Christmas cakes - am I too late?

[MusicAndPassionWereAlwaysTheFashion]

I usually make lots of Christmas cakes as presents and always get told they are lovely.

Had a few mad months and not got round to it. Usually make them in Oct and they are usually Delias Christmas cake with brandy. I think the success was due to the feeding!

Am I too late to make them? It would be a month before I ice and hand them over.

No. We’re making ours this weekend (so 25th November) and will “feed” once a week from then, icing around the 22/23 December. This is what we do every year and the cake is always lovely. When do they need to be ready by?

Jane Ashers last minute cake can be made a week before christmas , it is lovely and i always make that one now.

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/restaurants-bars/janes-quick-xmas-cake-1014740

I usually make mine the last weekend of November or first weekend of December. It still gives plenty of time to feed it and always tastes nice!

You could use a boiled fruit recipe like the BBC Simmer & Stir type, this plumps up the fruit fully before baking ensuring a moist cake that can be made with short notice and no need to feed at all unless you like the extra alcohol flavour in it, I never bother, plenty in the recipe!

I made Delia's creole cake last Saturday so I think a month with loads of brandy applied weekly is fine

Its stir up Sunday this weekend 🥄

Im making Christmas cakes this Thursday with my friend - we like to bake together and have a social..glass or two

I prefer to put all the moisture into my fruit rather than feeding the cake after (which I forget). So I get a lot of good booze, warm it up, put the fruit in the pan and leave on a very low flame for half an hour and then leave it all to soak at least overnight. Then when I cook the cakes, I wrap them tightly in foil over the lining paper while the cakes are still warm so everything is trapped in.

Delia's last minute mincemeat cake is really good, and really easy.

Definitely not too late… just slip it a few extra feeds.

Good reminder though… I’m off to ply my Christmas cake with amaretto.

They look great! Maybe it's just the eyes that need redoing

Are we playing Consequences?

I know this is a year old thread but it's still very useful - I'll be making the Jane Asher one tomorrow. This is the first year I've left it so late. Life eh!?

I know this is an old thread too, but I do Nigellas chocolate fruit cake every year as an alternative to Christmas cake and everyone loves it. So easy to do as well and can be made the day before!

https://www.nigella.com/recipes/chocolate-fruit-cake