Aagghh! Christmas cake disaster! Any ideas?

Alfietinker

I don't usually make cakes (mostly because we can polish a whole one off between the 2 of us!). But we've got family round for Christmas so I thought I'd have a go.

I followed Delia's Classic recipe to the letter, which isn't exactly a cheap cake. So I took my time, planned and prepared everything.

http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/the-classic-christmas-cake,1293,RC.html

After 4.5 hours I checked the cake. Recipe said to check after 4, but my oven is a little slow, so I left it a bit. The skewer came out clean, it looked fine, so I left it to cool in the tin etc. as stated.

When I came to take it out the tin, the very bottom is all wet and soggy! It almost looks 'oily', like it's coated in butter or something. I left it on the cooling tray upside down over night hoping it would dry out, but no!

Last night I was following Delia's mince meat recipe which meant having the oven on for 3 hours at gas mark 1/4. So I put the cake back in at the top of the oven, and left it to cool in there overnight.

This morning it's a little better, but still seems very moist. As I put it back in the oven upside down, the moisture seems to have drawn back into the cake :-( It's definitely cooked, but I'm not sure if it will store until Christmas?

Is this a lost cake? I can't afford to do another one so if this can be salvaged I'll do anything!

Please help - I feel like a dunce!

cheekymole

Sounds like you din't mix the cake well enough. Did you cook it at the top of the oven? Should be in the middle. It might be ok but I wouldn't feed it with any more alcohol. If you are going to ice it etc, cut it in half, cut a slice out of the middle to taste (for peace of mind) and then stick back together with heated apricot jam...
...good luck

Newbird

The oily stuff on the bottom is just the oil that comes from the nut and fat content in the cake. Prob would have been better to bung back in the tin and cook for longer at a higher temp, than to go back in on low temp. Leaving overnight in the oven will have allowed condensation to wet the cake again. Same as leaving it in the tin to cool, best to take out when cooled enough to handle, and put on wire tray.

It will prob be ok, as long as it is not goopy, but store somewhere cool, not just in a tin in warm kitchen. Moist cake is nice, and I wouldn't think this is a reason not to add the brandy or whatever to feed it with. Do it, the alcohol with also help to preserve it.

If you want to have another go, you can always eat it b4 X-mas, it will be fine, I'm sure.

HTH

Alfietinker

Thanks you two! I did cook it in the middle of the oven, with an oven thermometer so I know the temperature was right.

I may well not have mixed it enough I guess. I wasn't really sure how to fold stuff in, so I did it gently until it looked right.

So what's the best way to store it then? At the moment it's wrapped in foil in the cupboard. And do you think I should put it back in the oven? My friend suggested the microwave for a minute?

I prefer moist cakes, I'm just worried about it keeping.

I would like to feed it, that was the whole point of me cooking it now

Perhaps I'll feed it occasionally, but before I ice it, cut it open as you suggested.

Think I need to practise baking more! :hug:

Lara

Don't leave it wrapped in foil! Wrap in greaseproof or parchment first & then you can wrap and store in foil, in a cool dark place. I wouldn't feed it now either. When I cook cakes I spray them with brandy when they have just come out of the oven and are sitting in their tin cooling down. Much easier, much quicker and the heat will disperse the alcohol into the cake.

Alfietinker

Aahh, OK. I'll take it out the foil as soon as I get home! I won't feed it then. Just taste it before I ice it to check if it's still OK.

Thanks for all your help!

xx

cheekymole

Yes wrap in a couple of layers of greaseproof and then put in an airtight tin/container before storing in a cool place. A moist cake is much better than a dry one but if it is as moist as you say, then to feed it more would obviously make it more soggy. I cake make and decorate as a hobby so I am speaking from experience

Katgoddess

The exact same thing happened to me with delias recipe the other week.

Me and my mother ended up turning it upside down and cooking it for extra time with the soggy side on top. (That was a challenge getting it back in the tin!)

I decided to freeze mine instead of risking it going off. I thought it might have been because I used a loose bottomed tin where the loose bit is really thick. Nice to know it was the oil.

I've never done anything like this before, but delias recipe seemed so easy. I think I'll spend next year practising with fruit cakes.

SnowyOwl_2

If all else fails, don't chuck it, it cost too much money to do that! Simply warm it in the microwave, put a dollop of custard or cream on it, and voila... Christmas pudding!

Anne_Marie_2

Not entirely relevant to the true subject, but made xmas cake years ago , totally soaked it with alcohol over several weeks, far too much, and it was soggy when I came to decorate. Wrapped it in loads of greaseproof paper, then tinfoil, then in tupperware. Was the best ever cake we ever had the following Christmas, was lovely and moist and the flavour was wonderful.
Thought this might be useful to anyone who has a little extra cake mix for the tin, make a mini one and try boozing it up a bit for next year. Or make a double mixture, and then you have next year's already sorted!

Rave

I love soggy cake. I always think the mixture tastes better than the final product, my mum always had a devil of a job persuading me not to eat it all when I 'helped' her make cakes:rotfl:.