Anyone making a Christmas cake and is it worth it?

[MooMooFarm]

Am thinking about it after getting all inspired and having a flick through 'Delia's Christmas' last night. She starts by saying her Christmas recipe book is something I should have 'reached for in October' so I'm already behind schedule ha ha.

So should I try making the cake or is it not worth the agro?

Made mine yesterday! This is the third year I've made one and I wouldn't go back to anything else - much tastier, in my opinion. The mincemeat is also worth it - so much nicer than any shop bought stuff. Go on, you won't regret it

totally worth it, much tastier and satisfying than getting one from M&S or tesco

Def worth it and no aggro at all!

Yes. Have just bought ingredients and will bake it at the weekend! A bit late this year but never mind.

I made my cake and mincemeat (both Delia) last month. IMO it is definitely worth it, they are simple to make and taste far better than shop bought.

If you would normally buy a cake and it all gets eaten then its definitely worth making your own. Always so much nicer. I made mine weekend before last and it's been fed with brandy weekly.

Also I just love decorating the cake, I'm no good but it's fun!

Never tried my own mincemeat, when is the cut-off for making that?

I usually make mine (Delia recipe) 4 weeks before Christmas - always lovely, and the year I made it earlier I felt it was drier and not as nice. Last year I didn't have enough raisins/currants and had to put extra sultanas in to make up the correct fruit weight - it was far nicer - moister and lighter. Will do this again this year.

2 delia's down, 2 sainsbury's last minutes to go.

Absolutely worth it, just for the experience of licking out the brandified cake mix bowl and spoon if nothing else.

Totally worth it. I usually make 2. Christmas cake and brandy coffees kept me going through all the snow days last winter.

Claire - AFAIK there isn't a cut off for mincemeat - you can start using it as soon as it's made and it lasts for about a year (although ours is never around for that long). Like the cake, it's so much nicer than shop bought and you get loads too - I always use Delia for both cake and mincemeat.

The smell of baking christmas cake, lovely. Or the smell of the fruit soaking in brandy.

Ooh I feel all inspired now - am going to do my shopping list. Do I have to be as fussy as Delia with the ingredients (I'm thinking for instance that she says she uses whole candied peel and chops it up - I don't think Asda will have any ). And should I have made it already so it won't have long enough to mature or whatever?

Thanks maclover I will make some this weekend then.

Definitely worth it - I make a Delia christmas cake every year, am not that talented in the baking department, but it is lovely! I find soaking the fruit for far longer than she says (like for about a week) in more brandy (or alcohol or your choice) makes it extra lovely and moist.

Homemade so much nicer, yet I've never attempted one myself. My mom makes the best. Would you say a rather rubbish cook (but with a good mixer, if that helps...) should try?

I don't have a Delia book but I have two Nigella books Domestic Goddess and Feast anyone know if the Xmas cakes in those are good?

I have grown suspicious lately of Nigella's recipe timings and balance of ingredients; I find some work beautifully, and others are yuck. Slightly wary of risking something major like a Christmas cake without confirmation that the recipe has worked for someone else.

I would like to make a christmas cake but I know that everyone would be so bloated with meals and snakcs and drinks that no bugger would eat it.

No one ever eats my mum's. Too full.

And the dds hate all those dried fruits.

Delia is producing cake 'kits' for one of the supermarkets this year I think-I'm sure I read about it somewhere and the newspaper costed it as better value than buying all the ingredients seperately

it's a very satisfying cake mix to stir and the smell is so Christmassy! I use the Good Housekeeping recipe. Yummy yummy yummy.

poitydog - for me the cake is for through the winter, not just christmas day. I can't do xmas pud and cake either.

its the good old DM

Paisley - how long does it last then, once you've cut it? I was wondering about halving the recipe, but if it lasts ages I won't bother.

pointy you need to eat it pre-meals/snackerage

a festive appetizer if you like.

Delia has a creole one in her book, not sure if there is dried fruit in that one, looks good in the photo though.

Martini I heartily concur about Nigella and her hit and missability . I did her boiled christmas cake last year (domestic goddess), didn't eat it as it went to the church but it smelt v nice.

Well I made one last week and don't expect to start eating it until around boxing day. I think we were still eating last year's feb, maybe even early march.
(Maybe the alcohol keeps it)