Recipe for Christmas Cake

researcher

I haven't made a christmas cake for a few years now and can't remember which of the many recipes I have that I used.

I want to bake a very dark, rich fruit cake, moist and juicy. Do you have a recipe that you can recommend that you know is brilliant?

Thanks

miserly_mum

Me too so its a double PLEEEEEEEEEASE!!!

Bongedone

You may be better off on the Christmas board.

researcher

Oh - I think I can trust the combined knowledge of the OS'ers

Bongedone

I am sure they will. I am making sweet mince meat for the 1st time this weekend. Hope it makes better pies than the bought ones.

Pink.

Hi researcher,

There's an older thread with lots of recipes that should help so I've merged your thread with it to keep them together.

There are also some on the Christmas board. If you go to advanced search and search titles only for Christmas cake you should find them.

Pink

grannybroon

Storage of Christmas Cake - I used to double wrap in greaseproof paper, then a layer of foil and then in an old biscuit tin sealed with sellotape.

When I made Christmas cakes I used to use the Bero recipe and MeanMarie has just done hers using my Bero Dundee cake recipe (if it doesn't turn out she will give me stick!!!!!!!!)

I used to always bake mine middle October and then store well wrapped to the decoration stage in December - marzipan early December, rewrap and then decorate just before Christmas with Royal Icing (again Bero book). Always one candle on amongst the Christmas tree, sledge etc decorations as it is my birthday on Christmas Day!

Hope this helps. Remember to soak your fruit in a spirit for at least 24 hours before baking - I did it always in Brandy, and this helps to give a moist cake.

GB xxxx

heather38

this is the one i use
1kg of dried fruit (raisins/currents/sultanas/cherries)
100g ground almonds
100g flaked almonds
zest and juice of an orange and a lemon
4 tbsp brandy
300g dark muscovado sugar
200g butter
300g plain flour
4 eggs
teaspoon of cinnamon, mixed spice and nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking powder.

heat oven to 160oC
grease and line a cake tin
put butter, sugar, fruit, peel and juice and brandy in a pan. bring to the boil then simmer for 10 minutes
leave to cool for 1/2 an hour
then add eggs and both lots of almonds mix well
sift in the flour, spices and baking powder mix really well.
bake at 160oC for an hour then turn down to 150oC for 2 hours.
test with a knitting needle, if it comes out clean it's done, if not bake for longer and test every 10-15 minutes
it was from the bbc vegetarian christmas mag a few years ago
its lovely.

kethry

I swear by Delia's traditional Christmas cake (although i used the measurements from Nigella's cake from how to be a domestic goddess because her recipe fit my tin..). Rich, dark and oh.. so.. very moist and alcoholic.. OH *adores* it.

keth
xx

Bargain_Hunter_14

Am I too late to bake my christmas cake now? I have a few days off work so thought I'd have a go at the Delia cake since it's so highly reccomended on here but notice people seem to start them back in August! Any advice appreciated as new to baking cakes.