Help I've cremated the Christmas Cake!!!

jollyjojo

Oh dearie me I have well and truly cremated the christmas cake! :mad:

Now I need to make another one, I followed the cooking instructions to the rule, 2 hours at gas mark 2 and then 3 hours at gas mark 1, but the outside has about 5mm of burn all around and the middle is soggy:rolleyes:

I used loads of grease proof paper around the sides (in and out)

What did I do wrong? I can't afford to risk the same thing happening again.

All advice very gratefully received.

Jo X

Ps I'm normally quite a good cook:o

lucasmum

When I make my xmas cakes I always tie brown paper around the sides of the tin, maybe 4 thick. Then when the top if the cake is the colour you want whack some foil on the top. It needs quite a bit of protection as its in the oven for so long.
Don't waste the other cake though trim all the burnt bits off and salvage what you can, crumble into some melted choc and make little xmas cake sweeties?? I'm sure you might get better suggestions but its an idea!

becs

I would second the brown paper, never do mine without it.

Can you slice the top of the cake off and trim the sides to reveal a non burnt cake? Even if you only get a bit from the middle could use as mini individual cakes for presents?

Becs

jollyjojo

Lucasmum and becs thanks for your suggestions but it is way to soggy in the middle to do anything with it!

I had three layers of greaseproof paper around the outside and two on the inside. Should I have use thicker paper around the outside?

I will also let you into a little secret....but please don't tell, the mixture was actually belonging to my pack of Brownies that they had made and I was the one entrusted to bake it!!!!! So I have to produce something for them to decorate in a few weeks time:rolleyes:

Gingernutmeg

Have you checked your oven temperature with an oven thermometer or something similar? It sounds to me like it's too hot, so it could be that it's actually heating up more than you think it is. You could try cooking it for longer on an even lower temperature. Also make sure that you've got it on the lowest shelf, and I normally tie a thick band of newspaper around the sides of the tin, and sit it on some newspaper (in a tin) too, so that it's got that extra protection. Obviously make sure you don't set fire to the paper ... not that I'd EVER do anything like that ...

Quillion

When it is covered with Marzipan and icing noone will ever know it was nearly next years BBQ charcoal.
Good Luck x

becs

Hi Jollyjojo,

Oh dear! You definately need to thickly wrap the outside of the tin with brown paper, it's much thicker than greaseproof and will absorb the heat stopping alot of it getting through to the cake. I always do Delia's Traditional Christmas cake alot of her recipes can be really faddy but the cake is good and has always turned out well.
http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/the-classic-christmas-cake,1293,RC.html
She tells you on this recipe about wrapping the tin in brown paper.

jollyjojo

Thank you everybody.

I am off to town to buy brown paper, I figured I can use whats left for wrapping paper! Also an oven thermometer, because that will always come in handy.

I am still scared stiff of murdering another one though! :eek:

JO X

rainmac

So sorry about your cake Jo. I don't have any brilliant advice cos I cheat and buy my Xmas cake (terrible I know!) just wanted to say good luck with the next one

brookeslay

Follow the brown paper instructions and you also need to line the tin with baking parchment or everlasting lining paper cut to size.

When I don`t want things to burn chuck in a bain marie. A roasting pan underneath with water which will keep the oven moist or place the cake on a baking tray with flour the heat will turn the flour brown. Failing that cook two things at once and it helps. I did a course @ Bettys last year and the girl next to mine burnt as it was in the oven but itself.

b

scaredy_cat

if the middle is still soggy, are you using the right size cake tin?

I wrap newpaper around the outside of my cake and tie with a bit of string.