Christmas Cake..........It's that time.............Who is signing up this year...............

[UCM]

You have a month or so to buy ingredients but this is a copy of what I wrote last year. Please use this thread to tell us of fantastic recipes and to add the general lovliness of anticipation

6oz sultanas
6oz raisins
4oz currants
4oz glacecherries
3oz mixed peel
1/4 pint sherry
6oz butter
6oz soft brown sugar
4 eggs
4oz SR flour
4oz plain flour
pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
1oz ground almonds

Mix together all fruit. pour sherry over and leave to soak for 1 week, covered. Stir frequently until required.

Grease & line a 7 - 8 inch cake tin

Method

Cream butter & sugar until soft & fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Fold in flour, salt & ground almonds. Drain off any liquid from the fruit and mix fruit into mixture stirring until well blended. Put into prepared tin, smooth top and bake just below middle of oven for 1 hour on gas mark 3. Then cover with foil and reduce oven to gas mark 2 and cook for a further 1.5 hours until firm to touch. Leave to stand in tin until nearly cold. remove from tin, prick well and pour over liquid from dried fruit. Wrap in foil or greaseproof paper and leave to mature until a few days before christmas, then marzipan & ice.

Tips: I don't like almonds so didn't use em. I also put some chocolate liqueur in with the sherry. also I don't like marzipan so didn't ice, but did make one for a relative which I did ice and it was easy. I have never made a christmas cake before and I have to say this recipe works like a dream.

Well ???????

Ooo, I'd love to join. I usually make one but missed last year.

UCM where does your recipe come from?

Does anyone have a non-fruit cake recipe too? (I know it can't be made in advance, but I'd like an alternative for my non fruitcake eating friends)

Guess what UCM? Last year's cake is still wrapped in paper and foil and sitting un-iced on top of my Mum's kitchen cupboard!

mamama, i'd suggest a chocolate log as an alternative to fruitcake, with lots of icing sugar snow dusted over and a plastic robin sitting on top.

Last year mine was ace. It was iced and i did a run-out collar that looked like icicles and a window seen in a 3D effect and it sparkled with glitter!

Ooh, I'm joining in too. I've only made a christmas cake once before and it wasn't very nice. So I'll try your recipe UCM.

Think I over did the brandy last time, kept pricking it and soaking it every few days leading upto Christmas and it was like a brick by the time I iced it!

Can you use other liquers?

Chippyminton, I love making Yule logs - I forgot that I usually make one. Everyone is always very impressed

Backtobasics - I think we need to see a picture of last yrs cake - sound v impressive.

Never done a log myself as we are fruit cake persons here.

Yule log added to potential MNWI Christmas Fayre competition catagories

And I'd like to make a pudding too - but never done one before so I'd need a recipe kind mners.....

I'd like to join. I make my cake around the end of October (half term) and tend to use the Delia Smith recipe but marinate the fruit in booze for a week or so before. The Booze has included Lithuanian mead and various obscure spirits DH has brought back from business trips. I sometimes make my own marzipan and always use royal icing (both to annoy SIL who thinks she will die if she eats anything with raw egg in it).
I reckon it is easier to make christmas cake than many other cakes, but you do have to set aside 4 to 5 hours for baking time, when you need to be around to check it.
I also make christmas puddings but don't make a traditional Yule Log. I cook a chocolate roulade instead for the non-Christmas pudding eaters - and stick a bit of holly on it.

ooh yes I will do this year I think - last years was brill -I forgot about the fruit for the year before (which were left soaking in alcohol all year and used them then - was v v strong! )

hurrah!

I am so in

hm...I really always wanted to make a proper christmas cake, but have never ventured that way, yet....also would like to achieve a stollen, but I am rubbish at yeast doh's, sigh....so, that will probably never happen, and the UK flour doesn't help it makes it to lumpy anyway,hohum!
I always make loads of chrismas bikkies though...all sorts, decorated and just whatever other cookies and bikkies...which is a very german tradition....if anyone is interestied in recipes I would love ot share some...that are amkeable over here, without searching high and low for ingredients!
With X-mas cakes...I suppose a dundee cake would be alrght...only decorated ...have never decirated a cake wiht rolled icing etc...what is the easiest?

I'm in but I'm not using sherry. I have a whole stack of Wray and Nephew overproof rum that's looking for a cake or twelve!

I'm an advanced cake decorator so it comes easy to me. Don't have a pic of last years cake

obviously I am NOT an advanced cake decorator

but we loved it anyway!

Well, you are all welcome to read lastyearsthread

My advice is to soak the fruit on yer sideboard for a while, as long as you cover it in clingfilm, it ferments and ments and ments. It's ok.

I'm sure it tasted lovely

it did

I assume you're talking to me?!

That looks so amazing that I want to eat it now in one sitting

What a lovely cake though

Yeah. This lady i knew who was a tutor at the college (for cake decorating) said she did all these fancy Christmas cakes for people and when it came to her own it was an iced fruit cake with a plastic santa stuck in the middle

Look at the snowman at the top of hte pic

DH said "why have you made a snow penis?"

Well back to basics, I can assure you that this is a thread about doing the perfect Christmas Cake and nothing else. I can't Ice for toffee and although last year we all said we would ice, not many of us bothered

UCM didn't you ice?

I'm very disappointed in you