Christmas Cake - but not fruit any suggestions?

[mummatotwo]

Me and my DS have decided we are going to make a christmas cake this year!
With all the thick icing, snowmen figures etc... on - he's so excited.

Ok a few questions:

1. He doesnt like fruit cake but loves chocolate cake
   
2. If I did do a chocolate cake how do I ice it wouldnt it be awful the icing straight onto sponge?
   
3. When would be bext to make it so we could enjoy Christmas Eve/or Day

[Naoko]

If he doesn't like fruit cake (wise little chap, it's nasty stuff, chocolate's much better :o ) then make chocolate cake, who cares it's not traditional!

As for icing, what do you want to do? Do you want to copy the traditional christmas cake marzipan/royal icing onto a chocolate cake (in which case I agree, I don't think that'd be very nice) or do you just want it to look Christmassy and taste good?

If it were me I'd either do a chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream icing and decorate that with snowmen etc, or I'd use white meringue frosting, possibly flavoured, which is a little harder to make than buttercream but has the advantage of being properly white, unlike buttercream (and thus better for snowy landscapes).

[Millie1]

Chocolate log decorated with chocolate buttercream icing, bit of icing sugar dusted over for snow and some Christmas cake decorations? I did that past year - it was lovely but we scoffed it after dinner on Christmas Eve. Have made a fruit Christmas cake this year but will repeat the log for our Christmas Eve dinner.

[lolalotta]

LOVE Millie's idea of the Xmas log!!!! You could stick a robin decoration on it!

[AlphabetiSpaghetti]

My mil doesn't like fruit cake but makes a sachetorte with lovely glossing chocolate on top. It's made with almonds so is dense and lush. If you put some little Xmas secs on top and a sprinkling of icing sugar snow it would look beautiful I think.

[AlphabetiSpaghetti]

Decs not secs. Stupid phone :)

[Allalonenow]

Chocolate log would be super with home made marzipan holly leaves and berries decorating it.

[ThompsonTwins]

If you mean without dried fruit Nigella has a clementine cake recipe or www.janespice.com/recipes/peach-spice-cake. Think Delia has a ginger cake with preserved lemons (again only good if it is only dried fruit that is the problem). Like the Yule log with marzipan idea.