Quick query about making my own Christmas Cake

trying-very-trying

Oooooh! This thread has taken me right back to the first year I was married. I made my one and only ever christmas cake from the "dairy book of home cookery"(it came free form the milkman, I think, if you bought so many extra pints of milk). It took about 4-6 hours to cook, then I took it out the oven, and went to visit my parents, by the time I came home, dh had decided he would have a bit of cake. It was finished next day, and I never made another one. It was good though.

I often wonder what happened to that cookbook, I used it nearly all the time, when I ws first married. I wouldn't mind trying the christmas cake recipe again.

madoldbat

Tracey04 wrote: »

http://www.cookuk.co.uk/techniques/recipe_caketin_greaseproof_paper.htm

Vickym this link is a nice example.Thanks Tracey04. I differ only by using a square bit of paper big enough when folded over to stand the tin on,draw around base with fiber pen then cut circle out.Left over bits paper I save and use to grease othe tins. I take a pice of paper long enough to go around tin and fold in half length ways,then fold again about 2.5cm from one edge ,be firm with this crease if its nice and sharp its easier to get in tin.Then snip small folded area as shown and put in tin.

I dont use peel as most people dont like it I tend to double up on cherries most people who like fruit cake do like these.A tiny bit more expensive but if its a gift!!!
Hope some of this made sence:rotfl:

odds-n-sods

but it doesn't taste teh same without the peel...... and I dont' care for the cherries

madoldbat

Morning Odds-n-sods,
Sorry I should not genralise:o
I make cakes to order and find lots of people request no peel,some like you dont like cherries,some dont like brandy so ask for rum.
Most odd thing is I dont like cake at all,ANY cake :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

pigpen

Oh no.. NOW I have to go out and buy my christmas cake bits.. you lot are so not good for my money saving ways.. lol... I don't even like it, I just sniff it!!!! In fact only 2 of the children eat it.. but I can make one for my mother, she likes it.. I might make one for my gran as well.. just for the fun of it.. she doesn't bake much now everyone is grown up, she and I used to spend most of Saturday baking for when my cousins came over to visit... we'd make bacon and egg pie, scones, tarts, cake... aaahhhh reminiscing again..

Cake then.. best find my recipe!! and do a cake tesco shop!! (O r I may be really scrimpy and do a Lidl shop.. except it is raining and I'll have to carry it all home!... tesco it is then!

Madoldbat.. I don't like any cake either!!

stefejb

vickym wrote: »

Has anyone ever got drunk making their own christmas cake - I dont mean by eating it - but by continually putting brandy into it - ie. one bit for the cake - a tipple for the cook :rotfl:


:T

Not really the same but we took to xmas pudidngs to holland with us for my dad and dbro. my baby sisters were 10 and 12 at the time and insisted that the pudding be soaked and lit over and over as it was the highlight of teir xmas. The next day we took the other pudding to my dbros and his his kids and did it all over again. Although I thought that the brandy would have been burned off the puddings were still very very alcoholic

vickym

Tracey04 wrote: »

http://www.cookuk.co.uk/techniques/recipe_caketin_greaseproof_paper.htm

Thanks for this link Tracey04 its easy to understand and a big help

Louidog - If my christmas cake turns out looking Ok I may just give the christmas puddings a go - cause they sound lovely

Madoldbat - thanks for the idea about drawing round the base of the tin - thats really useful and would be much quicker. Thanks for the info on the peel - I didnt realise some people dont like it so I will ask before making any for someone else.

Would it be best to use a solid cake tin or the type where the bottom comes out?

Could I ask with regards to the fruit used - on the receipe it gives certain measurements of currants, sultants etc - do you have to stick to these measurements or can you just buy a bag of mixed fruit? From the list of ingredients on the bags of fruit the %per fruit is about right to the % used per fruit on the receipe. Is using this mixed lot a good idea or not?


Pigpen - sorry for prompting you to go out and buy all your caking bits n bobs. I have decided that I am NOT buying anything untill I have it all clear in my head exactly what I need and the best method of doing it - that way I am not half way through baking and realise that I need the answer to a question.

Could I ask - people have mentioned Rum or Brandy - which is best - I have brandy in as I love brandy Courvoissier (hope I spelt that correctly) is this ok to use or should I be buying a cheaper brandy. I wont drink the cheaper ones - they dont taste the same - so is it best to stick with the brand I like to drink?

Sorry for all these questions - you are all really nice and helpful is like talking to my sadly department mum - she was a wonderful cook always baked our birthday cakes, christmas cakes etc etc - but sadly I was only 18 when she passed away and wasnt interested in cake baking then - wish I had been cause my mums christmas cake was so moist and had loads of alcohol in it - one year she wasnt well and so hadnt had time to finish her cake - so she purchased a shop bought one - no one ate it - as it just wasnt the same and in the end we just ate the fruit cake that she had made as it was much nicer than the one she had bought even without any icing or decoration on it.

Happy memories :A

squishyclaire

As this is a Christmas cake thread, I thought I might also ask for a little bit of advice. I am making hampers this year for pressies and have been making jams and chutneys for the last three weeks. I saw a site on the internet that suggested that you could make a mini xmas cake in a small baked bean tin. I thought this would be a good idea because some of the people I am making hampers for are on their own. Has anyone tried anything like this (or am I the only insane one!) or does anyone have any suggestions of how to make a little cake without going to a major expense buying specialist tins?

louidog

vickym wrote: »

Could I ask - people have mentioned Rum or Brandy - which is best - I have brandy in as I love brandy Courvoissier (hope I spelt that correctly) is this ok to use or should I be buying a cheaper brandy. I wont drink the cheaper ones - they dont taste the same - so is it best to stick with the brand I like to drink?
Happy memories :A

Vickym I only drink "proper" brandy too so anything that isn't Courvoissier or Martell gets used for cakes etc. I am never too pleased when pubs etc try to fob me off with what I call cooking brandy :mad:

Have fun making the cake and puddings!

madoldbat

Hi Vicky,
I use a loose bottom tin.This means when you take cake out of ovan leave for about 45 min then place on top of a large tin tomatoes/baked beans and gently pull side of cake tin down,bottom and cake are sat on top of tin and you can allow to cool a bit longer before removing its grease proof coller and wrapping it.
As for fruit I tend to be a bit heavy handed and put in about 20% more than listed and vary it according to personal taste but no hard and fast rules have been known to put in dates chopped,appricots even cranberrys.
Booze I dont drink so I use what is requested OH likes Old Nnavy Rum this means hes the only one to eat his cake;) For people who dont like brandy or rum (have a freind who not allowed ) soaking fruit in orange juice for 48 hour prior to use works well.:T