Dry Christmas Cake

[Carrotsandcelery]

I made my first Christmas cake this year. I used my Mum's recipe, which was my Granny's before that so it seemed important to me to do it. We cut the cake yesterday and it tastes lovely but it is really dry. We didn't feed it as my Mum says it tends to be really crumbly if you do. Will it be more moist in the middle? Can I feed it now, even though it is iced? (ie by turning it upside down and feeding it?) It is not dreadful, just kicking myself about it though.

mine turned out dry too. i have turned mine upside down and skewered a few hole to pour brandy in. it has made it alot better. i think i cooked mine for a bit too long and i foget to put double greaseproof on top of the cake when it was cooking. kicking myself too.

if you get fed up with it make xmas cake ice cream with some of it.

You could probably rescue It with lots of brandy :)

Next year do delias recipe.

I know it is not the recipe as my Mum has made it all my life and it has always been lovely. I think I was worried it wasn't cooked and cooked it way longer than it said, as alypaly says. I did have it well wrapped up but it must have been just too long.
We will attempt a rescue mission with brandy and tea. If nothing else I am sure dh and I will have a good laugh trying it.
Do you think it might be better in the middle as we have only had little slices from the edge so far?

It keeps cooking in the tin for a while after you take it out, so if you mum and gran have made it no problems to the rime given then stick with that in future.

Eat it with a slice of wensleydale. The creamyness of the cheese should help to counteract some of the dryness

and you know what they say.....

A slice of cake without the cheese is like a kiss without the squeeze.

i'm eating cake and cheese RIGHT NOW. Man it's good.

Cake and cheese? Interesting! Any excuse to eat Wensleydale AND cake and I am up for giving it a go!
Will stick to the recipe time next year.

had some more of my cake today after feeding it with brany yeasterday and it has made a big difference hic

brandy stronger than i thought

Think it will have to be done!

Oh, are you meant to wrap them to cook them? That'll explain why mine always have the texture of a Jacob's cracker .

nutcase you are supposed to put brown paper round the outside of the tin and also to cover the top with a double layer of greaseproof(which i forgot to do in my haste panic this year

I had a double layer of greaseproof paper on mine and a lid of greaseproof paper too.