Christmas cake

[Soontobe60]

Right, time to get up and start my Christmas cake! The fruits have been steeping in brandy for 3 days, I got all the ingredients out last night and I’m raring to go! However, I need to pop out to get a battery for my scales and some parchment paper to line the tin.
I always used to make a cake every year but haven’t done so for about 10 years as I realised it was just me eating it, but this year I thought - Sod it, I love Christmas cake so I’ll make one all for me!
Do I go for Royal icing or fondant or what? don’t worry, there will be a deliciously thick layer of marzipan too!!

My fruit has been soaking too (in amaretto rather than brandy) and today is cake making day. Baking it in my air fryer as I did last year because due to disability I can’t use my normal oven anymore.
I use royal icing and I make my own marzipan which is much nicer than any I have bought.

Do you have a special recipe for the air fryer or just a normal one ?

My oven is in the blink so have just bought an air fryer

Just the normal recipe I have used for years. I set the air fryer slightly lower temperature than the oven on the recipe and kept checking it with a skewer to see when it was done.

My preference is royal icing - I buy the Royal Icing Sugar for ease. And finish with swirls and peaks and a wide red ribbon.

I made a classic Delia, currently being fed dark rum.

@Mittens67 brilliant thanks

Aw I miss my mum's Christmas cake so much! She wasn't up to making it the last few years of her life (she died aged 89 over ten years ago), but it was so good! Always a thick layer of marzipan and then royal icing decorated with those silver balls.

I’m doing a Mary Berry one - but forgot the mixed spice and haven’t got any! Ive bunged in a tsp each of cinnamon and allspice, plus half a tsp of cloves. I’m sure it’ll be ok 😂

My grandma used to make one - she died aged 101 fifteen years ago. Actually, she wasn’t a great baker but still made a delish christmas cake! I broke a tooth on one of her silver balls one year…

lol, I think I did the same, making up the spices. Mine also has ginger in it.

I have given up on Christmas cake as no one else likes it that much and I end up eating far too much of it myself. It's not my favourite Christmas food so I'm happy to do without,

I definitely agree with others that homemade marzipan is infinitely better than anything you can buy (I usually used to cheat and buy a cake, but I always made the marzipan and icing myself.