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Christmas

I NEED A CHRISTMAS CAKE RECIPE

30 replies

2shoes · 08/11/2009 20:28

has anyone got a good one please

OP posts:
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PiggyPenguin · 08/11/2009 20:31

Can I jump on this too? I also need a christmas cake recipe, the more foolproof the better. Oh, and if anyone has one that has no nuts so much the better!

Thanks 2shoes!

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TheBlairSnitchProject · 08/11/2009 20:41

I do the Delia one every year and always leave the nuts out. It's moist and light and has even won over one "fruitcake hater"!

Hang on - I'll find the recipe

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TheBlairSnitchProject · 08/11/2009 20:42

Here it is

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jkklpu · 08/11/2009 20:44

My dh has just baked one tis afternoon (as well as 2 pumpkin pies, so the house smells divine). I think it was an online recipe so will ask.

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2shoes · 08/11/2009 22:26

is the delia one, one of those that you can feed with brandy?

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Clary · 08/11/2009 22:31

I use the delia one which is not something I say often.

But I have used it for years and (as long as you or rather I with a silly gas oven ignore the advice to bake on lowest shelf - only highest bakes in my oven) it's always been a big success.

It's the one blair snitch has linked to.

You need to be making it now ladies! (trots off to feed hers with brandy in smug manner)

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GoldenSnitch · 09/11/2009 07:47

Yep, there's brandy in the fruit soak and then occasional feeds until Christmas.

Although as I'm pregnant this year, I soaked the fruit in Apple juice and will not be feeding.

It will be delicious either way

You do need to make it soon though. I made mine a couple of weeks ago.

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PeachyInCarnivalFeathers · 09/11/2009 10:22

2shoes my recipe is on the recipe section here (and I feed oh yes I do pmsl)

I like the delia one though- just struggled to get some of the ingredients out here in the wilds of S E Wales (!)

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GoldenSnitch · 09/11/2009 10:32

I tend to cheat (Delia would be proud) and just add up the weights of the currants, raisins, candid peel etc and then buy those bags of mixed fruit and peel to the same amount

I always buy the luxury stuff and then add extra cherries cause they're my favourite. As long as the overall weight is right, it doesn't seem to matter.

Never had a complaint yet and the cake is so tasty that when I got married DH convinced me to make our own wedding cakes using the same recipe. I then had to print it out loads of times to hand out to wedding guests who asked for the recipe after the wedding

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PiggyPenguin · 09/11/2009 12:14

This sounds brilliant, I'm planning to make it with dd this weekend and we are strictly amateurs (well I am, she's 6) and it doesn't sound too tricky. Fingers crossed it will be ok.

Oh, and thanks again 2shoes for letting me jump on the thread, hope your cake turns out ok!

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Clary · 09/11/2009 13:10

sybil the hardest bit is honestly the wrapping in brown paper etc.

It is vital tho so don't be tempted to omit it, as you need to bake the cake for sooooo long it would burn otherwise.

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PiggyPenguin · 11/11/2009 14:57

OK, have just come back to the recipe to get the ingredients ready and am now a bit worried about the brown paper part.

Imagine I am an idiot (oi! no sniggering) and tell me in simplistic terms exactly how i need to wrap the cake before it goes in the oven. And what exactly is silicone paper and will sainsburys sell it?

All help very much appreciated!

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GoldenSnitch · 11/11/2009 16:29

silicone paper is baking paper and Sainsbury's will definitely have it. In fact - here it is

It's not hard to wrap the cake, just a bit fiddly.

Best bet is to grease the tin with butter first.

Roll out a length of paper and place your tin on it. Use a pencil to draw around the tin and hey presto, you have a guide for cutting out the circle for the bottom of the tin. Then cut long, thin strips of paper tall enough to go from the bottom of the tin to about 10cms above the top rim. (so if your tin is 8cm's high, your paper should be 18cms high)

Place these in your tin - This is where the greasing helps as the paper will stick to the butter and stay in place more easily. The cake mix will hold it in place once it's in too.

