Christmas Cake.

[beardsrock]

Not sure if there is already a thread about Christmas cakes, I had a quick look but can't see anything so thought I'd start one!

Here is the cake that I will be making.

This will be the third year that i have made it and it has always been a success. I plan to shop for the fruit this week and then make it next week, I think it's bad luck to make it before October

Lat year I used a mix of raisins, figs, dates, currants and cranberries for the fruit and I was very happy with the result. I'll use the same fruit this year and plan to feed it with Glenfiddich and port.

The smell whilst the fruit is steeping in the pan is incredible! and has to be taste-tested of course

A second bottle of port?! What a hardship!

So I've been useless and still not made my cake!

But, I did do an inventory (checking the kitchen cupboards) of the necessary ingredients last night and will shop for the rest tomorrow night. Plan to make the actual cake on the weekend.

Found two bottles of Tawny Port lurking whilst I was doing the inventory so will definitely slosh some of that in!

Just read the last couple of posts and it's seems there is a second bottle of port/excess port theme developing... curious....

I found a surprise bottle of bleach under the kitchen sink; not half as exciting...

Ha, snausage I know, quite a find eh?

They are at least a year old - do you think they'll be OK to drink?

I think they should be tested first... You know, quality control and all that!

I'll probably get banned from mn for being a goady f saying this on this thread but are there any alternatives to the classic cake?

I love it, but this year I'm on my own with two young'uns who don't (still have some in the freezer from last year which was discovered yesterday)

Any ideas?

Wilhamena how about a yule log? You can make it look rather spectacular! Or a spiced chocolate cake with some cinnamon and mixed spice?

Hi, Somebody mentioned a alcohol free christmas cake, can this still be made in advance? Anybody got any ideas for a nice easy recipe for one please? My mum used to always make us our christmas cake and it was lush but she died 5 years ago so its about time I started to make it now.

Michaela

Beautiful cakes!

Can I ask what you use instead of alcohol Show? Not strictly teetotal but I don't drink generally so if there's an alternative to alcohol in a Christmas Cake I'd like to try it.

Never made one before but considering making two. One on the traditional way and alcohol free. Think I just want two cakes to decorate tbh.

Michaela and WaggleBee there are a few suggestions for a booze free cake. In the past I've soaked the fruit in cold tea, Apple and orange juice and even pineapple juice. I've never kept a cake without alcohol for longer than about a month, but it seemed to mature nicely. I don't think it would have quite the shelf life of a sozzled cake, but it seems to keep OK!

Tea sounds good. Thank you. I'll do a boozy one first then the tea closer to the day.

Wilhamena this is what I made last year with all the leftover bits and bobs of dried fruit:

www.rivercottage.net/recipes/chunky-fig-apricot-and-prune-cake

It was really good, requires no soaking, feeding etc and tasted great with custard too

Well, I managed to make two Christmas cakes over the weekend! I've got another lot of fruit soaking in Cointreau, with which I am making a tester cake (I'm making up my own recipe from two others) and will taste it. If it's any good, I will make one for real. I seem to be running low on booze so will need to re-stock so there's plenty to feed the cakes with!

Can anyone recommend an, ideally festive (spice cake?), non-fruit cake that is suitable for icing with fondant icing? Last year there was still Christmas fruit cake kicking around at Easter, so I want to avoid fruit cake this year.

hi snowgirl. I'd recommend this Christmas spiced chocolate cake but I think that fondant icing probably wouldn't work very well. How about a spicy, sweet ginger cake? That should take fondant icing quite well?

My ultimate, however, would be a yule log. Again, not fondant iced, but incredibly yummy, and can be a real centerpiece! Also: chocolate.

For a gluten free cake, I normally stick with Delia's recipe ... then for the flour I use Phil Vickery's Flour Mix A. This works so much better than the ready mixed GF mixes which tend to have quite a distinctive after taste.

Snausage thanks for the link to the Delia chocolate spice cake - sounds lovely, but I really do want to do a bit of novelty/festive icing as I think DD will love it. Yule log is a good idea, although I might test out a ginger cake and chuck in a few more festive spices.

My gran always used maraschino cherries instead of glacé and they are fabulous in Christmas cake.

Hi snowgirl you could maybe dust any cake that your family like to eat (ginger and spice cake would be perfect) with icing sugar and then use royal icing in different colours to make decorations to go on top if you don't end up putting royal icing all over?

Snausage your cakes sound amazing! Can I be cheeky and ask you to do a post listing them all?!

I follow Delia's recipe, but just total quantity of dried fruit and use what i have. This year it's sultanas, raisins, dates, apricots, cranberries, glace cherries and candied peel. All wallowing in a half bottle of brandy and a big big glug of Grand Marnier. I'll drain before using in the mix (weekend for making the cake), and then pour over the thick starchy juices when it comes out of the oven.
Last year i foolishly thought this was feeding enough and only fed it one additional time. Big mistake! This year i shall endeavour to feed more regularly (Probably with the Grand marnier for the orange flavour).
Not decided on icing style yet - running short on ideas.

Just about to soak my fruit in rum, I'm getting all excited about Christmas now!

DartmoorDoughnut you mean the Christmas cakes?
They're the same recipe but the fruit is soaked in different booze; one in calvados, one in brandy, one in Cointreau. The Cointreau one has some of the flour replaced with cocoa
Is that what you meant?

HellKitty Yum! How long will you leave your fruit to soak?

At least 24 hours, I haven't made a Christmas cake for years but found one for the slow cooker so I'm going to attempt that - it's going to go horribly wrong isn't it!