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Original poster

Help - Christmas cake disaster - can I rescue it?

17 replies

HairyMaclary · 03/12/2011 21:25

I'm doing Delia's Christmas cake this year, a bit late but Mum normally does it and she's broken her leg so it's my first time!

Fruit is soaking in brandy and after a large glass of wine I thought I'd get ready for cooking to tomorrow by getting all the other ingredients out. However I failed to read the recipe through though and have mixed all the dry ingredients together leaving only the eggs, treacle and butter to add tomorrow. Can I do this cake as an all-in-one or do I need to start again with all the spices etc and cream the butter and sugar together first?

I have enough ingredients to do it again but would prefer not too, especially as I will then be left with what looks and smells like a nice cake!

Any ideas?

OP posts:
MrsTwinks · 03/12/2011 21:44

ok if I am reading right, you have the fruit soaking, and then the flour, spices etc all mixed in (sieved?) ready to go in but not wet, not in with the fruit or eggs yes?

should be fine. Mix the butter and sugar together, add the eggs (dont panic if it "curdles" mine ALWAYS do) etc etc and then add the flour mix spoon at a time alternately with one of fruit.

Been years since I've done Delia's so not sure exactly what she uses, but this is how I do mine and it never fails. butter/sugar, eggs, anything else wet then flour and fruit.

Original poster
HairyMaclary · 03/12/2011 21:45

No sorry - fruit is soaking but sugar, flour and spices I've mixed together so I can't cream the butter and sugar as it's already mixed.

OP posts:
MrsTwinks · 03/12/2011 21:49

you will have to start again then. but MAYBE you can separate the sugar and flour if you sieve it. If the sieve is fine enough for the holes to be smaller than the sugar granules. Try it, it cant help (just weigh the sugar you have left to be sure iykwim)

TheGashlycrumbTinies · 03/12/2011 21:54

TBH I would just use an all in one method, I have made 8 of Delia's Christmas cakes this year, and if time was short I have used an all in one method, there is no obvious difference.

And as Queen Delia states " a cake full of so many delicious ingredients, can't fail to taste good."

Original poster
HairyMaclary · 03/12/2011 22:02

I was wondering that Boiledegg. I've never noticed a difference between the all-in-one normal cakes and the 'cream' style cakes, either in ingredients or in taste and normally I wouldn't worry. however the fact it's 'The Christmas Cake' has me doubting myself!

Thanks for your advice Mrs. Twinks - I don;t think sieving would help as I'd still be left with all the zest of the citrus fruits.

Still not sure...

OP posts:
PurplePidjInAPearTree · 03/12/2011 22:05

I did a non-Delia recipe, and it used the all in one method and I don't know it tastes delicious because none of it stuck and accidentally fell in my mouth no no not at all

Bellavita · 03/12/2011 22:07

All in one will be fine.

MrsTwinks · 03/12/2011 22:09

I always put the zest in with the sugar anyway, makes the oils/taste come out more Xmas Smile

Original poster
HairyMaclary · 03/12/2011 22:09

I like that purple! Maybe I'll just do it all-in-one, save the ingredients...

OP posts:
PurplePidjInAPearTree · 03/12/2011 22:20

No point being wasteful marks and sparks do a good fruit cake if it all goes wrong

PastGrace · 03/12/2011 22:21

If I were you I'd beat the butter separately, then just do all in one. So effectively you're creaming the butter and sugar, but without the sugar iyswim. Otherwise I think you might struggle to mix it properly because of the fruit. But I think all in one should be fine...

If not, lots of icing and marzipan and ply everyone with booze?

Original poster
HairyMaclary · 03/12/2011 22:32

That's a good idea, PastGrace. I was a bit worried about combining it all so it mass sense to do the butter first.

OP posts:
PastGrace · 03/12/2011 22:44

I did a Nigella coffee cake the other week and she said to do it all in one in the food processor. I was doubtful, and the butter wasn't soft enough so it took sodding ages a while to combine, and the finished cake dipped slightly but it still tasted fine. I did it again (it was a birthday cake and I was getting upset) and beat the butter first - it still dipped a little bit, so I'm blaming the mix, but it was much easier to mix everything together once the butter had the right consistency. I think that's more why you cream butter?

MrsTwinks · 03/12/2011 23:01

you cream the butter and sugar because doing so blah blah sciency crap about aeration of fats which makes the cake much lighter and fluffier

PastGrace · 03/12/2011 23:11

thanks!

Trixiebix · 04/12/2011 00:22

Will be absolutely fine-cream the butter well on its own to ensure it is really soft then add in all dry ingreds.and mix well. Then stir in the fruit and mix as well as you can.If you try and do the lot in one go it will be tricky to mix well together as it will be a huge amount to work with IYSWIM.

Original poster
HairyMaclary · 04/12/2011 20:42

Thanks all, I did it the way you suggested Trixi and it looks and smells great!

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