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?

I made mine last week - a Delia with extra brandy. Agree with Slubber that you need more than 3 tablespoons (plus extra for feeding it with afterwards, which Delia recommends).

Waves to Slubber and Chippy.

Will enjoy Christmas cake with cup of tea (so will Norman).

(nigella's choc fruit one is so great it's become just a regular fruit cake that we eat all year in this house! and means I have to have tia maria in the cupboard all year round...!)

I've always made Nigella's Christmas cake - and have done again this year - but I soak the fruit for a week in whisky and rely on my own judgement as to how much is enough.....

One thing about Nigella's (from the Domestic Goddess book) - she provides three lists of ingredients for three different tin sizes, but none of the variations are for a 20cm tin, which is what I have (and thought was the most common tin size). So I split the difference between the first two sizes and came up with my own list of ingredients.

I'm going to try Delia's next year. I have her Merry Christmas book from last year, but wasnt' able to use it at cake making time (currently in storage while we try to sell our flat). I quite like the light colour of Nigella's cake but would like to try a darker one.

As Nigella says, you can always vary the proportions and type of fruit you use as long as you end up with the same overall weight. You could just substitute a pack of mixed fruit instead of separate amounts of currants, raisins etc. or substitute candied peel for extra raisins or whatever. I haven't bought any candied peel this year coz I don't really like it.

This thread is making me quite hungry! Picking up some fantastic tips. I love the idea of using Amaretto.. I've never tried that one!

Amy

Well no3 the Sainsbury's last minute has just gone in. Smells good. Lots of dates in it, but no cherries. Not sure if a christmas cake without a glace cherry is dinky-di.

I may soak this one in...sherry
[living on the edge]

well not soak as its just gone in. No call for soaking this one. I mean feed.

I know it's sad but I'm feeling a bit nervous - my first attempt at Delia's traditional Christmas Cake is half way through cooking. Smells good so must be 'working'?

I make Nigella's for the DG book but I put a little bit of marmelade and the rest is treacle which makes it a bit darker.

MooMoo - keep an eye, I find it needs less cooking time than she suggests

never make them. In Germany they eat Stollen which is dryer, lighter and has no marzipan/icing on top just icing sugar. I prefer it so we just have that (bought although wouldn't be very difficult to make)

I like all the alcoholic musings on here though

Oh I adore stollen......with lots of marzipan in the middle. yumyumyum

Definitely worth it if you will eat it. It's worth it for the smell alone. Also if you make your own you can make it to your own specifications - I don't particularly mixed peel or glace cherries so I substitute dried cranberries. I do the standard Delia recipe which is pretty foolproof. The key is to make it well in advance - now should be OK, but don't leave it much later or it will be too crumbly. Actually you've inspired me to make one myself - wasn't going to bother as off to mum's for Christmas so thanks for that!

Fruit now soaking Thanks again for the inspiration!

I have just taken my cake out of the oven. First I've ever made! Feel like a proper grown up.

House smells delicious. How often/how much do you 'feed' it? No marzipan icing for me, but wonky reindeer a must.

I like the glitter idea, but there's a thread knocking around somewhere where someone ate the non edible type and had a sparkly poo. Festive, I suppose

Piss! I didn't 'keep an eye' .

I think it might be a bit burnt! I did check when I saw your message, taffeta but not till I was 3hrs30 through the cooking time, and it already looked a bit too brown round the edges by then so I took it out. Might already be too late though. Silly cow (Delia I mean) totally misled me by saying 'Dont even look until 4 hours have passed'. I trusted her .

I'm not making it all again so will have to hope it's ok. It only looks a bit too brown, and only round the very edges. If I feed it loads and loads will it soften up and be ok? Can you overfeed it and make it go squidgey and rotten or anything?

Feeling a bit deflated now.

Anybody got any suggestions for anything else I can make ahead for Christmas to make me feel like a half decent cook again? And not Christmas pudding please, nobody eats it.

Mincemeat? I made some yesterday. That is SO easy!

Moo - it will be fine. Mine was similar, and now a month on and lots of amaretto feeding, its starting to look really good.

Mince pies? I make the pastry etc put the mincemeat in and top and then freeze raw. I normally do at least a few trays ahead, they just need an extra 5 mins or so in the oven.

MooMoo it will be darker around the edges though. Is it burnt or just a rich dark walnut colour?

Feed it every week with a few teaspoons of brandy a time. Wrap it in foil. I also have mine in a tin.

I'm not sure if it's burnt or just a bit darker round the edges maybe. I pulled off some of the dried fruit round the edges and that was definitely overcooked!

Give it 4 weeks of maturation and feeding and make a judgement then. If you still aren't happy with the edges, just cut them off and then marzipan and ice. Noone will know.......

thanks taffetacat

Moomoo - I always make Delia's apricot chutney (in Christmas book). Gorgeous with cold meat and cheese.

You know what, I would love to make chutneys/mincemeat etc, but am put off by the sterilised jar thing. Sounds like hassle and would worry that I won't do it properly and will end up opening a jar of fungus. Do I need to buy special equipment and how do I do it etc?

Hi MooMooFarm,

You don't need any special equipment to sterilise jars - wash them in warm soapy water, rinse and then put into a warm oven for about 15 mins. If the recipe says put chutney into the jar warm, then the jars need to be warm too. I know some people sterilise by putting the jars into the dishwasher and then putting the filling in the jars as they are still warm.

I started making my own mincemeat about 3 years ago - would never go back to shop bought. I made my own chutney for the first time this year. Maturing nicely in a dark cupboard as we speak! Lovely jars are very cheap in IKEA.

HTH