Recipe for Christmas Cake

freakyogre

I've had the Delia one in my favourites for a few weeks and keep meaning to buy the ingredients and give it a go!

Just a few questions if anyone can help? (Sorry to hijack the thread a bit!)

Can I just use a bag of mixed fruit (contains currants, sultanas, raisins and mixed peel as per the recipe, just different quantities)? I don't really want to buy a bag of each, plus I don't really like mixed peel so don't want to put a lot of that in anyway!

Brandy - if I were to find a mini bottle somewhere (do places still sell these?) would that be enough? I don't drink, so buying a normal size bottle would be a complete waste.

Black treacle - could anything else be used in its place (syrup?) I don't use it, so just something else to waste!

Thanks for any help

Janine2225

Thanks for the links gingernutmeg. The nigella one sounds lush, I love her stuff and it always comes out really well, her domestic goddess book is like my bible I dont like fruit cakes, xmas puds or mincemeat either but everyone I know does. I might do her version just for me to eat when everyone else is gone!!

Freakyogre, I was planning on buying tescos luxury mixed fruit bag to use in mine, I dont eat dried fruit so thought this was the easiest way of doing it. I cant see why it would be a problem if you use the same cumulative total of stuff.
They do still sell mini bottles but I was advised by my local off license a few years ago that it tends to only be at xmas so they might not have them in yet. If you cant get them then use whats left of a big bottle to make some blackberry brandy to give as a gift!
As for black treacle, I'm not sure about an alternative but I'm pretty certain what you buy this year will still be useable for next xmas (and quite possibly the one after as well!), as long as you dont contaminate the contents. They have very very long shelf lives.
Jx

floyd

I will be using my treacle from last year, its so rammed with sugar that not much can grow in it. Same for the Brandy, I bought one of the small half bottles and that does me for 2 years recipe plus cake feeding

MoaningMyrtle

freakyogre wrote: »

I've had the Delia one in my favourites for a few weeks and keep meaning to buy the ingredients and give it a go!

Just a few questions if anyone can help? (Sorry to hijack the thread a bit!)

Can I just use a bag of mixed fruit (contains currants, sultanas, raisins and mixed peel as per the recipe, just different quantities)? I don't really want to buy a bag of each, plus I don't really like mixed peel so don't want to put a lot of that in anyway!

Brandy - if I were to find a mini bottle somewhere (do places still sell these?) would that be enough? I don't drink, so buying a normal size bottle would be a complete waste.

Black treacle - could anything else be used in its place (syrup?) I don't use it, so just something else to waste!

Thanks for any help

You could experiment with the above

For example use rum or sherry instead of brandy. You would need the amount stated in the recipe as the alcohol helps preserve the fruit and moistens the cake when you 'feed' it afterwards. If you make it nearer Christmas you won't need to 'feed' it as often so it will be less alcoholly!! You can buy a quarter bottle of brandy in Tesco for about a fiver.

Black Treacle is essential as it gives the cake the distinctive dark colour of a traditional christmas cake. It should be under £1.00 to buy a tin. Or ask someone who bakes if they want to go halves on a tin?

You need the stated quantity of fruit, mixed bags will be fine, the cake is very heavy on fruit. I usally drop the mixed peel and add extra coloured glace cherries (red, green and yellow). I also put extra roughly chopped blanched almonds in mine.

Delia's Classic Christmas cake recipe works for me every time too!!:D

Good luck everyone, I'll have to get my butt into gear and start mine.

freakyogre

Thanks for the replies. I'll have a look for a small bottle of something to put in it!

yummyhoney

been lloking at Delia's christams cake but she using brandy and i dont have any,,have about 3 bottles of whiskey,,which neither of us drink and a bottle of cognac,,i dont even know what cognac is:rolleyes:any way can someone dirct me to a nice christmas cake using whisky,,many thanks

finc

just substitute the brandy for whiskey! I use Delia's recipe for whiskey Christmas cake and substitute brandy instead lol. It works perfectly every time. Good luck!

The one I use is here
I don't bother with angostura bitters though.

yummyhoney

thanks so much, i dont even konw what angostra bitters are:D

Penelope_Penguin

Cognac is a brandy (from the French Cognac region ) so you could use that instead of brandy.

Angostoura bitters is a herb alcoholic drink from T&T

Penny. x

Boodle

Cognac should be fine in the cake. I like to use rum in my Christmas cakes and mincemeat