Quick query about making my own Christmas Cake 23 September 2007 at 9:45PM edited 30 November -1 at 1:00AM in Old Style MoneySaving 221 replies 27.1K views

carly

Lyles black treacle is currently 24p a 454g tin online at Tesco ( at least in my area ).
I have often omitted it, however, when I havent had any in and the cake has been just fine. Use dark brown sugar instead for added flavour and/or golden syrup /honey for a similar texture /moisture effect of treacle.

buyitall

The treacle is also 24p instore at my Tesco, bought some last week.

Pink.

Hi suep,

I think it's worth adding the treacle. Delia's Christmas cake recipe is fantastic. I've added your thread to the Christmas cake queries thread as it may help others who have the same question.

Pink

serena

I'm another fan of Delia's Classic Christmas cake, although it's very simliar to the one my mother always made from an ancient copy of The Good Housekeeping Cook Book.

The last few years, for a change, (and influenced by nearly chopping my finger in half when the knife slipped trying to cut through royal icing!) I have made the Dundee Cake from Delia's Christmas book, and that is also excellent.

kethry

to all those who wonder about keeping a christmas cake for the following year - the other day i found half of last christmas's christmas cake, a cake without marzipan/icing, as my OH doesn't like either, he likes the cake au natrel, so i decorated it with dried fruit and nuts - which i had removed last christmas before re-wrapping it in greaseproof paper and foil - and although very well brandied at the time, it hasn't been re-brandied since last christmas..

it looks, smells, and tastes perfectly fine. I've wrapped it in new greaseproof paper and foil, will brandy it next week when i get some more brandy - i reckon it should do for this christmas.. proof of the pudding is in the eating!

keth
xx

suep

Thankyou all for the replies, I didnt realise the black treacle was so cheap so I will definitly buy some. It sounds like Im a bit behind in cooking it, Ill cook it at the weekend when I have a bit more time.

Keth - thats amazing that you've saved a cake from last year and its fine !

pink winged - thanks for moving my post to this one, Ive learnt a lot more about xmas cake making.

sue

r.mac_2

suep wrote: »

Thankyou all for the replies, I didnt realise the black treacle was so cheap so I will definitly buy some. It sounds like Im a bit behind in cooking it, Ill cook it at the weekend when I have a bit more time.

Keth - thats amazing that you've saved a cake from last year and its fine !

pink winged - thanks for moving my post to this one, Ive learnt a lot more about xmas cake making.

sue

I don't think you are too late to cook the cake -my mum makes fabulous fruit cakes at christmas and has always cooked them in the October school holidays, so you have a few weeks left

I'm making my first christmas cake this year as well - I'm very excited.

serena

My mother was a teacher, always short of time, and it was not unknown for her to start her Christmas baking around 21st December when we broke up! Mixing puddings on Christmas Eve has also been known to happen.... They always taste fine, although maybe not as well brandied!

Minerva_2

Can anyone tell me the best place to buy a small, cheap bottle of Brandy for my Christmas cake? It doesn't have to be drinkable!

Also I have a recipe that requires a band of corrugated cardboard to be tied outside of the tin, could I use brown paper or newspaper instead?

Many thanks!

Skint_Catt

I bought mine from Morrisons - £8 or so for a largish bottle (feeding every week until Xmas - way to go yet!) or try https://www.mysupermarket.com

Never heard the cardboard thing sorry, mines just in baking paper and foil inside the tin.