Quick query about making my own Christmas Cake

vickym · 23 September 2007 at 9:45PM

Hi I would be grateful if someone could help me with a couple of queries that I have in making my own christmas cake. Yes I am going to attempt to make my own - I am going to take my time following the receipe carefully and fingers crossed it comes out ok.

Yje receipe that I am going to use is Delia Smiths classic christmas cake but on the instructions it says

1) tie a band of brown paper round the outside edge of the tin - can i use just ordinary brown paper that we use for packaging parcels or not and can I tie this with ordinary white string - or will that burn

2) Receipe says "cover the top of the cake with a double square of silicone paper " - what is silicone paper and where would I be able to purchase this from - is it greaseproof paper?

3) Is Brandy the best alcohol to use in a Christmas cake ( I hope it is its my favourite)

Any help most appreciated.

Thanks Vicky xx

borderlakland · 23 September 2007 at 9:53PM

i have used delias reciepe and as far as i remember ordinary brown paper is fine,normal string doesn't burn, silicon paper is differnet to greaseproof but i'm sure i used greaseproof,it is usually near the greaseproof in supermarkets.

as far as alcohol goes i think any spirit will work(brandy/rum etc) so go with what you prefer.i did "feed" mine a few times before xmas to keep it topped up and moist
no doubt someone with more knowledge than me will come along soon

Tracey04 · 23 September 2007 at 10:49PM

I leave the fruit to soak in what ever spirit for a few days before I make the cake ab=nd then feed it until I decorate.
I have always used double layer of newspaper round the outside of the tin tied with string.line the tin with double greaseproof and greaseproof circle on top then a newspaper circle.
works for me everytime,the smell of newspaper in the oven is a childhood memory, that this is the start of christmas
must go and find recipe to do mine!

madoldbat · 23 September 2007 at 10:52PM

Hi! Vickym.
I make 6-10 Christmas cakes each year some small but mainly med sized.
I use my Grans recpie,to be honest not much diffrent from those you find in all the books just no mixed peel.
I have never used a brown paper coller or a cover for the top,although I know most books reccomend it.The tempriture is low and a good solid cake tin well lined is all I need.I fold my grease proof paper over so double thickness.A med cake on gas 1 can take 4-4.5 hours, a big one 6-8 hours:eek:
Put those in before I go to bed;)
When cool peirce with a cocktail stick and feed with 15ml of brandy,rum ect.
I use an oral syringe from the chemist,cost about 50p and make the job much easier.Wrap in grease proof paper then foil then air tight container and feed evry 2 weeks up till beg of Dec.No more or will weep into your iceing.And is now only eadible by over 18s:rotfl: :rotfl:
Hope you enjoy making your cake,a good fruit cake makes a welcome Christmas gift for someone older as they keep well (the cake not the person)
and gentlemen who dont cook will worship the ground you walk on;) :rotfl:

louidog · 23 September 2007 at 10:53PM

I always start soaking my fruit with some cheaper brandy and then add whatever I have laying about if needed. Orange juice is fine to add also. A West Indian friend of mine has a rum pot or whatever she calls it and the fruit soaks for months and months....I used this method last year for my Christmas puddings and they were so delicious and very alcoholic too!

vickym · 23 September 2007 at 11:15PM

borderlakland wrote: »

i have used delias reciepe and as far as i remember ordinary brown paper is fine,normal string doesn't burn, silicon paper is differnet to greaseproof but i'm sure i used greaseproof,it is usually near the greaseproof in supermarkets.

as far as alcohol goes i think any spirit will work(brandy/rum etc) so go with what you prefer.i did "feed" mine a few times before xmas to keep it topped up and moist
no doubt someone with more knowledge than me will come along soon

Thanks for the info I have had a look on tesco.com and you are correct the paper is on the same aisle as greaseproof paper so I now know where to look when I go instore so thanks for the info.

tracey04 wrote:

I leave the fruit to soak in what ever spirit for a few days before I make the cake ab=nd then feed it until I decorate.
I have always used double layer of newspaper round the outside of the tin tied with string.line the tin with double greaseproof and greaseproof circle on top then a newspaper circle.
works for me everytime,the smell of newspaper in the oven is a childhood memory, that this is the start of christmas
must go and find recipe to do mine!

