Please can I see you fail-safe christmas cake recipe?

[NorkyButNice]

I'm hosting Christmas dinner for the first time in our new house and am terrified! I don't actually like raisins so haven't eaten Christmas cake, pudding or mince pies for at least 20 years, but need to fulfil everyone's traditional Christmas day food needs!

Obviously I've never made a Christmas cake, so something simple would be nice

Me too. My mum has always made cakes and puds even when they've come to us. I've told her I'll do that this year .

So pudding recipes too please?

Try this delia recipe here.

But you must follow the recipe - the first time I made it, I didn't bother with the greaseproof paper on top when cooking (she uses silicon paper nowadays) and it pretty nearly burnt on top. I was so mad, I took it in to work and made another one for us for christmas. Work ate ever last crumb and declared it delicious. The one we had at home was even nicer!

I would do St Delia's cake which you can make in larger or smaller sizes if you follow these instructions for scaling up/down.

Fantastic thanks - will give it a go.

When should I be starting to make it?

I use the Bero recipe - in fact I make the cakes today - one for us and one for a friend so they will be nice and fed and mature by the time come to ice them. It's a very easy recipe - n overnight soaking or anything. They don't have the recipe on the web site, but f you are interested (and haven't bowed to Delia) I'd be happy to send it to you.

OOh cadbury, could you send it to me too! I need a xmas cake with no "bits" in it, apparantely that means mixed peel and cherries and the like but dried fruit is fine! Blimey ive got my work cut out havent it?

its [email protected]

ta much x

santaspaws - is ksenior your initial and maiden name? Are you married to a chap called Dan?

If so then I know you!

another vote here for the delia one. I tried a Nigella one last year and it never cooked in the middle.....but i've never failed to get a good result from the Delia recipe. But like bosch said....follow the recipe.....

will make mine later in the month i think.....

norkybutnice - sadly not! Its my married name and my h (not so much DH this morning as he woke me up at 5am to tell me he was getting up! - Grrr) is called John

x

santa - this recipe does have mixed peel in it and cherries. Are you still interested? Will happily scan it for you and post - will take less time than me typing it all out!

we need UCM.

Alternatively, just leave the "bits" out of any other Christmas cake recipe, adding slightly more dried fruit. For a traditional dark Christmas cake you do need a good proportion of currants, but you can use any other dried fruits as well.

waitrose are doing a lovely recipe at the moment and it has icing details too. I only bake one for DP as i`m more of a chocy cake fan

Bump because much as like the Delia cake, I have made it every year for 21 years and I want a dramatic break from tradition - does anyone have a good, rich, booze-laden cake recipe that isn't by St Delia of Norwich?

I'm making this. It's in the Good Housekeeping Best Ever Christmas Cookbook (actually a magazine, on sale now)

Christmas Cake with a Hint of Dark Chocolate

250g each sultanas and raisins
125g each Agen prunes and organic ready to eat apricots, chopped
50g candied fruit, chopped by hand
150ml dark rum, plus 1tbsp to soak
zest & juice of one orange
175g each dark muscovado sugar and softened butter, plus extra butter to grease
4 medium eggs, beaten
125g self-raising flour
1 tsp mixed spice
half level tsp cinnamon
75g Green & Black's Dark 85% choclate, finely grated
100g flaked almonds,lightly toasted

1. Put the dried and candied fruit in a pan with the rum, orange zest and juice. Bring to the boil, then turn off heat, cover and leave to saok overnight.

1. Preheat the oven to 250C(130C fan) mark 2. Grease & line a 20.5cm (8in)cake tin with greaseproof paper. Put the sugar and butter in a large bowl and beat with a hand mixer for about 5 mins until fluffy.

1. Add the eggs a little at a time, taking care the mixture doesn't curdle. If it looks as though it might, add a little of the flour. Gently fold in the soaked fruit and remaining ingredients into the mixture. Pour into the prepared tin and level the surface.

1. Wrap a thick layer of brown paper around the tin to prevent the edges of the cake burning. Bake for 3-3.5 hours until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 10min. Keeping in its greaseproof paper, turn out onto a rack. When cool wrap in clingfilm and then foil. Store in an airtight container.

1. After two weeks of maturing, prick the cake all over with a skewer, pour 1tbsp dark rum on top, leave to soak in, then re-wrap as before. the cake will keep for up to three months.

I've missed out the peel and added extra fruit instead. It's soaking now and smells yummy.

Delia drives me mad, but her Christmas cake still wins!

Delia's; wrap in newspaper in the oven- lots of newspaper.
also feed once a week with as many liquers as you fancy. I alternate ammaretto, brandy and cointreau. Perfect.

robinpud, you may have just saved my cake - I have run out of brandy (didn't bother with the rum in the recipe) but I have a big bottle of amaretto

Amaretto.. now I could do a whole thread on the deserts that I can make with a bottle of amaretto...! good luck!

i'm trying a mrs beeton recipe this year.made bero one last year but seemed a bit dry even though i'd been feeding it.

Right, cake is in the oven. If it tastes as good as the mixture, it will be delicious .
Xmas pud next on the list.

Sorry cadbury, just seen your post - I think i'll try making a little one now and just take out all the bits and add more raisins and then if that doesnt work, i'll be back! Thanks very much x