You can do the straight side pieces in 2 or more sections if it makes it easier to cut just so long as the sides are covered all the way round.

For the top. Cut a piece of paper a bit more than twice the length of the width of your tin. Fold it in half. You now need to cut a 50p sized hole out of the center - I do this by folding it in half again and cutting a semi circle out of the center of the edge I've just folded.

I then fold each of the 4 corners down to help stop the paper blowing off the top of the cake while it's in my fan oven. I end up with a rough octogon shape.

It's not hard, it's just a bit of a faff. The paper just stops the cake sticking to the tin, it's not an absolute essential.

If you haven't got one already, I would recommend a spring form cake tin - the kind where the bottom comes out (sainsbury's have these too - here) as it makes getting the cake out soooo much easier.

Does that help?

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GoldenSnitch · 11/11/2009 16:49

I've read it back and it seems to make sense - It's quite hard to describe what I meant though - let me know if you need me to try again

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PiggyPenguin · 11/11/2009 18:00

Brilliant, thanks very much (both for the description and also for not sniggering!)

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GoldenSnitch · 11/11/2009 18:18

No problem. Everything seems harder the first time you do it - you'll be a pro for next Christmas

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Clary · 12/11/2009 01:13

golden snitch's descrip is excellent.

BUT you also need to do the brown paper wrapping (GS just spoke of lining the tin). This is simple too (just a bit fiddly) - cut a length of brown paper (I use any discarded brown envelope of A4 size) into a band long enough to fit right round the tin and slightly deeper than the height of the tin.

Wrap it round the outside of the tin (once cake is made and in there) and tie a length of string to secure it. DH is handy here with finger on the knot.

String will not burn (DH asked me this one year )

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Allets · 12/11/2009 01:51

www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/chocolatefruitcake_84675.shtml

This is the BEST christmas cake I have ever tasted. I cannot bake to save my soul, but I have managed this one, three years running and it is truly delicious!

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GoldenSnitch · 12/11/2009 07:08

I've never heard of wrapping the outside of the tin!? I guess it's just to further protect the cake from overcooking - where did you learn to do that Clary?

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Clary · 12/11/2009 11:21

It's in that Delia recipe snitch.
It's on the link in a little box marked preparation.

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GoldenSnitch · 12/11/2009 14:20

Ah, I originally got the recipe from somewhere else and it didn't say anything about wrapping the tin.

I've never done it in the 7 years I've been making the cake and it's always been OK. Even when I made a huge one for our wedding cake.

Maybe I'll try it next year (I've already made this years) and see if it makes a difference?

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PiggyPenguin · 13/11/2009 15:53

So off I trotted to Sainsbury's this morning clutching shopping list in hand. Only to discover the gits had completely sold out of currants and are not expecting any in the forseeable future. Gits.

I took the advice of Goldensnitch however and bought some mixed fruit instead. It is not an auspicious beginning though is it?

I did have a very nice conversation with a lovely oap though who also turned up looking for currants. We chuntered over the crapness of not having currents in stock at christmas cake baking time together. I had a lovely warm glow of domestic goddess-ness at it all

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Clary · 13/11/2009 22:22

Ah yes it's at this time of year (or in a few weeks) that they always sell out of marzipan too.

Oooh and mincemeat -I bought two jars but now have used it all up making mince pies for school event! Ooops.

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GoldenSnitch · 14/11/2009 10:40

It's a fantastic start! You came across a minor problem and worked round it like a pro instead of getting all flustered - well done Sybil

I promise you, I've been making it with mixed fruit for years and never had any problems.

Really must remember to get my marzipan soon though!

Making Christmas puds today

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sazzerbear · 14/11/2009 14:28

When's the latest you can make a Christmas cake? I was planning to make one but feel I may be too late?

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