thanks for the info Tracey 04 regarding newspaper round the outside edge of the tin - I wouldnt not have thought of that - Is it advisable to line the cake tin with grease proof paper or not - on delias receipe it just says grease your tin?
I am gonna soak my fruit for a couple of days before I start baking it - and I am gonna use brandy - oh its making me feeling hungry and christmassy just thinking about this now.

vickym · 23 September 2007 at 11:21PM

madoldbat wrote: »

Hi! Vickym.
I make 6-10 Christmas cakes each year some small but mainly med sized.
I use my Grans recpie,to be honest not much diffrent from those you find in all the books just no mixed peel.
I have never used a brown paper coller or a cover for the top,although I know most books reccomend it.The tempriture is low and a good solid cake tin well lined is all I need.I fold my grease proof paper over so double thickness.A med cake on gas 1 can take 4-4.5 hours, a big one 6-8 hours:eek:
Put those in before I go to bed;)
When cool peirce with a cocktail stick and feed with 15ml of brandy,rum ect.
I use an oral syringe from the chemist,cost about 50p and make the job much easier.Wrap in grease proof paper then foil then air tight container and feed evry 2 weeks up till beg of Dec.No more or will weep into your iceing.And is now only eadible by over 18s:rotfl: :rotfl:
Hope you enjoy making your cake,a good fruit cake makes a welcome Christmas gift for someone older as they keep well (the cake not the person)
and gentlemen who dont cook will worship the ground you walk on;) :rotfl:

Thanks Madoldbat ( gosh just realised what your user name actually reads - I am sure you are not at all like your name suggests :rotfl: )
Your sound like a dab hand at this christmas cake making thing Could I ask why dont you use mixed peel in your cakes?
This might sound really daft but you say you dont put paper on the outside edge of your cake tin but you line it with double folded greaseproof paper. How exactly do you line your tin - if its round - do you cut 2 circles for the bottom and then put double strip round the inside edge - or do you put it all in as one piece and crease it inside to fit? (hope that makes sense)

You have given me a great idea as wekk Madoldbat, this would make a perfect gift to my grandfather as he is on his own and doesnt get out much - so I may do a small one just for him, I think he will love it.

thanks for all the advice - and sorry everyone for giving you all more questions - its just I have never attempted this before and would like to try and get it as right as possible.

Vicky
:beer:

vickym · 23 September 2007 at 11:28PM

louidog wrote: »

I always start soaking my fruit with some cheaper brandy and then add whatever I have laying about if needed. Orange juice is fine to add also. A West Indian friend of mine has a rum pot or whatever she calls it and the fruit soaks for months and months....I used this method last year for my Christmas puddings and they were so delicious and very alcoholic too!

Thanks for the info - I think your advice for soaking the fruit makes sense - if the fruit it well soaked it would make the cake more moist wouldnt it?

Oh your West African friends cake sounds rather tasty I bet your drunk after a couple of slices of that... Whats her address :rotfl: Sounds delicious :rotfl:

Did you really make your own christmas puddings where they nicer than the shop bought ones - and are they easy to make they sound delicious too.

Has anyone ever got drunk making their own christmas cake - I dont mean by eating it - but by continually putting brandy into it - ie. one bit for the cake - a tipple for the cook :rotfl:

By the way do you feed it with alcohol through the base of the cake or through the top? - gosh there are most questions than I realised

Sorry if I am being a pain in the bum

:T

Tracey04 · 23 September 2007 at 11:32PM

I line the inside of the tin, with a circle of greaseproof at the bottom, then cut a long length that will fit round tin and a bit more. the height has to be the tin plus say another inch and a half. fold this inch and half over then cut little slits to the crease line so that it looks like a long frill. put in tin, then cover all the frilly bits (that have now laid over the 1st greaseproof with another greaseproof circle.

that explantion was terrible, im tired, maybe someone else can explain better.

louidog · 23 September 2007 at 11:33PM

vickym, the Christmas puddings were so good that was I taken by surprise by them!! I think I may have used the Delia Christmas pudding recipe from her Christmas book but can't be totally sure on that. They are dead easy to make, just make sure you have the greaseproof, foil and string but you'll have all that after you have made your Christmas cake

I am a bit of what I call a "fiddler" and can never leave a recipe alone...I always have to add something!

Tracey04 · 23 September 2007 at 11:37PM

http://www.cookuk.co.uk/techniques/recipe_caketin_greaseproof_paper.htm

PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

Quick query about making my own Christmas Cake

Comments

Categories

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free