When are you going to make your Christmas cakes?

[OldWintersSong]

When are you going to make your Christmas cakes?

I want to make and feed with booze until Christmas, or finish before and leave to mature.

Usually Oct half term.
I soak the fruit in alcohol for about three days (do that mid week) and then make the cake batter on the Saturday and bake it on the Sunday. My recipe say 3hrs but it’s more like 4 - 4.5hrs.
Then aim to feed it each weekend between then and Christmas. The last feed is a week before icing it.

Usually October half term week

Thx

Do you know of any recipes for smaller cakes e.g. 6" cake tin. I want to make smaller ones this year, and more of them. I can't work out how to reduce the times on a recipe.

@WantToKnowAnswers I've got a recipe that is scaled for different sized tins and also has instructions on how to work out volumes of mixture needed eg if you were using a novelty tin. I'll post a picture later as I'm just on my way out.

Oh yes please TheWoollybacksWife

Also, do you mind me asking about your name? That's a word I've not heard in a long time.

Made it last week.

Next weekend.

Soon, I've got to get it done before 21st October because my husband is having a heart op. I used to do it the Sunday before my late mother's birthday but I like mine to mature for longer. This year I have DD and DGS to assist me.

These photos show the imperial and metric measurements - I'll add another two showing the method.

My DH is a Wool 😂 and I'm a scouser

Method @WantToKnowAnswers

Mid October 😅

Me too, Scousers are the best.

I usually do mine the same weekend the clocks go back. I didn't make one last year, so I'm extra looking forward to it this year.

How hard is it to make? Debating giving it a go this year but I’m not a great baker.

@Twilightstarbright imo the trickiest bit is lining the tin with 2 layers baking paper.

I try and do mine on Stir Up Sunday......need to find out when that is this year. Usually the end of November.

Remembrance Sunday

I use a Slimming World recipe, which doesn't use sugar or fat; so I don't make it until the week before Christmas.

Christmas cake calculator.

www.bbc.co.uk/games/embed/food-interactive-christmas-cake-calculator

About six weeks before. DH took over making the Christmas cake a few years ago as he's the only one who eats it.

It’s not that hard, just give yourself more time than you think you’ll need and agree with pp the doubling lining the cake is quite tricky - DP always helps me with that.

Why do I need two layers of liner? I’m clueless!

I made mine this week before the electricity prices went up so I didn't feel bad about having the oven on for so long 😆

Because you cook it for quite a long time and it's a dense cake. The double layer stops the outside cooking too quickly or burning while the inside is underdone. It should make for a more even bake.

I make mine a few days before Christmas as we don't drink alcohol.

Usually stir up Sunday but this year I'm doing the adults cake in the next week or so and the kids one on stir up Sunday