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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think that, Italy, hands down, wins the international battle of the Christmas cake.

114 replies

KenDodd · 02/01/2022 11:48

British, heavy fruit cake, just horrible.
Germany, stollen, not much better.
France, chocolate log, very nice but not very christmassy.
Italy, panettone, just delicious!

OP posts:
BurbageBrook · 02/01/2022 11:50

YABU. Panettone is nice but a slab of traditional Christmas cake wins hands down for me.

JennetHumfrye · 02/01/2022 11:52

Yabu. Give me a slice of heavy British fruitcake anyday. Served with a generous slice of Wensleydale. Mmmmmm.

spanieleyes · 02/01/2022 11:53

Panettone- dry and dull
Chocolate log- just a push Swiss roll
Stollen- a close second!
Fruit cake- delicious, especially with a nice piece of Wensleydale!

spanieleyes · 02/01/2022 11:53

POSH! Not push.

Thelnebriati · 02/01/2022 11:53

Dundee cake, sharp cheese and a sip of whiskey. All in the same mouthfulmmmmm.

EllieSattler · 02/01/2022 11:54

Raisin-y crap, yuck.
Marzipan-y crap, yuck.
Horrible dry bread-y crap, yuck.
Bouche Noël chocolately deliciousness for the win.

KrispyBrussels · 02/01/2022 11:54

I can't get enthusiastic over panettone.

spanieleyes · 02/01/2022 11:54

@JennetHumfrye

Wensleydale lovers of the word unite!

DaggerIsle · 02/01/2022 11:55

How is a log not Christmasy? Reminds you of a nice warm winter fire, decorated with icing (snow) and Holly and mini Father Christmas?
Panettone is just breakfast pastry.

Fruit cake is.... anything that is made weeks before it's eaten should not be described as cake.

mnahmnah · 02/01/2022 11:55

I have never liked Christmas cake, fruit cake etc. Tried panettone for the first time this year and loved it!

Singleorigincoffee · 02/01/2022 12:05

I Think Panettone tastes like dry briocche to me..

Don't mind a Yule log, but it's a bit overdone and sweet.

Dont particularly like stollen or marzipan type cakes

Not really into Christmas cakes actually Grin

AfterEightMintyCedric · 02/01/2022 12:05

The thing is, you can't really eat the others with cheese!

A small piece of really good, well matured Christmas cake (ideally without inches of marzipan and claggy icing) is a thing of beauty.

Prefer stollen Danish (so marzipan and fruit rolled in puff pastry, shaped into a ring and baked) to the doughy type.

Don't think I've ever eaten Yule log tbh, but then I can take or leave chocolate.

DD(17) loves panettone so I buy her a choc one every year - this year was from TKMaxx and involved swirls of choc hazelnut spread as well as choc chips. It's was delicious but I always think it's a bit insubstantial.

MilduraS · 02/01/2022 12:24

It's a Yule log for me every single time. I had one for Christmas in France that was covered in chestnut buttercream that was the stuff of dreams.

Theluggage15 · 02/01/2022 12:28

Ugh. Panettone is just horrible. Dry and awful. Rather have British Christmas cake any day.

Crowdfundingforcake · 02/01/2022 12:29

Christmas cake every time. I'm the only one in the family who eats it. Lucky me. Don't mind a thin layer of marzipan but not interested in royal icing. Yule log too sweet and claggy, panettone too dry. Don't mind a piece of stollen.

Theluggage15 · 02/01/2022 12:29

And yes, fruit cake with Wensleydale is amazing!

ChaToilLeam · 02/01/2022 12:30

Panettone is too dry. A good Stollen is where it’s at. Preferably with marzipan in the middle. 😋

Spudsforbreakfast · 02/01/2022 12:35

YABU. Panettone is dry and worst of all, it contains dried fruit which isn't fit for human consumption. The French and their yule log win.

AnnaMagnani · 02/01/2022 12:37

Panettone - dry bread. No thank-you.
Stollen - never as nice as you think it will be.
Christmas cake - stodgy, only appreciated when it's more alcohol than fruit.
Buche de Noel for the win.

Purpletomato · 02/01/2022 12:37

Panettone is dull. Stollen for the win.

tabulahrasa · 02/01/2022 12:40

Panettone is dry and bland... I’d have said the exact opposite order you’ve put them in.

JassyRadlett · 02/01/2022 12:41

I love good panettone. I always wonder if the haters have only ever had the UK supermarket versions.

I also love fruit cake, though the insistence of people about adding cheese to it seems a really good way to ruin a decent cake.

Lebkuchen are even better, though I know they’re biscuits.

From a point of national pride, I’ll say pavlova for the win though.

RedRosie · 02/01/2022 12:46

Listen to @JassyRadlett Smile good quality panettone (preferably Italian) is food of the gods, especially with whipped cream (but also toasted). I love pandoro as well ...

dreamingbohemian · 02/01/2022 12:51

How is chocolate cake not Christmassy??
That's the only one I would willingly eat

HeadNorth · 02/01/2022 12:57

Christmas cake is food of the gods - well the ones I make are. I don't bother with marzipan or royal icing, but the cake is full of dried mange, apricot and pineapple as well as raisins, all soaked in sherry. Loads of walnuts, brazils and cashews and some chunks of dark dense chocolate. Sweetened with muscavado sugar and honey, it is not traditonal but it is amazing.

I quite like stollen and yule log. Panetone is always a disappointment - too dry and bready,