm tempted by that one...

Delia's calls for about 6 different kinds of booze, some of which we have, but others not.

@Thanksgiving2019, can I ask please, was there anything wrong with the Mary Berry one or do you just fancy going back to Delia's?

[Thanksgiving2019]

Could not pick my finger in it but We all preferred Delia’s. I suspect we are just a traditional bunch who don’t like change :)
Delia’s classic only requires brandy not 6 types of booze (although that sounds like a hangover cake).

Will see if I can find the link.

[Thanksgiving2019]

Here you go for Delia.

We use Brandy.

www.deliaonline.com/recipes/occasions/christmas/christmas-cakes-icings-and-toppings/classic-christmas-cake

[Chewbecca]

this James Martin one is my favourite - it is so easy and tastes moist and fab. I follow the recipe to the letter.

[hopeishere]

I just do a mash up of a few - basically fruit, orange zest, eggs, flour, spices, and booze. I don't like nuts so leave them out.

[NancyEspana]

Ah thanks @Thanksgiving2019. The Delia one I'd been looking at was this one.

www.deliaonline.com/recipes/occasions/christmas/christmas-cakes-icings-and-toppings/creole-christmas-cake

I've bought the ingredients for the Nancy Birtwhistle one and have just put my fruit in a bowl to soak in booze and fruit juice! Will make the actual cake tomorrow.

[thenightsky]

Oh... was coming on thread to say Delia's creole one, but I see I've been beaten to it

[PushkinTheCat]

Nigella’s traditional Christmas cake (in Feast and Domestic Goddess) is the one I use - it doesn’t have any nuts in, though does include almond essence. But if you wanted nuts, you could easily play about with the proportions of dried fruit and incorporate some. It’s very easy and really moist, keeps well for ages.

[Thanksgiving2019]

You are right that is a lot of booze!

Your house will smell wonderful tomorrow - enjoy

[NancyEspana]

So, I finally made the cake (yesterday). Fecking disaster lads. Fecking disaster.

It takes 10 hours to cook. About 8 hours into cooking time, DH pointed out that my toddler had somehow put the child lock on the oven (ironic), which turns the fecking thing off . Obviously, I had no idea when toddler did this, so I had no idea how long the cake had actually been cooking!

So I turned it back on for the rest of the time and an hour or two more. I wasn't sure if it was cooked, so I left it to cool in the still warm oven. I'm sure it's cooked now, but hopefully not dried out... I'm going to feed it plenty of booze over the next month anyway. That might help.

I also forgot to buy most of the spices, so only had mace and ginger.

Hmmm... we shall see how it turns out. Dd has grand plans for the decoration and marzipan makes everything taste better.

[thenightsky]

Which recipe did you go with in the end??

[NancyEspana]

The Nancy Burtwhistle one. My namesake you see, so thought it was fate .