Christmas cake When and how?

[fourtothedozen]

OH and I really enjoy christmas cake over the festive season, but always disappointed with shop bought ones. Considering baking one this year. How soon in advance? Any good recipes, I like most fruits/nuts, although not too many raisins or sultanas.

I'm a fan of the recipe in one of Nigella's books - the baking one. It always comes out really well, but it is heavy on the sultanas, currants and raisins (as any traditional xmas cake would be, as it's a rich fruit cake!). My mum likes Nigel Slater's one. And I'll bet Delia has a good classic recipe.

I usually make mine at some point in October. Google 'stir up Sunday'

I make the Nigella one from Domestic Goddess too but I like a dark cake so I use treacle instead of marmalade. I try to do it in October/ November but it has been known to get done in December. Still good.
Whatever recipe you use make sure you soak the fruit in booze for at least overnight beforehand.

I've done the Delia one (available online) for years. Always comes out well unless you put too much booze (more than the recipe)in at the beginning which makes it a bit crumbly.

Have made it in September, November and December but have also used a 'spare one' from the year before.

I do Delia's or Nigella's. usually October half term.

We use delias one but my grandfather really like a Rachel Allen one we make for him now as it is lighter and contains crystallised ginger so a bit Different.

I'm another for October and Delia.

I did a lighter one with lighter coloured fruit(dried apricots etc), white sugar and golden syrup. It tasted fine but didn't look right.

I liketheidea of the crstallised ginger cookiefiend, I also love spices, cinnamon, cloves etc. I don't want a hotch potch but brazil nuts? Figs? I like candied peel too but don't want to go too off plan. It is a traditional cake I am aiming for. My OH likes to eat his with a slice of Wensleydale and a glass of port.

I make the simmer and stir one on the bbc good good website. ?ou start by simmering fruit, butter etc so don't need to pre-soak fruit and it cooks within 2 and a half hours. Tastes great as well! I usually make it during October half term.

I use an adaptation of the Delia recipe from my really really old book (not sure if it's changed at all in the more recent/online) but I check about 45 minutes earlier and progress from there.

I don't like dark cake so I use caster/golden caster sugar, sultanas,cherries, no treacle, a mix of nuts-brazils,almonds,pecans,walnuts,macadamia.
I use fresh peel lemon and orange not candied peel.
I don't use spices.

Soak the sultanas in Amarretto a week before. (I do mine in December, it doesn't need to mature long)

Delia marzipan/almond paste recipe with Amarrettto again.

Royal icing.

I did Delia's every year then tried Mary Berry's for the first time last year and it was DELISH! I make mine in October and feed with brandy every/other week until marzipanning in mid December, then icing (fondant) a few days after (to let marzipan dry a bit).

Another one here who rates the simmer n stir one from the BBC good food website. It's really easy, tastes gorgeous and not too heavy. Normally make it October/November.

I use the box mix from Waitrose. Is excellent. About a tenner but often half price in October.

I used to make my gran's recipe but lost it over several house moves. Boo hoo!

Off to Google Mary Berry's...

Really recommend Mary Berry's recipe, I've used it for years. I make the cake on the first weekend in October and then feed with brandy until early December when it gets marzippaned and iced. Always delicious.

I've done my Christmas cakes on August bank holiday Monday before - DP is usually working and I am not and it's quite a good activity if the weather is bad. It is then fed liberally with brandy until the big day.

I often use the recipe in the Be-ro book, but I think I might try the one mentioned here this year.

Always delia and always first week of October. I don't include booze though, but I do feed it orange and apple juice

does anyone substitute brandy with a different alcohol?

I've done layers before..so a few weeks amaretto then rum then brandy ..was delish more like a pudding lol! I glaze fruit and nits and paint with apricot jam and a bit of gold leaf

Nuts not nits!

very I've done both rum and whisky in different years as well as brandy.

We've tended to do Delia in the past but may well look at Nigella and Mary Berry given the recommendations here.

can anyone recommend a nice easy recipe and can you add amaretto instead of brandy to a Christmas cake?

For anyone who wants easy, I REALLY recommend the waitrose boxes- I think it's Delia, it has all the dry ingredients pre weighed and costs about £10. You just follow the recipe on the box and add eggs, lemon and maybe butter.

Thanks happygirl

Can anyone recommend an alcohol free recipe? I really don't like the taste in cakes. Preferably one that uses lots of nuts.

You could just substitute lunar. Eg if the recipe says start by soaking your dried fruit in alcohol, use orange juice instead.

If you need to add liquid later, just add more juice or milk.

I've always used Nigella's - the Domestic Goddess one - and it's absolutely delicious. But, inspired by Mumsnet, I tried the Delia one two years ago. Tbh, it wasn't as good and the loooong cooking time was really inconvenient.

Last year, I tried a Middle Eastern inspired one from the Good Food magazine. Although it was really nice and the flavours were interesting, it needed eating within two weeks of making. Which I only realised after I'd made it in November. So I ended up freezing it, which wasn't ideal.

So I shall be back to Nigella this year. I shall put the fruit into soak in the first weekend of half term and bake it in the second weekend. I always give it a week. And always in whiskey.