Nigella’s chocolate fruit Christmas cake?

[Paranormalbouquet]

Has anybody made this?

If so:

1. Is it good?

2 How far in advance could I make it?

1. Could anybody direct me to some idiots guide for wrapping the tin in brown paper?! (I’m awful at that sort of thing, can’t visualise at all!).

I like baking but hate decorating cakes, and this one looks like it’s meant to sink a little so perfect for me I think!

Get a nice robin to go on the top and that’s decorating done :)

Christmas Pudding Cheescake??

Hugh Fearnley W has a great recipe for a cake that is like a lighter Christmas cake - you could make it in advance. You can eat it as a cake or as a pudding with cream and or custard.

Want me to link the recipe?

Yes please- will look at all recipes provided!

OP - "I made panettone last year and it didn’t go down too well" < this

Tell the person / people it didn't go down with to bloody well do it themselves this year, and you'll sit on your backside with a cup of tea and criticise their efforts. See whether they're up for it.

Go for something like a Baileys cheese cake that it grown up and special but relatively little faff, or buy a frozen dessert from M&S or Iceland and give daggers to anyone who suggests it's not home made. Why are you putting yourself through this for other people to shred your efforts?

Actually - this looks familiar - I just didn't add pecans as none of the family (other than me!) likes them.

I had to make the same recipe for a 1st communion in the spring - I turned it into a squared cake tin, and once turned out on a board, I covered it with white fondant icing and cut a cross in coloured icing to give some decoration. Which also worked well - so if you want a cake that can be decorated, you could do it and have fondant rather than royal icing.

Sticky toffee pudding? You could make the cake part in advance, and just reheat it at the last minute and heat the sauce in a pot at the same time (that can also be made in advance).

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

Voilà.

It's very good and keeps well, too 🍰

Of course he recommends frying slices in butter before serving hot as a pudding

Crying to be fair I didn’t much like it either, and nobody complained as much as ate it politely and didn’t have seconds! I enjoy cooking and challenging myself but have more people than usual and always find desserts are my weakest point!

The chocolate Xmas pudding looks amazing though, and possibly even I could pull it off!

Thanks oldlaundbooth. Well to be fair everything tastes best fried in butter.

Is this the fridge cake PPs have mentioned? My DDs made it last year and it went down a treat with all those who don't like traditional Christmas Pudding. It definitely needs to come out of the fridge a few hours before serving, as it took ages to get out of the bowl, but it keeps well in the fridge for a few days.

It was also dead easy to make - no wrapping tins in brown paper etc etc .

This is fab and keeps ages - I make it each year www.nigella.com/recipes/easy-action-christmas-cake

Her chocolate Guinness cake is also excellent. Both recipes can be scaled up/down easily.

Simplest is pears poached in red wine though - there is a nice Elizabeth David recipe. So delicious and tastes festive but you actually have room to eat one after a big dinner! I do them in the slow cooker.

For the fridge cake Nigella (again) suggested using Ameretti biscuits for a Christmas version and would be easy to substitute these in that Xmas Pud recipe.

I just noticed there is a Christmas bakewell tart on the same page as that Xmas Pud fridge cake. I've always found bakewell tart very easy to make and could be another option for you.

I havn't really tried chocolate with fruits though I always do fruit cakes with cookie toppings and it's always a hit.

I always do a huge trifle and a lemon meringue roulade. Both are easy to do and I always make in advance, just finish off on the day (i.e. whip the cream and add it on!)

try Nigella's sticky ginger cake, it's best made a few days in advance. It's like an upmarket version of the Jamaica ginger cake you can buy in shops.It also keeps well if it's not all eaten