Christmas cake Q's

[BrisaOtonal]

I've never made one even though I am an alright baker. I am struggling for presents for elderlies and we are hosting this year so am thinking of taking the plunge. Please help with my Q's

1. One of the reasons why I am doing it is because we have a cupboard full of booze that we are not using. Can I use up my sherry, brandy and whisky? What about my sloe gin, port and vodka?

2. What recipe works best? I am planning on doing it over a few months and putting marzipan and icing on it.

Delia

Absolutely. Delia. No contest.

The best fruit cake I ever made was made just like that. I used a completely random mixture of various booze and it was awesome!

Just write down what you add, because the epic cake is now a lost chord because I have no idea what I did 😭

Yep. What they said.

Oh, and this is essentially the best fruit cake recipe ever written www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1160/simmerandstir-christmas-cake

i like the mary berry rich fruit cake recipe - i've used it every year for many years with success every time.

all i would say is that i don't think any christmas cake is going to us up 'that' much booze. only a relatively small amount required for the recipe and then for feeding it.

I will make 3 cakes so hopefully I can use up some of it all.
Thanks for the recommendations.

What do you store the cake(s) in whilst it waits around maturing and being fed booze?

Any booze (lots/mixture). You add to fruit and then to feed, so I disagree that you won't use much up.
Delia, for sure.
Try adding variations - dried cranberries/apricots/dates/prunes. Crystallised ginger instead of mixed peel.

And to answer your storage question - clean piece of grease proof each time you feed, then foil over to seal in. Then in a cake box/Tupperware.

I have had good results from the Mary Berry Christmas Cake and Lisa Faulkner Christmas cake recipes

Previously I have made them in late November but is October too early ?

Previously I have made them in late November but is October too early ?

I find that half-term is a handy time to start on Christmas prep.

I do Delia's creole christmas cake. I'll never try another recipe, it's The One.

In the past, I've found cakes with a mixture of alcohols to be by far the tastiest, so you're barking up the right tree : )

I usually make mine the first weekend in November.

Should t be. I usually make mine in half term. I make a very dark crammed with fruit cake but have also made Delias Mincemeat Cake and last two years made Nigellas last minute one which everyone loved. I try to make my mums Golden Christmas Cake too. The recipe I lost and it isn't the same as it is much sweeter. It is a Australian Women's Weekly recipe. If anyone has an old version I would be most grateful. It is full of fruit such as pineapple, cherries, sultanas ginger etc. it is lovely if you prefer a light cake.

Shouldn't be.😁

I second delias creole cake - i dont use all the different alcohols she puts in but just add up the quantities and make up this amount from rum, brandy and port which i always have in over christmas. Because the fruit is soaked before you make the cake you dont need to make it ages ahead - i usually do it early December.

Not AWW but my AWW Christmas book didn’t have it. Try this.

I also like doing pudding in the slow cooker. If your cake doesn’t need browning, this is one way to tuck it into a corner and get on with your day.

Absolutely Delia's classic Christmas cake.

I make it for gifts for MIL and her sisters - I use cleaned out/lined sweetcorn tins to make mini cakes. One yield of the recipe makes 7 individual sized Christmas cakes that will serve 4 portions/cups of tea It works really well for me because I like a wee bit of Christmas cake and would be sick of looking at the bloody thing if I had a big one.