AIBU to treble the amount of brandy in the Christmas cake?

[TmiEdward]

The recipe says 3 tablespoons.

That just seems so... scant compared to the piles of dried fruit. It looks like a small EU Food Mountain.

Not at all, provided there will be no smokers partaking

3 tbsps is stingey (sp?) IMO

Bake it with the specified amount, drizzle the rest on before wrapping to store:)

I'm planning on feeding with plenty more once it's cooked.
I've stuck in 9tbs. It's still pretty dry.

I agree with bunty, I 'fed' mine last year, poked some holes in it with a skewer and drizzled a spoon full over it every week up until xmas. If you put more in before baking it will just cook off. :o

oh sorry cross post there.

Beware of overfeeding though.

My MIL made my wedding cake and it was so drunk that the alcohol could clearly be seen seeping out and bleeding into the icing. I have to explain whenever anyone looks at my wedding photos as it looks odd. Was bloody gorgeous though

My friend started soaking the fruit quite early last year, kept trying to get around to making it and not having time, so kept topping up the brandy in the fruit.... by the time she made it, she'd put almost a whole bottle in - very, very yummy cake

I'm doing a recipe where you soak the fruit for a month before making the cake, and I was just the same as you - 'that's not enough brandy for all that fruit'.

So I just poured more on until all the fruit had its feet in the liquid (about 2/3 brandy and 1/3 orange juice, and probably a generous mugful in total).

No one's driving at ours this Christmas, so hey!

It's amazing how much those tiny little currants can suck up, isn't it?!

remember to throw an extra handful of dried fruit in along with an extra half bottle good slug when you soak it so you can test it and make sure it is properly sozzled

my fruit has been in a combo of brandy, port, cherry brandy, rum, sherry etc for ages.

reading this thread has reminded me I should maybe get it bakedtomorrow morning.

I have never made a fruitcake, but now I want to. Is it too late to start one? Can I trust google for a good recipe?

I'm making Delia's Christmas cake. A very traditional recipe, but very good.

The fruit is still sozzling soaking.

onmyfeet.... I'm using Delia's Creole Christmas cake. I did it last year and it seems pretty foolproof.

Just got it out of the oven about an hour ago and the whole house now smells of Christmas!

I did the one that says 3 tbsp too, the Delia one? I sloshed in loads more than 3 cos as you say, it looked nothing like enough.

And BTW, if you are doing the same Delia one, ignore her advice re cooking time to 'not even look until 4 hours have passed' - luckily I am too nosey to leave it that long and checked after 3 and a half hrs - it was already a bit burnt

Oh yeah, I have a fan oven and have to lower temp and cooking time. 4 and a half hours is just ridiculous.
I find you do have to wrap the tin well to stop the crust burning.

I always use just the 3tblspns in my Delia Christmas cake and it tastes fine. It does get fed booze every week though and is wonderfully moist come Christmas.

I agree that 4 hours is too long for a fan oven but when I had a gas oven it took about 5 and a half hours to cook.

I over-fed a Christmas cake one year, and we didn't get around to eating it until after the New Year, by which time the marzipan had dissolved and the icing was standing above the cake. Messy to cut, but veeeeeeeery tasty.

YANBU.
I just sloshed it in, didn't even measure it...

I've made Delia's christmas cake and I at least doubled the amount of brandy she suggested and added orange juice as well for the soaking! No idea what it tastes like yet but it smells great! I'm feeding it regularly with brandy as well!

Well, it is in the oven now.
I licked the spoon and, I think I can safely say, the cake could be charged with being drunk in charge of an oven

YABU you must quadruple the amount I love Delia and make her cake every Christmas (feeding mine apple brandy this year and it is smelling good) but she's a tad stingy when it comes to soaking the fruit.

Thanks for reminding me I ned to feed our Christmas cake tonight
We put about 4 tbls in every sunday

I might just need to feed it as well
(poor ned)