Christmas cake recipe for beginner

[HollyBollyBooBoo]

Does anyone have a good recipe for a Christmas cake for someone who has never cooked one before please?

Delia's recipe is reliable and straightforward.

I would second Delia!

I did wonder about Delia - thank you I will try that one. When do I need to make it? Don't people make it months in advance?

I saw the title of this thread and came on to recommend Delia but I've been beaten to it!

You can make it a couple of months in advance and feed it. However, I'm never that organised and only manage to make it in early/mid December!

The Mary Berry fruit cake with apricots is easy and pretty infallible

Brill, thanks all!

Made mine at the weekend! (I use the BBC make and mature recipe)

BBC goodfood recipe, I have made this one for several years now and it's always turned out well. Very easy to do.

I would recommend the Bero Book. (As in the Bero Flour). If you google Bero recipie inspiration, you will find the whole book online for free. All the recipes from this book are straightforward and good. They are categorised according to difficulty but the Christmas cake is simple to do. I would say it's worth reading several recipes and methods so you get the hang of the basic principles before you begin. Delia, Mary Berry, any Good Housekeeping and Bero will be good. Good luck, l am sure you will make a delicious cake.

Another vote for the Mary Berry one here - it always gets made in October half term!

I faithfully use one from the pink whisk. If it's not pink whisk then it's the pink spatula! I think she was a former Bake Off contestant.

She does it in 2/3 parts. My fruit is going in to soak first weekend in September.

Mary Berry's method in her baking bible has everything broken down to the point that I'm pretty sure the youngest members of our family could follow it without error.

Regardless of recipe though, I always soak my fruit to the point that my raisins could be grapes again and lace with enough alcohol to keep it going until well past January.

Regardless of recipe though, I always soak my fruit to the point that my raisins could be grapes again and lace with enough alcohol to keep it going until well past January

Which alcohol do you use? I usually use Sherry but I never eat it as I don't like it! I'm going to soak my fruit for 4 weeks then make the cake and then feed it until end of Nov I think.

Regardless of recipe though, I always soak my fruit to the point that my raisins could be grapes again and lace with enough alcohol to keep it going until well past January

Which alcohol do you use? I usually use Sherry but I never eat it as I don't like it! I'm going to soak my fruit for 4 weeks then make the cake and then feed it until end of Nov I think.

For those who are not a fan of Christmas cake I will be doing a Tunis cake and will decorate with fondant holly leaves, using Mary Berry's recipe

I always use a Waitrose recipe they seem to wheel it out every year on one of their recipe cards just with a different decoration/finish and it's amazing. Like Sundaylunch I also soak the fruit for a few days as overnight doesn't really cut it iyswim, I use brandy for mine.

Brandy is my Christmas cake soak of choice!

I love Christmas cake! It's actually quite easy to make. As Nigella says there is just enough faffing about with Brown paper to make you feel like a competent housewife, but it is really just mixing everything up together and bake in a very low oven.

Has anyone tried Delias Creole Christmas cake? Looks v boozy, but that can only be a good thing!

Brittbugs80 I use a decent brandy, it takes on the flavour of the fruits, I like to add fig and date for a rich dense cake. My husband normally has a moan about using up his supply but then is quickly pacified when he can munch on Christmas cake with left over Cheshire cheese to his hearts content!

Has anyone tried soaking the fruit with amaretto or is this going to be one of my spectacularly terrible ideas?

Hadn't thought of Amaretto. Am considering a mix of brandy and rum. (Perhaps I should make a drink of the two and see if it is nice!!)

If it's your first Christmas cake try this one, it is ridiculously easy. You don't need to do lots of beating and there's no messing about with brown paper & string

BBC Good Food Simmer & Stir Cake

I love Amaretto-soaked fruit in my Christmas cake but DP doesn't. I tend to use Calvados or Cointreau. My fruit has been soaking since May 😂

I need to eat last years yet! October half term I make Mary berry