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Original poster

When do you eat the Christmas cake?!

37 replies

BIWI · 05/12/2025 22:47

Made mine early November. Last weekend put the marzipan on, and then iced it, and decorated it a day later.

So when do we eat it? Are we supposed to leave it until Christmas day?

OP posts:
marylou25 · 05/12/2025 23:01

We usually cut ours Christmas Day but realistically you can start anytime you like! Personally I just like to have it on display for a while before cutting so once the main event is over I cut it.

SemmaLina · 05/12/2025 23:03

We usually start ours the first Sunday in December , which coincidentally is when we open the bottle of Harvey’s Bristol cream

Notmymarmosets · 05/12/2025 23:13

We've eaten two already. But I will have another to cut for Christmas tea.

suki1964 · 06/12/2025 23:03

in the days when we had a christmas cake , we ate it for breakfast on Boxing Day lol

We were always just too full Christmas day to be eating something that rich , so me and sisters would have it with coffee on Boxing Day - helped with the hangovers

Traditionaly in my family it was cut in the evening, back in the days when the turkey was eaten at lunchtime and then it would be full on buffet if any family was going, or just sarnies and crisps and bits if just family . Now we eat late evening, there's no room and we have stopped making it

DappledThings · 06/12/2025 23:09

I've never known when it was meant to he fitted in and have therefore never provided one.

Sunshineandgrapefruit · 07/12/2025 07:50

I have started on mine. Anytime in December is fair game.

PersephoneParlormaid · 07/12/2025 07:52

From December 1st onwards

RosesAndHellebores · 07/12/2025 07:54

Boxing Day

CandiedPrincess · 07/12/2025 08:34

Boxing Day, with cheese.

Lurkingandlearning · 07/12/2025 08:36

Just after the turkey sandwiches.

crossstitchingnana · 07/12/2025 08:36

Christmas supper/tea time. I don’t usually ice mine now but when I did I iced it Christmas Eve.

MrsBucketHat · 07/12/2025 08:37

It’s cut on Boxing Day. I love it for breakfast during January with a strong cup of coffee!

HollyChristmas · 07/12/2025 08:37

Usually mid January when everything else is gone ! I ended up throwing it out .
So for the past few years have not bothered to make one .

ChristmasHug · 07/12/2025 08:39

My mum makes great cakes, they take her ages and so have a lot of value attached. That meant we had to appreciate them and so not before Christmas day, and then not on Christmas day because everyone was too full, then not boxing day, etc, etc.

I love cake! I buy a decent shop one to eat through December then mum makes me one and we eat it late on in Christmas day - we do the dinner at lunchtime.

Justputsomeyoghurtonit · 07/12/2025 08:40

We always cut ours in the evening of Xmas day, or at least put it out as an option with slices of ham, a cheese selection and half baked rolls.

I've stopped buying and making them though. Once everyone has had a slice on boxing day, there is usually at least half a cake left and I would be the only one picking at it, and painfully aware of the horrific number of calories I was eating.

I find Xmas cake is like mince pies, once you have had one or two, you don't really want any more until the following year.

Justputsomeyoghurtonit · 07/12/2025 08:41

HollyChristmas · 07/12/2025 08:37

Usually mid January when everything else is gone ! I ended up throwing it out .
So for the past few years have not bothered to make one .

I'm glad you said it - I'd often end up throwing it out so I didn't eat it!

Also usually half a Pandoro goes in the bin too as only DH likes it and it goes stale as he forgets about it after NYD.

TheUsualChaos · 07/12/2025 08:43

Either Christmas Day evening or Boxing Day. Will probably eat our Christmas dinner late this year so will snack on the cake all day on Boxing Day with turkey sandwiches and cheeses.

Lookingforthejoy · 07/12/2025 08:43

Never. My Mum always made one which would sit there for ages, eventually Dad would eat it all and my Mum would complain he put too much weight on over Christmas!

soccermum10 · 07/12/2025 08:48

Well as I'm the only one who likes it in our house whenever I like really lol My mum makes it, I tend to start eating it on Christmas Day evening with a glass of baileys, whilst watching the NBA 😁🏀

sesquipedalian · 07/12/2025 08:52

“Made mine early November. Last weekend put the marzipan on, and then iced it, and decorated it a day later.”

I’m frankly amazed, OP. Mine’s sitting all wrapped up - I shall continue to feed it brandy once a week until I put the marzipan on a week or so before Christmas, and then ice three days later. Christmas Eve is the very earliest anyone will eat any - usually it comes out on Boxing Day. When I was a child, the Christmas cake never lasted until the new year: these days, I give people chunks to take home, because otherwise I would eat it all…

clamshell24 · 07/12/2025 09:04

Christmas eve and then teatimes after long walk (in my dreams)

curious79 · 07/12/2025 09:05

In our house, I would say it’s fair game from about two or three days before Christmas and then onwards

Justthetonicandgin · 07/12/2025 09:07

MrsBucketHat · 07/12/2025 08:37

It’s cut on Boxing Day. I love it for breakfast during January with a strong cup of coffee!

It’s officially breakfast cake 😁

landlordhell · 07/12/2025 09:08

Never had one. I’m 54. My DM always did though so I remember them in my childhood. Think we ate it over the betwixmas period.

Original poster
BIWI · 07/12/2025 10:17

@sesquipedalian I baked it early (and thus iced it early) because my SIL was going to Australia for a couple of months, so we were having an early Christmas with her. Normally it would have been later. Although I still had no clue as to when we were ‘supposed’ to eat it!

OP posts: