Christmas cake in over - some questions.

[HangingbaublesofBethlehem]

Have followed this recipe. It says oven at 150 but have out it at 140 as our oven is fan and also seems to cook things really quickly - what do you think?

Also have wrapped newspaper round the tin and sat it on newspaper in the oven - will the newspaper not burn?

Also, do I have to leave it a set amount of time before icing? I was hoping to ice but not decorate next weekend.

Thanks, this is the first year I've done a xmas cake (although do bake a lot generally) and I really hope it turns out nice.

duh, in oven obviously, not over.

I wrap my tin in brown paper and it is fine.

Dont ice it until the last possible minute; you need plenty of time to feed the cake with brandy before it gats iced

I generally ice my cake 2 days before Christmas.

Hope the cake turns out well

I'm cooking my first one every today too. Not sure about icing it next week. Don't you need to keep 'feeding' it booze for as long as you can?
Will wait for experienced cake makers to arrive...(Lapin...Mrs B...ComeOveneer... where are you?!)

Ah Nell - expertise although we need to work on your name. Numbers not allowed dontcherknow
So here's the question...can you ice it without marzipan? Dh and I don't like the stuff but want icing. What can you do?

I generally use marzipan, but I dont see why you have to. Are you going to use royal icing or the runny kind?

Use a thin layer of melted jam (I use apricot mixed with brandy ) between the cake and the icing/ marzipan to keep the cake moist and help the icing to stick

I liked the 'with brandy' bit of that post! Excellent idea! I was going to do icing with egg whites and icing sugar - is that royal icing? I HATE that roll on stuff, although I have to admit it gives a good finish.

I must admit, I use the roll on stuff... my artistic skills are limited on a good day!

Did not know numbers were not allowed in names first I have heard of it in 3 1/2 years on here

(Nell makes note to self to get a life!)

Ah. Well not NOT allowed but rather looked down on although you are clearly lovely (despite your use of roll on icing)

I suggest a name change to

NellCanCook
NellyFurtardoIamNot
NellNoNotTheOneFromTheRestaurant

or alternatively if you are from The Restaurant

NellYesHerFromTheRestaurant

ItsNELLyChristmas
NELLsonsMissingArm
NelltheBellTolls ForMe

I could go on. Sorry

well it's only been 3 hours and it appears cooked - skewer comes out clean etc etc. Looks a bit shite though - I followed instructions to pat it down then leave a bit of a dip in the middle - so it's now cooked with a dip in the middle . Also looked v. lumpy bumpy - how on earth does it end up looking like some kind of smooth cake thing . I'll be feeding it a bit but not too much as we're not really into things that are too alcoholic in the house, no moral objection - just don't really like the taste.

Mine smells heavenly but also has a rather lumpy appearance! I will be feeding mine for a while, we're not big boozers either but a little bit will make it moist and lovely I reckon! Good luck and don't forget it's how it tastes not how it looks that counts

cool, Gaspod, mine smells lovely too, tempting to go and have a slice now but I will resist.

Lumpy bumpy bits can be covered with the icing (if only that were true for bums, tums and hips )

Or you could turn the lumpy bumpy bits into a snowy scene with snow drifts of icing.

Off to work out how to change my name now, Wonderdog, glad you had lots of good ideas on my behalf

Hee Hee

Isn't it time they invented icing that could cover bums etc? Honestly, is it too much to ask?! Looking forward to the name change Nell
I'm going for the trampled snow look, maybe a chocolate finger log cabin etc. Also have some FAB Christmas Mr Men Candles. All of which require a non-smooth surface...see what I've done there...

OOOH lovely...it makes you look a size smaller