When are you making your Christmas cake?

[Quills]

This is our first year making and decorating our own cake, as my beloved Nan used to make them for the whole family and I haven't had the heart to make one since she passed away. However, DD1 (aged 6) has asked to make one with me this year so it's high time to start a new tradition

We don't like cakes that are too heavy/rich, so we've settled on this recipe www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4876/honey-saffron-christmas-cake

However, I have absolutely no idea when we should make it Would mid-November leave enough time to feed it, or should we make it earlier? When are you doing yours?

We've been chatting about Christmas cake over here and it's made me TOTALLY Christmassy! I think that is a lovely tradition to start! That recipe looks lovely but, for me, it's not heavy or boozy enough!

Personally, I like to make mine at the start of October. To be honest, mid-November would be fine, although October half term might be a good time to do it if you're thinking of a tradition that you can keep up?

I do mine much nearer the time, it's not a 'proper' heavy cake I do though, more a glorified fruit/nut Maderia Cake with alcohol

I sort of follow the Delia recipe (though the book I have is ancient so the cooking time is way too long. Possibly written pre-fan oven era)

I might do my Christmas Pudding at Stir-Up Sunday but I tend to put mine in the freezer (having once had the mouldy pudding experience ) it;s done and dusted then safely put away.

I usually do our cake and puds around the end of October. I do Delia's Irish Whisky cake and Mary Berry's pud what she did on bake off - only I make two 1lb puds.

We have a chocolate sponge so probably not until Christmas Eve.

half-term week

I was just wondering the same thing. Never done it before but want to start the tradition in our family.

October half term.

When my children were younger we used to sit down in the October half term and make a list of all the things we needed to make a Christmas cake.

I then took them to the local supermarket and they shopped for those things while I had a cup of tea in the café, we then went home and they made the Christmas cake.

They did this for years and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Rule in our house is it must be done by Halloween. We do Christmas puds at the same time.

We use a recipie in one of my mums old books.

Everyone has to stir the mix and make a Christmas wish. This year we are making it on the 15th of October as we will all be together

I have just been reading a recipe for a 3 ingredient xmas cake on a slow cooker fb group. 1kg dried fruit soaked overnight in liquid of your choosing (they suggest choc milk or orange juice/brandy mix) then mix with sr flour and cook in sc for 4hrs high/8hrs low.

I am tempted. Not much ££ wasted if it is crap?

I always make the cake and pud during October half term, then store the pudding away safely and wrap the cake up, to be fed weekly with brandy til Christmas. Both Delia recipes.