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?

BBC make and mature.

Easy and mega tasty.

Adding my vote for Delia's.

Delia's is great!

I soak my fruit in Vanilla Vodka (vodka with some vanilla essence)

It always receives compliments aplenty.

And I always make it on Stir Up Sunday with everyone stirring the mixture and making a wish..............luverly.

I made Delia's yesterday for the first time, and from the discarded pieces that I scoffed tested, it was head and shoulders better than previously tried recipes 👍

Thanks for that.. The Delia one looks simple enough hopefully. Can anyone explain the brown paper (it is just around the sides ?)

Yes just wrapped round the sides of the tin to help prevent overcooking the edges of the cake. The sort of brown paper you use for parcels and tie with string . It doesn't burn because the oven is on a lowish temperature.

I used Delia's recipe the first time I made a Christmas cake, and it tasted great. Just be aware OP that if, like me, you are used to baking more traditional cakes when it come out of the oven it feels and looks like a brick prison for naughty raisins. Don't panic like I did, it's supposed to be like that!

Duchess my Mum always made her Christmas cake from her Bero cookbook. Well it was more of an aged pamphlet type thing, I imagine given free if you collected coupons or similar. I had to keep it when I sorted the house after she passed away. That's made me feel very nostalgic

I always use this one and it's worked well every time. Cherry brandy is a bit naff but it tastes yummy!

A brick prison for naughty raisins This made me laugh so much!

I made my first ever Christmas cake last year using Mary Berry's recipe, it was surprisingly easy to do and very tasty

I will be doing it again this year but hopefully getting a bit more creative with icing it

So glad you kept the Bero book MrsK. I have an ancient one that belonged to my grandmother. Nice that someone else remembers it, generally I get blank looks when I mention it to colleagues or friends.

I have always had Bero books (think I'm on my third now, you have to send a cheque and a stamped addressed envelope, how quaint!), as did my grandmother. I haven't tried the Christmas cake but use it for all sorts of other baking.

I don't always do Christmas cake, but when I do I like the kit you can buy in Waitrose which means you have exactly the right quantities of everything and don't have half used packets of mixed peel etc afterwards.

Duchess,

Going through some old files today, looking for an insurance policy & look what I found.

Another one for BBC make and mature. Made my first one last year, everyone was amazed how lovely it was. Really simple to do.

MrsK, oh yes, that's the one! Not sure I shall rise to the poncetastic vintage decorations though, we eat ours unadorned with cheese.

For those who don't enjoy alcohol in their cake I soak my fruit in orange juice.

I do the BBC good food as you like it. I'm not a massive fan of Christmas cake so this way I put in the things I like! I soak in amaretto as not a fan of brandy etc.

Another vote for Mary Berry fruitcake recipe.

I don't like Xmas cake but DH and DM really enjoyed it