Gah! Burnt the christmas cake. Where did it go wrong?

[mmmSprouts]

Bottom was burnt, cannot be salvaged. Going to make another tomorrow.

So I had it on the bottom shelf, GM 1 for 4 hours. Should I reduce the cooking time or raise it up a level or both?

Raise the shef (so its in the middle), sounds like your oven was too hot so maybe cook it on a slightly lower temp.

Cant get lower than GM 1 I'm afraid, but will try a higher shelf. Oven is one of those gas ones where the bas is all over the bottom rather than the back of it iykwim.

Thanks.

Just move it up to the middle.

Also put a double layer of paper in the bottom (if you havn't already).

Did you do Delia's recipe? Loads of people have had that burn (including me)... I think her times are way out.

My recipe is Gas 3 for a hour or so then 2 for an hour and a half - it sounds like the heat and times are wrong?

It was a Mary Berry cake pack from Tesco (only bought it as reduced to £5).