I’m going to bake my Christmas cake tomorrow!

[Muchtoomuchtodo]

The most organised I’ve ever been. The fruit is currently in to soak.

I won’t be shopping for gifts anytime soon though, that’s pushing it too far!

How do you decorate your cakes?

Homemade marzipan then white royal icing, smooth round the sides but in peaks on top of the cake to look like snow. Wide ribbon around the cake, Father Christmas/ Snowman/ Christmas tree figurines on top. Basic but traditional.

I love the smell of a Christmas cake baking in the oven.

I baked mine last weekend, totally agree the smell of Christmas cake baking is lovely 😊. I don’t like marzipan and icing so cover the top in almonds (before baking) and will put glacé cherries on then seal it with warm apricot jam couple of days before Christmas. (I think it’s called jewel topping)

That’s what I’m most looking forward to, especially with such awful weather outside.

I’m thinking of baking one soon but it needs to be gluten free and I’m not sure I’m brave enough…

My fruit is soaking. And I plan to bake mine next weekend so I have a few weeks to feed it more rum! I'll decorate with marzipan and white icing too.

You girls have left it late. Usually cooked in the summer,and booze regularly injected the following months. Last year I made one in the slow cooker....it was amazing. I just glazed the top with jam, fruit and nuts.

I'm a bit late this year but will shop for it this weekend.
I make three as gifts every year as nobody in this household eats it but it's a tradition I love when it's really appreciated.
I try a different recipe each year. Life in the fast lane:)
Apart from organising Christmas stockings, it's my favourite christmassy thing to do.
Enjoy your baking OP.

I made mine at the weekend. I'll be doing marzipan and Royal icing then I think. I'm going to go with a holly leaf wreath design from one of my many pins on Pinterest. I've bought pop out cutters from Amazon that I'm excited to use.

It’s smelling gorgeous! I didn’t get round to making one last year after a couple of family disasters coupled with illness so I am very much enjoying it today. I have my late Grandma’s mixing bowl and measuring spoons which always make me smile when I use them!

We’ll have to come back to this thread once they’re all decorated!

@Guibhyl , all my Christmas cakes are gluten free, and turn out fine! I use Doves Farm self raising flour (which already has xanthan gum added). I add 1tsp gf baking powder, sub a couple of ozs of ground almonds for flour, and reduce the amount of dried fruit to about 750g.
Fruit cake is one of those things that work out really well gf.
That said, I'm not making one this year - I'm making the Ocado magazine Chocolate and Guinness cake (using gf stout).

I baked mine today too with DD. Was only planning to line the tin today and then bake tomorrow but we decided to do it today. Lovely festive home today!

I made our around 4weeks ago (4th feeding this Sunday), Delia recipe. I put almonds on top in concentric circles as I can´t be arsed to make marzipan and ice it. Just as tasty without! I´m in Spain and have tempted 3 people into making one this year as they like mine so much.

The kitchen smelt amazing and I always let out a loud and happy OOOOOH when I open it up to feed it!