Christmas cake - what do you do?

[EdgarAllanPond]

i do a traditional fruit cake usually, with floral pattern in jelly diamonds on royal icing - but i want to do something slightly different - any ideas?

i'll get to test something out as Dads birthday cake.

I make a cake based on Delias but change it to XP sherry and change the fruit and add nuts.

I feed it regularly then usually I run out of time after I've made the marzipan and placed it on.

I used to royal ice now I sugarpaste. with large fancy ribbon. I have some traditional snowmen I use every year.

Have a look on here cakecentral.com/gallery/view/search/?searches%5B%5D=&searches%5B%5D=christmas+cake&album=-&search_user=

I'm going on a half day course in a few weeks time think I'm making penguins??? so whatever I make will probably go on my cake. I do like the cutouts though.

penguins would be cute and a slight diversion from the traditional Daddy Chrimbo / snowman themes...

i agree about nuts - make a cake much better, really add something to the texture of the cake...

We have cassata.

I tried amaretto instead of brandy one year and was disappointed, so back to lots of brandy now

I up the sultanas and down the currants

I buy super good qualidee mixed peel and chop it myself

If you're in London, there is an amazing Turkish guy runs a dried fruit stall at Borough Market, well worth a visit

I marzipan and sugarpaste, and get merry with the cutters for a few sugarpaste festive shapes plus use a few trees and a Santa, and wrap round edges with poncey ribbon.

I use Delia recipe and always have a 20cm square cake which by the time its marzipanned and iced is huuuge!

cassata? wow! that's a different cake...the pictures on google images are very impressve!

zuccata might be hard to come by though!

i've never used brandy, its usually dark rum ..

really good quality fruit...should make a difference i agree - - not sure if i can make it as far as London, but theres a shop in Hove i could try.

i'd really like to give the cassata a go too :)

I don't do fruit cake as nobody likes it. DH birthday is a day before so we usually end up with a festive variation on Chocolate cake.

However - if you're already going for luxury fruit, do make your own Marzipan, that tastes so much nicer and and is simple to do. I know there is a recipe in the Hairy Bikers book, or google for it. The key is the ground almonds to sugar ratio is 1/1, shop bought it is more sugar&glucose which is then made up with flavouring! I've also made pistachio marzipan by grinding up shelled and skinned UNSALTED pistachios now that was divine ;-)

pistachio marzipan >hmm<

drool....

i had thought of chocolate cake as it is DHs favourite, but i made it for his birthday (choc cherry ginger cake - delicious)

ahahah

thanks to Tescos 3 for 2 on baking ingredients i now have 300g pistachios for making pistachio marzipan

and i am going to make a Cassata - great stuff! first time i've tried it

i managed to find uncut candied peel in a local weigh shop (Worthing Kitchen) for decoration as well as some unusual fruits (candied papaya and pineapple) to mix in with the bog standard mixed supermarket peel.

will be doing this thursday so i get all friday to ice it and ill be ready for Dad's birthday :) very exciting >squee<

as i've never made one befor e- any hints welcome!

have got blue curacao for orange liquer....will that work?