Is it too late to make Christmas Cake??

[ShabbyNat]

Please tell me its not too late!!<br /> Ive got the fruit soaking in Sherry-yes Sherry, not brandy like Delias recipe says, as my mum prefers sherry!!<br /> Did that last(Friday) night.<br /> Going to cook the cake tomorrow(Sunday)<br /> Going to soak the cake in more sherry at regular intervals until Christmas.<br /> Not going to ice the Christmas fruit cake because 1 Im no good at icing & 2 I cant be arsed<br /> Its going to be a stocking filler present for my mum.
So, am I too late or will it be ok??

[rubyflipper]

I hope it's not too late. I'm baking mine tomorrow.

[Boleh]

I have found Deliah's timing OK but I always have the time wrapped in a decent layer of damp newspaper so that's probably why.
Fruit going in to soak tonight while i make my mincemeat.

[Palomb]

The timings for Delias Christmas Cake must have been decided in the dark ages when cookers were shit. I've done her cake every year for about ten years and every year the cooking time gets shorter. I recon it was done in 2 and half hours this year. I don't bother with any of the paper and string accoutrements either.

[Foreverconfused]

I've used Ameretto this year and by just sniffing it I feel it's going to be almond-ey?

[mamapants]

Mine was done after two I think. Weirdly though Delia's timings for Xmas dinner seem to be spot on. I wonder if they've been adjusted but the cake hasn't

[Bumbledumb]

I cooked mine today. 8" tin, baked for 3hrs. Was expecting 4, but when I checked at 3 the skewer came out clean. I am worried that I have overcooked it now. I'll just keep feeding it until Christmas and hope for the best.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

My sultanas are soaking in Amarretto tonight ( i don't use currants or raisins).
I'm going to use cherries,almonds,walnuts,brazils.

YY the Delia oven time. It never needs the full cooking time in my recipe though I have the really old book, so I thought the newer version was adjusted ? I have a fan oven, always reduce the time, wrap in brown paper and double line with greaseproof.

[BettyBitesBums]

Oh that's a bugger! Sorry ShabbyNat. I've got a fairly old, fairly shit non-fan gas oven so mine are perfect in 4hrs

[TondelayaDellaVentamiglia]

delia is a LIAR!

what a shame though for all your lovely ingredients. You can sub in mincemeat for a last minute cake....have a google, although I have a feeling that might also be a Delia recipe

[HoneyDragon]

Mine was 120cm tin on 140 and done in 1.5 hours foil over for the last half hour. That's was fan oven

[CiderwithBuda]

Oh that's a shame. Happened to me too with Delia. I still use her recipe but not her timings. As someone said ovens are more powerful these days.

[Treats]

Sorry that happened OP

I tried Delia's cake two years ago following recommendations on here (always used Nigella's from her Domestic Goddess book before). I balked a bit at the 4 hours baking and sneaked a peak after 2.5 hours. It was perfectly cooked at that stage.

Have gone back to Nigella this year.

[slithytove]

I think you just need to keep an eye on them. I've made Nigel slaters small cake this year and it says cook for 2.5 hours. An hour on 140 then the rest at 130.

I did an hour at 140 then an hour at 125 with foil and it was perfect. Fan oven.

[maryann1975]

My mum dropped a cooked Christmas cake last week. As she had just mopped the floor she scooped it up (it had broken) and we have been eating it since. It tasted lovely even though it hasn't had time to mature, so it's definitely not to late to make the cake. I'm not sure how much it matters to be honest. (Although I always do mine in October, I have no idea why, other than that is when my mum used to do the cake when I was a child).

[WiryElevator]

Delias recipe is from the 70s when ovens weren't as powerful. I cook mine for about an hour - an hour and a half less than she advises.

[Meow75]

The ones I've done are 5 inches sq, non fan oven @140°C for 2 hours to start and then judge extra time according to my skewer test. Extra time has been between 15 and 40 minutes. No idea why the difference, except I've got more and more techy with each one. Perhaps more thorough mixing is the reason.

[PiggyPlumPie]

I made two of Delia's last week and they were both ready after 3 and a half hours.

[slithytove]

:( oven preheated too high, or is it a particularly new or clean oven? Did it need newspaper around it or foil over it?

[ShabbyNat]

I burnt it
Don`t know what happened
Checked it on the dot of 4 hours like Delia said, oven was right temp,
tin was right size.
Went straight in the bin
There was no saving/rescuing it

[queenrollo]

I'm making two, one with port (i prefer a sweet cake so gave up using brandy or whisky as we never ate it) and this year am trying one with calvados - because we have two bottles and I need to use it somehow....

I usually make mine in October but kitchen renovation has overun....
Made it as late as two weeks before Christmas before though and always turned out fine.

Sherry will be lovely I think.

[NarcyCow]

Mine are in the oven at the moment (and I'm home alone watching Home Alone ). I soaked them for a month in a mixture of Captain Morgan's spiced rum, kirsch and port (there'd usually be brandy too but I hadn't any).

[WiryElevator]

I made mine last weekend, this weeknd will be fine. I love Amaretto and made one using it a few years ago but hated it, it was way too sweet.

Back to good old lashings of brandy for me.

[Paperblank]

I've got all the ingredients and so I'll more than likely make it next weekend. It'll be fine. I generally make mine mid November, I don't feed my cake because it has so much booze in it

I used Grand Marnier one year...I got in trouble from DH for using nearly a whole bottle although he didn't complain when he was eating it.

[Heyheyheygoodbye]

I never make mine until Stir-Up Sunday! I soak the fruit for a good week in advance though. Grand Mariner and a Dutch Apple liqueur here

[BettyBitesBums]

Shabby I use the Delia recipe too. I did one a couple of weeks ago and just done another one today. I soaked the fruit in a mix of amaretto and brandy but use about double what is suggested in the recipe. As for topping it up I do it once a week, alternate Brandy and Amaretto each week and use a good few tablespoons each time. It's never failed me yet!