Christmas cake - some questions please from CC newbie

[PacificDogwood]

I have never, ever attempted a Christmas cake, but this year is The Year .

So, timing: do I make it roundabout now? Keep it wrapped and 'feed' it every now and then?

I have fruit soaked in brandy so maybe don't have to feed too much more - the DC should be able to have some too IMO

If making it now (or realistically next weekend, I've just dug MiL's recipe out) I presumably only decorate/ice it closer to Christmas, non?

Recipe says "4 to 4 1/2 hrs at 140 C" - does that sound about right? Seems terribly long...

Any other tips gratefully received.
TIA.

One year I decided to do a chef's one from another magazine - nowhere near as nice as the Mary Berry so I went back to that one

Although it does break the recipe down into currants ....g, sultanas...g, raisins....g, peel....g - both times Ive gone "sod it" and just put in mixed fruit.

Taffeta - thank you!

I know how to prep cake tins and I'm weird anal retentive about stuff like lining tins etc...

Been baking since about 11 years old only ever tried fruit cake once or twice and it didn't do brilliantly. everything else - parkin/date and walnut loaf, victoria sponge, genoese etc worked very well.

Pear, that is why I made mine at nine in the morning. :D

I don't even like Christmas or any kind of fruit cake (refused it for our wedding cake), but feel it's a Rite of Passage.

I may do it once and never again, who knows?!

I've procured baking paper today - I take it the brown paper is just normal, postoffice paper to wrap parcels with?

String.... where did I put the string?

I am not kidding, I will prep the tin on Saturday and bake the cake on Sunday - there are various family activities planned and the cake will have to fit around them AND I am not staying up to supervise the frigging cake!!

Yes - it's just ordinary wrapping brown paper.

I can give you a nice easy marzipan recipe if you fancy making it yourself. It has lemon zest and lemon juice in it which works well with the richness of the cake.

Good luck.

Thank you, prettybird, but marzipan is standing by .

As an aside: is there a Christmas meet-up planned?? I am not in the loop...

I make a Nigella cake but use treacle instead of marmelade. I ALWAYS start to late and have to stay up for hours watching it.

I do have a good string tip though.........................

BIN the string. I staple my outside lining paper together

Once out of the oven I wrap up the tin to keep the steam in and keep it moist as it cools.

I was about to start a thread in meet-ups to see if there was interest in a Scottish Christmas Meet-up in Edinburgh.

I'll go and do it now.

Oooh, stapeling - inspired

Well, the tin is lined. And covered in (stapled) brown paper - good to go for tomorrow . I am aiming to have the cake in the oven by 10am. Wish me luck!

How did it go Pacificdogwood? Does your house smell lovely?

Ah, sadly, no .

I was sabotaged, I was.
By someone DH eating the designated cake eggs - shall I LTB??

I have new eggs, but if I had started by the time I got them I'd get the cake out of the oven around midnight.

So, project on hold until tomorrow - I am off tomorrow so DS4 and I will tackle the cake.

I shall update as and when there is something to update .

LTB

Well.

It's in the oven.
Only about 2 hours later than planned but even if it needs 5 hours it'll still be out before my bedtime .

I may have melted softened the butter a bit too much.
Which might have been the reason that it curdled just a tiny bit . But it looked fine by the time the flour had gone in.

House smells lovely and I am half-cut from the aroma of the soaked fruit - blardy hell !

Pah, curdling makes zilch difference to a Christmas cake IME.

Is it out yet?

It's out and cooling.
Looks ok, too

Thanks to everybody for all the advice btw - couldn't've done it without you all

WEll done!

I did a mrs beeton and I'm not impressed... It said 7" cake tin, so I went out a bought 7" cake tin, and it overflowed... If only I had read this thread and left the paper iNice and tall. However the dc enjoyed the bicarbonate/vinegar bit Of the recipe!