Quick query about making my own Christmas Cake

WeirdoMagnet

That's interesting Ishtar - I don't really like Delia, she's a bit too twee and exact for me, but I thought I'd make her cake as it seems that if you follow her recipes you can't go far wrong, but not so in this case it seems!

Yes, got a bottle of brandy to hand for feeding!

CRANKY40

Ishtar wrote: »

Don't forget to give it the occasional feed with some brandy/sherry - I made mine at the end of October and have been feeding it regularly...I'll now have to warn anyone who is planning to drive home after sampling a piece .

D.

I've been doing the same

cat64

Ok, I'm ashamed to admit this:o but a couple of weeks before Christmas I put a load of dried fruit to marinate in brandy as suggested by Delia, prior to making Christmas cake the next day. HOWEVER, I never got round to making the cake! Do you think it would be ok to still use the fruit to make the cake AND to keep the cake till next year ('feeding' it with brandy every few weeks)?

Any advice? (apart from be more organised lol!).

grunnie

cat64 wrote: »

Ok, I'm ashamed to admit this:o but a couple of weeks before Christmas I put a load of dried fruit to marinate in brandy as suggested by Delia, prior to making Christmas cake the next day. HOWEVER, I never got round to making the cake! Do you think it would be ok to still use the fruit to make the cake AND to keep the cake till next year ('feeding' it with brandy every few weeks)?

Any advice? (apart from be more organised lol!).

It will be perfect. I can almost smell the brandy from here. By the way I would make it into a birthday cake. In my house it wouldn't last till next Christmas.:rotfl:

shegha

What about using it to make an ice cream style christmas bomb and eat for new year?

Becles

I normally leave my fruit soaking in alcohol for a good week or so, rather than just overnight. It makes it nicer!

Once made Christmas cake lasts forever as long as it is well wrapped and "fed" occasionally with some more alcohol.

Frugalmum_2

I left mine soaking for over a month (I kept meaning to get round to making the cake) anyway made 3 in the end from all the fruit, used a whole bottle of rum and everyone has said the cake was brilliant, absolutely gorgeous, what had I put in it! I've still not cut the one I kept for me but I certainly think the fruit will be fine.

cat64

Thanks everyone, will make the cake and see how it goes.

suep

Hi after reading somewhere on here how nice Delias classic Xmas cake is, I decided Im going to have a go at making it myself. I wrote down the list of ingredients last night, but it says 1dsp of black treacle ! is it essential ? I only ask as its not something Ive ever used and its not very OS to buy a tin just for 1 spoonful, then never using it again. It's wrote in fainter print than the other ingredients so I think its maybe ok to miss it out, just wanted to check with everyone here first.
thankyou
sue

Skint_Catt

Its written in 'fainter' print because you can't click on it to take you to a link. I made Delia's cake two weeks aago and bought a can just for the one spoonful. I will find other receipes at some point to use it up so it'll never be wasted and the cake is perfect :j