Delia's Christmas Cake

[lottiebunny]

Can anyone who's made Delia's Christmas Cake tell me how tall the cake is in an 8in round cake tin. I've got the fruit soaking now and it looks far too big to go in my cake tin which is about 2 1/2 inches tall.

Do I have to nip out tomorrow and buy a new cake tin?

[sotheran]

I'm afraid it's going to be too small. You'll need one about 3 1/2 to 4 inches deep.

Delia's recipe is great and it makes a smashing cake

[bellavita]

Sorry, as sotheran says, you will need a deeper one.

Fruit will come to no harm though soaking for an extra day whilst you go and find one.

[QuintessentialShadowsOfDoom]

Do you know if I can substitute sultanas for dried cranberries? and glaced cherries for dried strawberries?

I dont have the same dried fruits available to me here.

I also have dates, apricots, prunes, but I dotn know if that is any good to use (as well as raisins and currants)

[bellavita]

Oh yes course you can Quint.

I love dried cranberries (I use these in scones).

I would just make up the fruit to the weight you need with what you have. I always substitute some fruit with dried apricots. It makes the cake lovely and moist. Just cut them up into pieces like you would get the candid peel.

[QuintessentialShadowsOfDoom]

Exellent, then I will put it to soak tonight. I even have the cognac ready. I have tasted it too, to ensure it is in its prime!

[Lilymaid]

I make Delia's cake every year and I substitute a lot of the fruit for what I happen to have in stock - e.g. chopped up dried apricots, dried cranberries, chopped up dried prunes etc. As long as the weight of dried fruit is approximately the same as the weight given in the recipe you can't go far wrong.I also marinade my fruit for a week or two in rather more booze than suggested in the recipe, then drain it before using it in the cake (if you don't drain some excess liquid off the centre of the cake will seem uncooked however long you bake it). More details on the method here and there are details on how to scale up/down the basic recipe.

[bellavita]

Gawd yes, tasting the cognac is a must to make sure it is in excellent form.

It will be yummy.

[GoldenSnitch]

I always put in more cherries than the recipe calls for as theyre a favourite here. As long as the weight of dried fruit is right, the cake will work.

And it's lovely

[lottiebunny]

Thanks. Will pop out in the morning and source a bigger tin.

[StirlingNeedsAHoliday]

You can leave the fruit to soak for a couple of days you know. A friend of mine went to the Nick Nairn cookery school and one of the chefs there told here to soak the fruit for about a week!!

[lottiebunny]

I share a house though so need to leave fruit out for a minimal time (or it will get eaten before I can turn it into cake) and I need to be done before everyone starts cooking dinner in the evening (or someone will 'helpfully' turn the oven up), something I can't do in the week.

[ILikeToQuickstepItTangoIt]

Lottie - I got my 8 inch round loose bottomed tin from Tesco, it wasn't expensive but it's pretty good quality.

Sainsbo's did have 33% off their xmas cake/pudding ingrediants. I can recommend their luxury fruit mix, it has pineapple in and it seems to keep the cake nice and moist.

[lottiebunny]

Its in the oven, and the mixture tasted fabulous. Here's hoping that it turns out beautifully.

[bellavita]

Did it turn out beautifully?

[lottiebunny]

Not sure. It seemed far too moist when I turned it out almost as if it wasn't cooked enough but no mixture left when I put a skewer through it. I haven't made a fruit cake before though so I don't really know what they should be like when cooked.

It had 6 hours in all at Gas Mark 1 so it really should have been cooked.

Tempted to buy a cake as a back up now

[GoldenSnitch]

Mine always seem far too moist when cooked. Theyre always fine after the 3 months rest and taste delicious anyway though

I've even had someone who 'doesn't like fruitcake' ask for more!

[GoldenSnitch]

You know, I swore I wouldn't make one this year as I really wasn't sure I would have the time or engery what with being 29 weeks pregnant and having a toddler but I really want to do one now....

[Pumpkinbummum]

Just marking this thread for myself have never made fruit cake,
don't like fruit cake but have always wnated to give it a go

[lottiebunny]

Goldensnitch, you have reassured me And you know you really do want to make one. Toddler will love helping you (and licking the spoon) and won't make a mess at all

[TheBlairSnitchProject]

Have namechanged for halloween.

Yes, I think I do want to make one. Might need to soak mine in apple juice though as I can never stand the smell of alcohol while I'm pregnant.

I may very well add the ingedients to the next Tesco order It's about the one thing I'm going to be able to contribute to christmas dinner this year after all - what with DD being due my ELCS a week before the big day!

Thank you for reminding me how yummy the cake is lottie.

[lottiebunny]

Snitch, just imagine, Christmas day, DD in one arm and cake (made just how you like it) in the other. Can't think of anything better.

Pumpkinbummum, you should make a cake too and report back. Delia's recipe is quite easy to follow even if you aren't a born baker. A few years ago I cooked a goose for Christmas for the inlaws - at the time I was a veggie so didn't get to eat any of my hard work, or the lovely looking goose fat roasties. I just like the challenge. [weirdo emoticon]

[TheBlairSnitchProject]

Mmmm..lots of cherries, very thin marzipan and Royal icing...

Ok, you win

[Pumpkinbummum]

Yeap Lottie going to have a read through recipe later I have really got into cakebaking and decorating, but haven't tackled a fruit cake yet!

[TheBlairSnitchProject]

Right, just been an bought all the stuff I need for the cake and will soak it tonight before making tomorrow - and it's all your fault lottie!!

Thanks

[lottiebunny]

It's not my fault, its the lure of Christmas