Delia Smith Christmas Cake

Slack_Alice

Right, it's crunch time.. MUST make my christmas cake tomorrow (very late I know) .. so need to soak the fruit tonight.

Been dithering for weeks on what recipe to use. So think it's going to be Delia's classic christmas cake.

Just need a couple of people to assure me its a good, almost fool-proof recipe. And it always turns out good. Is it quite a dark cake?

(obviously its my first christmas cake hence all the questions)

Thanks everyone!!!

scottishminnie

I've made the Delia one twice now and it worked perfectly. It was quite dark but very tasty and well received (they were both for gifts).

For the last few years though I've gone back to my trusty Be Ro book and made the Christmas cake from there. It's also pretty foolproof and nothing complicated to come unstuck on.

http://www.be-ro.com/f_insp.htm (it's the 2nd down on the cakes tab)

The only thing I am religious about, no matter what recipe I use, is that once it's made I feed the cake every week with alcohol. Sometimes sherry, sometimes brandy, even rum and sometimes I use different alcohol each week.

Makes for a nice moist cake and everyone seems to like it!

scottishminnie

Twitterpie wrote: »

That sounds good Scottishminnie

Started years ago as a rescue cure for a seriously dry cake which I'd cooked too long and it's become the norm now. Funny how some things become almost traditonal:)

Jevvers

I made this as my first Christmas cake last year and it was lovely. I didn't even feed the cake much so the kids could have some and it was still lovely and fruity and moist. Go for it!

SUESMITH_2

if you don't want it so dark and it uses dark brown sugar make it with light brown instead, also instead of treacle use golden syrup - sorry i know this sounds obvious and i dont mean to be insulting

i always soak my fruit and then feed the cake. mmmm

Jami74

I've done the Delia one but have never been organised to soak the fruit. For us it just goes in straight out of the packet. I've also not been religious about feeding the cake, sometimes I remember sometimes I don't.

VfM4meplse

scottishminnie wrote: »

The only thing I am religious about, no matter what recipe I use, is that once it's made I feed the cake every week with alcohol. Sometimes sherry, sometimes brandy, even rum and sometimes I use different alcohol each week.

Chrimbo cake with prunes and apricots, made in Septmeber and fed regularly with port can't be beaten. Completely delicious.

Gloomendoom

Mrs Gloom has used the Delia recipe for the last two years, although she's actually made three because a mess up with a new oven meant the first one got overcooked. She made this year's about six weeks ago. She soaks the fruit and feeds the cake with copious amounts of brandy too.

It's excellent.

nannaC

I do my version of Delia, instead of soaking the fruit I melt half the butter and sugar in a pan add all the fruit [minus cherries] 1/4 cup of tea, glug of whiskey/sherry [or both], then simmer gently for about 10 mins [this plumps the fruit up wonderfully]. Leave to cool slightly, make up the rest of the cake, then add the fruit + cherries. This will form a slightly runnier batter, put in tin and bake [it takes less time to cook], so check the cake at about 3/4 of the published cooking time. Cover the top with a butter paper if it is getting too brown.

pookiewn

My mum has been making Delia's Christmas cake for as long as I can remember, I have since followed on the tradition. It's lovely. I do soak the fruit for a few days with a little bit more brandy than specified and then feed it when I remember to. Last year I left it far to late to make it and it was still was very good without the long rest.

becs

If you're doing the Delia Christmas cake (I can highly recommend, always use this recipe as it's definitely foolproof and delicious!) then have a look at Waitrose as they're selling it in an ingredients pack. It's £10 and has everything except eggs, butter and an orange and lemon in it. Everything is all measured and weighed out so literally just put it together! Couldn't be easier. Also the fruit is already pre soaked, it was an absolute joy to make this year as was just made so much easier.