Please tell me which Xmas cake recipe you use

[fadingfast]

I have volunteered to cook the Christmas cake this year (we are spending Christmas at my Mum's, so this is my contribution). Just wondering which recipe you would recommend. Delia? Nigella? Any others? Thanks.

delia every year, always tastes fab

delia always

delia, but with more brandy and cherries.

Delia and agree with the more brandy.

Tried Mary Berry last year but we thought it was a bit dry.

That's interesting, appledumpling, I had looked at the Mary Berry one on the BBC website and thought it might be an option. Looks like Delia is the clear winner!

Another vote for Delia.

Delia but with less currants and some dried organic apricots and prunes, and fruits marinated and then cake fed with Amaretto.

It needs less cooking time than she states, IME.

Delias classic christmas cake. It is delish

sorry to hijack,nosey about this cake!

have you made another to try?

Delia. Made it for first time last year (first cake) and my grandmother approved, so it passed the test!

:)

I made the cake a few weeks ago, soaked the fruits in Amaretto as you suggested and have fed it about 3 times with more. Heh heh. It smells divine. I used Sainsbo's organic apricots and prunes, chopped small, and Sundora peel that I chopped myself, urban somethingorother dried cherries instead of glace and quite a few almonds.

I'm off to Borough Market next week to drool over the dried fruits there. I can see myself making some special mincemeat.......

hijack over, sorry!

op - I have tried quite a few other cakes, the only other one that appeals to me is Nigel Slater's. It depends what sort of cake you like. Delia's and Nige's are the dense, dark sort, if you prefer a lighter cake, I believe Mary Berry does a good one.

Was just coming on to mark my place but the consensus seems to be pretty clear. Is the hallowed recipe the one in the complete cookery course?

yes it is and it also has quantities and timings for various size tins too
it is also in delia's original xmas book but would imagine that it's also listed in her newer version

I've looked online and it seems the recipe is the original one she's been doing since about 1925.

Might also take a look at Nigel Slater's - I love his recipes, and I'm look for very dark and very rich

Made Nigel Slater's last year and it was really easy and very popular. All gone by 10 Jan which I think is a record!

I made Delias this year it's my first ever attempt so fingers crossed it works.

I did put rather more brandy in it though and chopped wallnuts instead of macadamias (just because I don't like them)

It smells delish !

I'm doing deliah this year for the first time to try it out. I don't like getting stuck in a cake rut and tbh how different can a fruit cake be when all of mine are so seriously doused in booze?

I usually make 4 or 5 and last year did Nigellas quick boil one jobby which smelt v nice but didn't get to eat it as it went to the church raffle.

I like a boiled fruit cake. But think I'll try Delia this year. When is stir-up Sunday? I suspect it is the day after the School Xmas Fair, at which I have been anointed Queen Of Cakes.

Gosh, I never knew that cake baking days were ordained by the church (so to speak). Well I never. Or that the rules governing were so complex. There was me thinking it was some modern fol-de-rol invention that Hallmark might be eyeing up ('Happy Stir-Up Sunday!; Tesco Xmas Cake making kit etc. etc.).

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh

[cake rut cave in]

c&p from wiki but I did know it anyway

Stir-up Sunday is an informal term in Anglican churches for the last Sunday before the season of Advent.[1]

The term comes from the opening words of the collect for the day in the Book of Common Prayer of 1549 and later (a translation of the Roman Missal's collect "Excita, quæsumus"):

Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may of thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Who doesn't want a spot of plenteous pudding rewarding?
no one

deliah here