Right then, a Christmas Cake...

[KinkyDorito]

So, having decided to host my own, very first, super family Christmas at home I am going to have to get my act together and figure out what this actually means in terms of preparations.

I have never made a Christmas cake. I love the idea of using amaretto in it, but apart from that am stumped as to what I need to do, when, and which recipe to use.

Suggestions and guidance gratefully received.

i asked the same question here

going to start my investigations this weekend

A response! Thank you from saving me from being in no-answer to my thread hell!

Report back if you find useful info, and I will do the same.

I'll bet I find out that it's something that should have already been started...

I found Delia's recipe online, but some say soak fruit longer, and do I just bung (technical term) amaretto in instead of brandy? Or both. Maybe with some vodka for good measure.

I'm sure it will be fine. And if it's not, I'll drink the amaretto, then it will be very fine indeed .

Hmmmm. That sounds rather fab.

I made Delias at the weekend, bunged a load of chopped walnuts in it 'cos i like them and a hell of a lot more brandy than the prescribed amount and it smells wonderful. I made it last year and it was LUSH.

I stewed my fruit for a couple of weeks beforehand.

I think you can pretty much mix and match with christmas cake recipes as long as the basic eggs/flour/butter mix is there.

Delias recipe is fab and very easy to follow. But yes, soak the fruit for longer if you can. I generally put it to soak Friday morning to start baking Saturday afternoon. Will be doing mine one day next week this year though as DD is going to nursery so she'll be out the way

Make sure that everyone who is likely to eat the cake loves marzipan, as Amaretto has a very distinct marzipan taste.

We love marzipan, so no worries there!

Thanks everyone .

DH says I have to make both so he can compare! One nigella tia maria chocolate fruitcake and one delia with an amaretto twist. He'll be like a pig in clover.

I also made Nigella's chocolate christmas cake and it was very nice. My booze of choice was whiskey though. I even ate some and i don't like christmas cake! Dh really loved it - he is the christmas cake lover in our house.

another vote for delia's. it tastes amazing and so moist! oo, i do love Christmas cake. Yum!

Marking place, will be doing my cake v soon too. Might do Mary Berrys this year as every recipe of hers I have done so far has been excellent...

Tried the no suet mincemeat last year and was not impressed. And still got 2 puddings left over- so not bothering with that again!

I did a simmer and stir one last year with macademia.
It was roundly agreed that it was the best Christmas cake ever tasted (could have just been being polite!), even people who don't like Christmas cake normally liked it.
This one