Christmas Cake
Discussion
Made ours 3 weeks ago. Its getting its first drizzle of brandy this week and then every 2 weeks until christmas. The cake will be turned fortnightly too and the brandy put in from that side. Then marzipan it and royal icing a couple of days before christmas. We stick the marzipan down with marmalade rather than apricot jam as we usually have it in the house and dont buy a special jar of jam.
Wadeski said:
Does anyone really like Christmas cake? I mean as a food, not a canvas for season decorations. Its so heavy, kind of bland, and just about the last thing I would want to finish a big Christmas meal on...
My dad always makes a Christmas cake, and does so very well, but I am of a similar mind set to you. A Jamie Oliver tip is to use it on your cheese board in addition to crackers and it really does work. scrubchub said:
Wadeski said:
Does anyone really like Christmas cake? I mean as a food, not a canvas for season decorations. Its so heavy, kind of bland, and just about the last thing I would want to finish a big Christmas meal on...
My dad always makes a Christmas cake, and does so very well, but I am of a similar mind set to you. A Jamie Oliver tip is to use it on your cheese board in addition to crackers and it really does work. sherman said:
Made ours 3 weeks ago. Its getting its first drizzle of brandy this week and then every 2 weeks until christmas. The cake will be turned fortnightly too and the brandy put in from that side. Then marzipan it and royal icing a couple of days before christmas. We stick the marzipan down with marmalade rather than apricot jam as we usually have it in the house and dont buy a special jar of jam.
No apricot jam?But you have all the other ingredients to hand, at all times....
Wadeski said:
Does anyone really like Christmas cake? I mean as a food, not a canvas for season decorations. Its so heavy, kind of bland, and just about the last thing I would want to finish a big Christmas meal on...
If it is bland you have been trying the wrong one my friend!sherman said:
Made ours 3 weeks ago. Its getting its first drizzle of brandy this week and then every 2 weeks until christmas. The cake will be turned fortnightly too and the brandy put in from that side. Then marzipan it and royal icing a couple of days before christmas. We stick the marzipan down with marmalade rather than apricot jam as we usually have it in the house and dont buy a special jar of jam.
Nice! I have been known to use blackberry jam as well to stick down the fondant. We tend to skip on the nuts and marzipan because there are nut allergies in the family however I don't actually like nuts in the mix (lol) as I don't like cakes with crunchy bits however I do miss the marzipan, might just get some to add to my own slices 
royal icing is also better than fondant but sometimes a simple rollout and cover job is nice!scrubchub said:
Wadeski said:
Does anyone really like Christmas cake? I mean as a food, not a canvas for season decorations. Its so heavy, kind of bland, and just about the last thing I would want to finish a big Christmas meal on...
My dad always makes a Christmas cake, and does so very well, but I am of a similar mind set to you. A Jamie Oliver tip is to use it on your cheese board in addition to crackers and it really does work. In case anyone was interested.... Recipe below, it's an adaptation of several I experimented with over the years and is now my own.
150ml of Brandy
1kg of fruit (I use currents, raisins, dried chopped apricot, dried (not glacier) cherries and sultanas, you can just buy a bag of mixed fruit if you like)
2tablespoon of treacle
250g of butter
250g of dark brown muscovado sugar
1tsp of cinnamon
1/2tsp of ground ginger
1 1/2tsp of mixed spice
4 eggs
275g of flour
Pre-heat fan oven to 120C (probably 130C in a normal oven) and grease and line a 9" cake tin. Add brandy, butter, sugar, treacle and spices into a large saucepan and put over a very low heat and stir, we're talking super low, just enough heat to combine the ingredients and melt the butter, if you are worried, take it on and off the heat regularly. Once the butter has melted and the ingredients are mixed add the fruit and stir thoroughly turn the heat off, cover with a lid and set to one side to soak, stirring regularly. After about 30 minutes check the temperature, anything warmer than room temp is too warm and leave it another 10 minutes. Once cooled, turn out into a large mixing bowl. Beat the eggs in a jug and add half to the mix and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon, add the rest and mix again. Add the flour (1/4 through a sieve of it at a time) and fold in using a wooden spoon. Once fully combined turn into cake tin and cook in the middle of the oven for 3-4 hours until a skewer comes out clean.
