Christmas cake without eggs - can I make it in advance?

bluemoon_3

Does anyone know if the eggs in christmas cake have any role to play in preserving it, or is it all down to the alcohol and storage methods? I want to try making one in advance this year (never done that before), but I don't know if that can be done with an egg-less cake.

Justamum

I'm sure it's all down to the alcohol in it. As long as you "feed" it regularly it should keep fine. I'm not making fruit cake or pudding for this Christmas as the children don't like dried fruit (they're obviously changelings!) and there's no point just for the two of us, so they can have steamed chocolate pudding instead and a chocolate cake decorated with a Christmassy theme.

thriftlady_2

I'm sure Justamum is right it's the alcohol that preserves the cake. I'd be interested in seeing your recipe as my dd is allergic to eggs. I've not tried a rich fruitcake for her as it's not really her cup of tea, but you never know she might change her mind.

Are you going to ice it? If so what kind of icing?

bluemoon_3

Well, you've both agreed with my instincts - it's worth a go anyway.

Thriftlady - I'm not sure which recipe I'm going to use yet. Last year I made the 'festive fruit cake' recipe on this page (scroll down). It was a bit plain though, for christmas cake, so I wanted to have a go at something with a bit more 'oomph' this year! The one on the vegetarian society site looks quite nice. It seems to use soya flour to replace eggs, which I've done with success in muffins. I'd really like to have a go at Delia's long-standing recipe, but that uses 4 large eggs which will probably be quite a challenge to substitute.

As for icing - last year I used the RegalIce Ready-To-Roll Icing, which isn't very OS and I think also contains HVO. I just did a quick search for homemade fondant icing and the basic recipe uses egg whites. I found this (this recipe is further down). And another one. So there are egg-free recipes out there. I'm pleased to note that agar flakes worked instead of gelatine on the ppk site, since it's one of my store-cupboard staples and it means that I can still make it vegetarian.

Although, having posted that, I'm considering the non-iced cake, which has the fruit and nuts layered on top (as suggested on the vegetarian society site).

kethry

okay. slight change of subject.. but..

i'm giving a christmas cake to someone at the end of October/beginning of November, and it needs to be marzipanned and iced then. I haven't yet made it, although i will be doing so in the next few days. Will it be okay with only a few week's worth of brandying, or can i wrap it upside down and poke holes in the bottom and get the recipient to brandy it through the bottom once its been marzipanned/iced?

thanks!

keth
xx

thriftlady_2

bluemoon wrote: »

As for icing - last year I used the RegalIce Ready-To-Roll Icing, which isn't very OS and I think also contains HVO. I just did a quick search for homemade fondant icing and the basic recipe uses egg whites. I found this (this recipe is further down). And another one. So there are egg-free recipes out there. I'm pleased to note that agar flakes worked instead of gelatine on the ppk site, since it's one of my store-cupboard staples and it means that I can still make it vegetarian.

Although, having posted that, I'm considering the non-iced cake, which has the fruit and nuts layered on top (as suggested on the vegetarian society site).

I iced mine with chocolate topped marzipan last year and that was delicious. But, you have to melt the choc and mix with cream in order to stop the choc from cracking when you cut it, so no good if you are vegan.

Thanks for the links:T

bluemoon_3

thriftlady wrote: »

I iced mine with chocolate topped marzipan last year and that was delicious. But, you have to melt the choc and mix with cream in order to stop the choc from cracking when you cut it, so no good if you are vegan.

Oh that sounds yummy! If it's single cream, then Alpro do a good one that has worked in, I think, everything I've tried it. You just reminded me of this vegan chocolate fudge I made last year that can be used as icing.

Oh well, I shall just have to make multiple cakes to try all these ideas, and then spend next year working off the extra stone I will have put on.