Will it be ok to make Christmas cake and Christmas pudding this weekend or have I left it too late?

[spookysal]

One thing after another means I have left the cake and pudding very late this year.

Will it be ok to make or is it a waste of time now?

I'm doing mine this weekend. However my dried fruits have been soaking for a fortnight, which I find helps the maturing of the cake no end.

I've made a fruitcake for a birthday 2 weeks before the event and with diligent feeding it was fine.

Thanks Lovecat. I'll start soaking my fruit tonight.

How often do you feed if making this late?

I made Nigella's chocolate Christmas cake about 10 days before Christmas last year. Best Christmas cake I've ever made

Stir up Sunday isn't until the 25th November - you have plenty of time!

It'll be fine. I just started soaking my fruit today - huge amount of Glenmorangie .

If your fruit is nice and moist, then everything else will be good

pretty sure that stir up sunday is on november 25th this year, traditional day for making the christmas cakes and puddings.

Plenty of time.

That said, I only soak my fruit overnight (in sherry) as by teh morning, it has all soaked up, and the cake is always very moist.

Christmas cake (at a push) and Christmas pudding are the few things I can reliably make. And shortbread. That's the extent of my capability.

Fine, the rule here is after my birthday.
Although this iPhone is my birthday (and Xmas present) it's a week early.

Stir up Sunday is fine.

Look up Dan lepard's caramel Christmas cake, it is delicious and no soaking of fruit or feeding required!

I don't know why per se I am looking at a thread aside from I wondered what kind of baking you could possibly do that would take a month and a half to make. I had no idea whatsoever making fruit cake (that's the same right?) was so complicated. That is commitment!

(Runs off to google how you "feed" a cake)

Totally agree with Amazonianwoman - Nigella's chocolate christmas cake is easy to make and delicious. The first time I made it was on Chrsitmas Eve - couldn't get much more last minute.

Does that mean dried fruits will be cheaper on Monday 26th?

I've decided to make Nigellas Christmas cake closer to Christmas day and do the Christmas pud this weekend on the 25th.

Thank you for the replies

(lastsplash, Tesco have 3 for 2 on their dried fruit and most baking items if that helps)

Delia's last minute Xmas cake can be made is delicious and very moist as it has a jar of mince meat in it. The year DD was born, I only made baked it on Xmas Eve although the fruit had been soaking for a good few days before that.