I make Christmas cakes and Christmas puddings every year, I make them a year in advance, the alcohol and sugary ingredients preserve them. I do five or six of each and take them over to France for my French neighbours. Christmas cake served with cheese as mentioned above is absolutely delicious, served with tawny port and vin jaune.
Wadeski said:
Does anyone really like Christmas cake? I mean as a food, not a canvas for season decorations. Its so heavy, kind of bland, and just about the last thing I would want to finish a big Christmas meal on...
I love Christmas cake! Im only 28 however I personally think you can't beat it. Its fantastic with Stilton as well 
geeks said:
Can confirm the cake and cheese bit!
In case anyone was interested.... Recipe below, it's an adaptation of several I experimented with over the years and is now my own.
150ml of Brandy
1kg of fruit (I use currents, raisins, dried chopped apricot, dried (not glacier) cherries and sultanas, you can just buy a bag of mixed fruit if you like)
2tablespoon of treacle
250g of butter
250g of dark brown muscovado sugar
1tsp of cinnamon
1/2tsp of ground ginger
1 1/2tsp of mixed spice
4 eggs
275g of flour
Pre-heat fan oven to 120C (probably 130C in a normal oven) and grease and line a 9" cake tin. Add brandy, butter, sugar, treacle and spices into a large saucepan and put over a very low heat and stir, we're talking super low, just enough heat to combine the ingredients and melt the butter, if you are worried, take it on and off the heat regularly. Once the butter has melted and the ingredients are mixed add the fruit and stir thoroughly turn the heat off, cover with a lid and set to one side to soak, stirring regularly. After about 30 minutes check the temperature, anything warmer than room temp is too warm and leave it another 10 minutes. Once cooled, turn out into a large mixing bowl. Beat the eggs in a jug and add half to the mix and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon, add the rest and mix again. Add the flour (1/4 through a sieve of it at a time) and fold in using a wooden spoon. Once fully combined turn into cake tin and cook in the middle of the oven for 3-4 hours until a skewer comes out clean.
Having just scoffed a giant-sized slice of the first Xmas cake I've ever made (because I finally had time to do so!), I've been racking my brains to remember where the recipe came from and I *think* it was yours! It's amazing; really moist, not heavy at all, and with a very slight but noticeable citrus tang to it. I put a VERY thin layer of marzipan on it (I like the taste but not masses of it) and iced it with shop-bought fondant. In case anyone was interested.... Recipe below, it's an adaptation of several I experimented with over the years and is now my own.
150ml of Brandy
1kg of fruit (I use currents, raisins, dried chopped apricot, dried (not glacier) cherries and sultanas, you can just buy a bag of mixed fruit if you like)
2tablespoon of treacle
250g of butter
250g of dark brown muscovado sugar
1tsp of cinnamon
1/2tsp of ground ginger
1 1/2tsp of mixed spice
4 eggs
275g of flour
Pre-heat fan oven to 120C (probably 130C in a normal oven) and grease and line a 9" cake tin. Add brandy, butter, sugar, treacle and spices into a large saucepan and put over a very low heat and stir, we're talking super low, just enough heat to combine the ingredients and melt the butter, if you are worried, take it on and off the heat regularly. Once the butter has melted and the ingredients are mixed add the fruit and stir thoroughly turn the heat off, cover with a lid and set to one side to soak, stirring regularly. After about 30 minutes check the temperature, anything warmer than room temp is too warm and leave it another 10 minutes. Once cooled, turn out into a large mixing bowl. Beat the eggs in a jug and add half to the mix and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon, add the rest and mix again. Add the flour (1/4 through a sieve of it at a time) and fold in using a wooden spoon. Once fully combined turn into cake tin and cook in the middle of the oven for 3-4 hours until a skewer comes out clean.
I did feed it a fair amount of brandy over several weeks - probably a couple of capfuls each time.
I remember when I cooked it, the skewer wasn't coming out clean even after 4+ hours but in the end I didn't want it dried out so I took it out of the oven. It's perfect! I'll print this off for next year now. Next slice will be with a really bitey salty Dorset cheddar.
Edited by CAPP0 on Saturday 26th December 20:00
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