Delia's Christmas Cake cooking time????

[TheTurnOfTheScrew]

I used to make this cake following the recipe to the letter, and it worked perfectly in my rickety old, colder than most gas oven.
I now have a new oven, which runs hot. Last year's Christmas cake was overdone. I'm going to be making it again on Sunday, and although I'm obviously alert to the issue, I wondered if anyone else has had the same experience, and how much you reduced the cooking time by?

?

I usually knock at least half an hour off.

Good-oh. I was thinking about an hour off as a starting point TBH, but will watch it as closely as I can through many sheets of baking paper.

I make it every year but knock at least 45 mins off the cooking time

Yes! I do a 20cm square one and start checking after 3h 45 which is about an hour less than the recipe says

Great, thanks everyone. The fruit is soaking - I take it as read that we're all doubling the amount of brandy - and we're ready to stir up tomorrow. I'll have a first look an hour early 

Turn the oven down by 10 degrees as well as reducing cooking time. It’ll stop the outside getting burned while the inside cooks.

Yes I’ve had this problem too. One oven did it perfectly, one burnt it to a cinder in an hour less! Drop the temp a bit, extra layer of paper on top and check an hour before it says.

I use the Nigella recipe and also have to drop the cooking time. Also have 4 layers of grease proof paper lining the tin and on top of cake (remove those in the last half hour) and also tie a soaking wet length of towel around the outside of the tin - all to stop scorching and the cake rising unevenly.