Christmas cake woes

[Bandol]

I've just taken my Christmas cake out of the oven and it's slightly burned around the edges and the top is very cracked.

I've cooked Delia's cake for the first time and she said not to even look at the cake before 4 hours. So on my 4 hour check I was expecting it to be possibly just done, not over done.

Any ideas on what went wrong and is this one salvageable on do I need to get another batch of dried fruit soaking in cognac?

Previously I've made Ed Kimber's cake with no issues so a bit thrown by my disaster with Delia.

I use delia and my cakes never take 4 hours to cook, much much less. I think it has been over done, shed loads of brandy might help, but perhaps make another one and check after 2 hours!

Was the oven too hot? I make the delia cake every year and mine cooks for around 4hrs 15. I then feed it lots of booze and it is always lovely and moist.

I’d trim any unappetising bits off the edge and carry on.

But after applying marzipan and icing slightly darker edges wont matter much

As well as booze, you can mix up a sugar solution and inject it into the drier areas of cake. With Delia’s cake I put the oven on a lower temperature.

Leave it to cool completely in the tin - preferably over night. When cool - turn it out upside down so you have the flat side up. Using a skewer, make a few holes in the cake. Feed it a drop or two of brandy. Do this every week until 2 weeks before Christmas. Marzipan and ice it. Sorted.

Agree with others. I find the delia cake can appear quite dark but after a few months of feeding and then marzipan and icing it’s perfect.

Thanks for all the quick replies!

The fan oven was set to 140deg but I don't have a separate thermometer to know if this is accurate. I don't have any issues with cooking other cakes in the oven. Yesterday I made a Mary Berry gingerbread that required an hour at 140 deg and that worked. So I'm going to assume that the oven was ok and it just doesn't need 4 hours for the Christmas cake.

I think I'll make another one for Christmas, but will feed this one and keep it for regular eating.

I'm going to be daring and will try Delia again but check after 2 hours. It's interesting that some of you find it needs much less cooking time. I will update!

Keep an eye on it and if it is starting to catch, put some foil on the top. I don’t make mine to Delia’s recipe, I use a recipe that was passed on to me by a friend. It takes just under 3 hours to cook and I do the final 40 mins or so with foil on top. Good luck with your second bash at it, I’m sure it will be perfect next time!

You should have cooked the cake at a slightly lower temperature than 140 if using a fan oven. Maybe 120 degrees. A relative made my wedding cake and burnt the cakes as they didn’t allow for the fan oven. Fan ovens cook a bit more quickly so that’s why your cake was cracked and a bit burnt. Generally take off 20 degrees and reduce cooking time by 25%.

It’ll be fine, the cracks should close over as it cools.

Just feed with plenty of brandy on both sides.

Ha! I use Delia’s recipe every year and I have a fan oven. As other posters have said, it never takes 4 hours. My trick (after loads and loads of dry cake) is to yes slightly lower the temperature and I put a cuff of brown paper around the tin. AND a tray of water at the bottom to keep the air moist. It really makes a difference!!! So mine took 2 hours and 20 mins for 8” at 140

When you feed it with brandy, how often and how much are we talking?

We used the Delia recipe, 130 degrees with our fan over and lots of layers of greaseproof paper.

We fed it 2 tablespoons of brandy, not sure when we need to feed it again.

Small update: the cake was left to cool in its tin and the cracks got much smaller 👍🏻

It's been put in a tin, will be fed cognac (about a tablespoon in cracks and additional holes made by cocktail stick once a week) and we'll eat it early next year.

Tomorrow I'll put the dried fruit into soak for the second attempt at Delia's recipe at the weekend.

@PeonyandDahlia

When you feed it with brandy, how often and how much are we talking?

Ooh I’d like to know this as well!

I’ve been feeding mine a single measure of brandy every 2 weeks (only done one feed so far, next one due on Sunday).
I’m wondering whether to up the ante to weekly!

@PeonyandDahlia

When you feed it with brandy, how often and how much are we talking?

I always do two tablespoons, once a week.

I did Delia's last year and Mary Berry the year before. I noticed Delia's was a fair bit darker than the Mary Berry one. Still tasted great in the end though!

Second attempt is currently in the oven at 130deg. I've just done a 2 hour check and it's definitely not done yet. I hope this one works 🤞🏻

Good luck!

It's out of the oven. I think it's had around 3 hours at 130 deg in the end. It looks better than last time.

Glad it turned out great 2nd time! It was the temperature that caused issues the 1st time ‘round - fan oven conversion from Delia’s instructions is 120, so 140 would have been just way too hot.

Ours (also Delia’s) is in the oven right now and we’ve got half an hour to go!🤞