Christmas Cake & Individual Cakes (merged)

hels102

This sounds such a good idea and I'm really tempted to have a try - Can I ask what Boil in the Tin cakes you are referring to? Thanks x

angbrads wrote: »

I use Delias recipe and have done for years now, it's always gone down well. I've 8 mini cakes maturing for teachers xmas pressies. I used the 'boil in the tin' cake tins. you know the ones i mean, asdas own brand are 39p each. i bought 4, opened the tin, took out the cake and washed the tin... perfect for little mini cakes!
Delia also does a caribean cake too, check out here website or goodfood website.

Valli

Like H***z sponge puddings I'm guessing -

princess_leia_3

Yes thats right - I used the Mr T value choc and syrup sponge pud tins as they are really cheap and still edible! They worked really well, mine rose quite abit above the tin so next time I might make 5 tins worth out o the Delia recipe

Valli

I will offer to test them all...

PurpleSkies

Valli wrote: »

Brandy, cognac, rum, port even. Not Barcardi though. Possibly shnapps but I haven't tries it!

You could try Lidl or Aldi for cheap booze then. Whatever you do use though it will keep for a long while. Presoak fruit in booze (at least overnight) then feed once a week - for mini cakes I would feed a teaspoon only. The easiest way to feed is turn over and feed the bottom - but keep it inverted. Just sprinkle it over - or if you have a medicine syringe use that for a more even distribution.

I do have this Austrian rum that I picked up while I was living in Germany that is 80% alcohol! Although I think that might overpower the cake slightly!

Someone actually suggested I try cherry brandy which I quite like to drink every now and again so I don't know why I didn't think of that before! And also you can pick some up at a reasonalbe price, like you say, from Lidl!

sarahs999

This is the cake I always make. It's totally utterly delicious and I won't be tempted away even by Nigella! IT's from Betty's tearoom of Harrogate.

BETTYS TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS CAKE

(Makes one 8in/20cm round cake)

9oz/250g sultanas
4oz/100g currants
14oz/400g raisins
6oz/170g glac! cherries
3oz/75g mixed peel
Zest of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 orange
Freshly squeezed juice of ½ lemon
3floz/80ml sherry
6oz/175g butter (room temperature)
1oz/25g black treacle
6oz/175g dark muscovado sugar
3 medium eggs (room temperature), beaten
1oz/25g glycerine
8oz/220g plain white flour
1 tsp/4g mixed spice
½ tsp/2g ground cinnamon
1½oz/40g ground almonds
The day before making your Christmas cake, place the dried fruits in a
large bowl with the lemon and orange zest. Pour the lemon juice and
sherry over and stir the fruit well until thoroughly mixed and evenly
coated in the juices. Cover with clingfilm and leave to stand
overnight.

The next day, line the base of an 8in/20cm deep cake tin with a disc
of baking parchment. Place a "collar" of baking parchment around the
inside of the tin.

Heat the oven to 140C/275F/gas mark 1.

To make the cake, place the soft butter into a large bowl with the
treacle and sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. If
the bowl is cold, warm it a little in the oven.

Take the beaten egg and beat a quarter of it at a time into the butter
mixture. The resultant batter should have a silky texture, but if it
curdles add a tablespoon of the flour and blend in.

When all the egg has been added, stir in the glycerine and then sieve
over the flour and spices. Finally, add the ground almonds and gently
fold everything together.

Tip in the soaked fruit and again fold through the mixture until it is
evenly blended.

Place the mixture in the prepared baking tin and level off the top evenly.

Bake for approximately 2 hours until the cake is golden brown in
colour and baked through the middle. (You may need to cover the top of
the cake three quarters of the way through baking to protect it from
burning - use a folded piece of baking parchment or piece of card.)

When it is baked, remove the tin but leave the baking parchment
sticking to the sides and base. Allow to cool.

When the cake is completely cold, !!!!! the top, pour over a couple of
tablespoons of sherry and allow it to soak through.

The cake should then be wrapped in a clean sheet of greaseproof paper,
followed by foil, and placed in an airtight tin somewhere cool and
dry. Repeat the enriching of the cake with more sherry a couple of
weeks later. Then, just before Christmas, decorate the cake with
marzipan and royal icing.

sarahs999

LOL, I've just seen that this forum takes out the word p*r*i*c*k. How funny. Anyway, that's what you are meant to do to the top of the cake, though I'm sure you could have worked that out....

melie3

hi all,
i want to make my first xmas cake, maybe delias recipe, how soon should i be starting it? also her recipe says to feed it for a week or 2, would you then eat it, or leave alone for a while?
thanks much appreciated

princess_leia_3

I make mine in Sept/Oct and then feed it every 2 weeks and ice & marzipan it a few days before christmas.

floyd

princess_leia wrote: »

I make mine in Sept/Oct and then feed it every 2 weeks and ice & marzipan it a few days before christmas.

Same here but its not too late to make one, I wouldn't feed it more often than that as it will get damp like Christmas pud (or so the recipes tell me ).