If you make your own Christmas cake

[Pinkyyy]

Share some wisdom!

I'm going to attempt my first ever Christmas cake. Is now a good time to make it? I'd say I was a half decent baker but have never tried anything like this before. Would love some advice on how to make it a success!

Yum! Yes now is a good time, make it , wrap it up well and feed it booze
I would say follow a decent recipe - Delia, Mary Berry or James Martin and make sure you use the right size tin.

Double line the outside and top of tin with parchment. Let it cool in the tin or it can end up with a ‘waist’ as it’s so heavy!

Thank you!

Is cling film fine to wrap it in? I didn't know I had to line the top too!

I'm mostly excited to decorate it, I saw a thread last year on MN of people's Christmas cakes and couldn't wait for this year to try one of my own.

Delia. Her recipe is foolproof and so long as you have the right size tin you cannot go wrong. Adapt it how you like with dried fruits and alcohol. I tend to use a mix of rum and brandy in mine. Maybe whisky too. I also use figs in place of some of the fruit.

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

Wrap your cake in greaseproof paper and put it in a tin. Not cling film, it makes the cake sweaty. Besides you have to feed it alcohol between making it and decorating it so cling film is a faff.

I've been using the above recipe for 24 years and it's never gone wrong.

I'll probably make mine towards the end of October so not quite yet.
Definitely line the outside of the tin. Also pay attention to how your oven normally bakes cakes - are the times in recipe books accurate or not? I've used a Delia Smith recipe (from her cookery course book) before but have to drastically cut the amount of cooking time as my oven is clearly fiercer than hers. She says don't touch it until at least 4 hours but mine is done in about 3 and a half.

When done and fully cooled wrap up well and put away in an airtight container. If feeding booze you need to remember to do this every now and again. I don't normally bother as I don't like the taste much.

If using marzipan then you need to allow time between putting this on and then icing it - several days - to let the marzipan dry out.

A well timed thread. I was thinking about doing my first Xmas cake this year too.

Nigel Slater's recipe all the way.

I agree with PPs re Delia. Easily adaptable yet works every time.

They take a very long time to cook, so take that into account when deciding when to make it!

Oh yes, remember you have to soak the fruit overnight first. I often forget that part.

Use a recipe that boils the fruit before you add it to the cake, then you don't need to "feed" it raw alcohol to replace the moisture leaving it a soggy and gross, it will already have moisture.

Delia's recipe it is then! I'm so excited. Just had a quick skim and it says to make a lid and cut a hole in it, then place it on top of the tin. Won't it just blow off? Or am I being stupid.

@24Cedar03 I didn't know that either, thank you!

Another vote for Delia. I'm not a born baker but I've followed her Christmas cake recipe for years and it's never let me down. Good luck!

Where do you all leave your cakes for the lead up to Xmas once they're done?

I use the old Delia recipe, but it does need a slight re-jig for modern ovens. Up until a couple of years ago I was cooking it in a knackered gas oven that was probably as old as the recipe, and it worked perfectly. Since getting a new oven I've needed to reduce the cooking time to 3-3.5 hours, and knock a few degrees off the temperature.

Nigella has a good recipe for the boiled version - I made that a couple of years ago and it was good.

I usually use Mary Berry's recipe though - it always works (touch wood). One of her books (I think it's The Baking Bible) has the recipe adjusted for different sizes/shapes of cake tin so you don't have to get a specific one, just adjust to what you have, which is quite handy.

Enjoy OP, Christmas cake making is my favourite baking project of the year! I'll probably do mine late October.

Ah this thread is lovely - now I'm looking forward to getting my Christmas recipe books out again! Not just yet though...

Would you say I'm a bit too eager then and I should wait a few weeks?

Oh sorry OP, no not at all - that wasn't what I meant. I think you could do it now if you want - probably any time tbh - they last forever as there's so much booze and sugar in them.

I'm usually a bit disorganised and plan mine for late Oct and it ends up being more like early Nov. Mary reckons as long as you make it at least a few weeks before Christmas it's ok.

And I think with the boiled ones you can make them even nearer the time iirc.

I have a very good Mary Berry recipe if anyone wants it. The fruit is soaked for longer than most so you get a lovely moist cake.

I do mine mid Oct - I reckon they need a good 6 weeks of feeding.

I also do Delia's, add a bit more booze and knock an hour off the cooking. The paper lid doesn't blow off coz the paper round the outside is taller than the tin.

Wrap it in greaseproof paper, in a tin and in the basement. Feed weekly and talk to it

I'm not much of a baker and it's not gone wrong in 10 yrs

If you’re planning on feeding it, yes. I usually make mine early to mid Nov these days as DH doesn’t like them fed with booze (& I’m not fussed either way). I do soak the fruit in brandy before baking though then just wrap it well once cool & 4-6 weeks is enough to mature it when not feeding I’ve found.

The earliest I've done mine is beginning of September, but usually beginning-mid October.
Always Delia, ever since the Christmas I did the Nigella one with prunes and family members sat chewing politely while their faces told me how foul it was

I soak my fruit for weeks in a kilner jar with plenty of booze, and then use a recipe with ground almonds. Its lovely and moist as the fruit releases moisture rather than drawing it in.
And use really good booze