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.

OMG Jazzybelle

That link is brilliant!!!!!!

xmas Eve, as usual.

1 hot toddy fruit cake and 1 of nigella’s chocolate fruit cakes. Neither needs feeding. 🤤

😀

Thanks. I have a Mary Berry cookbook and it's in there. It's been so useful.

Right, I am in. Never made a Christmas or fruit cake in my life but do make chocolate birthday cakes, muffins, loaf lemon drizzle etc. I have tins, baking parchment and a can do attitude. I have chosen Mary Berry's cake and have watched some videos on YouTube of people making it. I will be buying ingredients and making it next week.

I will also be trying to royal ice it. I don't particularly like fondant but I have used that for birthday cakes for the children. I am more of a buttercream/ganache type person and am happy piping. Fingers crossed. I shall be decorating it with my MIL's traditional cake toppers which hold great sentimental value to all of us. My SIL is not a baker at all which is why she lovingly gifted them to me. Even typing it brings a lump to my throat. I think it is time I honoured my lovely MIL's memory with a Christmas cake.

(Whispers.... never)

Tesco do a rectangular rich fruit cake slice with royal icing and marzipan. It is enough for me and MIL without having tons left over, and tastes better than my many previous efforts (many, many efforts!... I'm 58, I tried for 20 years, honest... even used my mums recipe, but it wasn't as good).

It is in the "xmas cupboard" having been bought last week.

I always make mine at the end of September then feed it every two weeks between then and the start of December. That's because we eat it throughout December but I think it's nicer the longer it has to mature.

I use the BBC Good Food "As You Like It" recipe because it's flexible on the fruit/nuts/booze/tea you use and just gives you the weights and measurements so I tweak it each year. It's an easy enough cake to make, even for a novice baker (like me!) Like a PP said, the trickiest bit is just keeping it really well wrapped/lined.

I made a Mary Berry this week with fruit soaked in almond liqueur. It did cook quicker than expected. It's fed and wrapped, and I have marzipan and royal icing sugar on standby.

@ThreeRingCircus you've inspired me to cut into mine a bit earlier this year.

Never - hardly anybody ever ate it (except the birds.)

I do make a luscious Christmas pud, though. Or two. 🐷

I've usually done mine by now but due to life I've not been able to yet and I'm going to get DD to make the actual Christmas cake but GH has a chocolate cherry on that I'll make for home, probably next week

There's no way it would all get eaten if we left it until Christmas to eat. So we eat it throughout the month of December and then it all goes 😂.

I do a glorified maderia with nuts, cherries and soaked sultanas (Amarretto), grated orange and lemon zest . No spices, dark brown sugar or currants .

Usually mid December so it has some maturing time but it doesn't need as long as a rich fruit cake . It's only me that eats it so I'll do a 6" cake and start eating the week before Christmas

Made mine (Delia's) a week or so ago - feeding it every Thursday with brandy - 2nd feed done :)

Last week in October, so any day now. I soak the fruit in whiskey before baking and give it a good slug every few days till I ice it. It’s best not to drive after a slice of my cake.

<smug face ON>

I have already made my Christmas pudding, some mincemeat and my glorious rum cake. All stashed away. Mince pies get made on Christmas Eve during the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols. My daughter and I do it together and it's one of the best moments of Christmas for me.

Anyway, rum cake - www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/food/recipe46.shtml. I heard the cook talking about this on Woman's Hour umpteen years ago and decided to give it a go. I'm not very keen on marzipan or icing and this cake doesn't need them. Very moist, absolutely wonderful, keeps for ages in a tub/tin with a good seal. (I don't bother separating the egg whites and yolks. I also make the big square cake, not the little ones.)

Probably 20 December as we have a chocolate log for the solstice rather than a Christmas cake.

My mum used to make her Christmas cake in early October and feed it each week. It would keep forever which was just as well as nobody really ate it.

A friend used to do it on the evening the clocks changed.

Making my 3 cakes today.
One for me. Others for mum and a friend.
I must be mad

I baked my first one today fruit was soaked last night. Can't wait to try it, hopefully it's not disappointing. I don't know what took me so many years to make one although it's not exactly the cheaper option. I thought it would be hard but the hardest and most time consuming bit was fiddling around with the paper.

I think I'll buy one this year. With the cost of electricity, given the length of time it needs to cook, it just doesn't seem economical. Plus it takes ages to use up, so I'll just buy a small one.

I have one Xmas pud left from last year, that will also be the last home made one. I always used to make 2 at a time, and I can't justify the steaming for 8 hours on 2 burners + the actual cost of the ingredients. The shop ones are pretty tasty anyway.

Sad, but I think I was over invested anyway. Don't think anyone else will notice tbh.

I do Mary Berry's recipe. Never fails to amaze.

Controversially, I've seen someone on FB claim to bake theirs in the air fryer. I'm tempted to do this, but worried it'll go horribly wrong. Anyone views?

We bought penguins yesterday, so will do a snow scene with maybe a bit of shimmer glitter.

And we do puddings on stir up Sunday.

Had planned to make mine last week but not got round to it. Been too busy. My house is a shithole and causing me massive stress so trying to get decluttered this week so i can think straight to bake lol. Last year was my first ever go and i used paul hollywoods recipe. It was a success so going again this year.
I also made mince pies last year using a pastry recipe on here that i cant find again! There was no sugar used in it and they went down a treat with everyone so planning on those again but bigger quantity!

Usually end of September or beginning of October.

I made mine in early September. DH has been feeding it brandy every couple of weeks since. It will now be left to mature until it's iced.

What is stir up Sunday?

It's a bit late to make it for this year.