General Chat

How soon should you start making your Christmas Cake? Is it too early to make it now?

Some people keep them for a lot longer and 'feed' it regularly, so No, it's not too early.

Personally, I would make the cake, but leave the marzipan and icing until December.

Thanks Gwyn I think as the weather is going to be bad it might be a good time to make it this weekend.

Jane

If you could just make an extra one please and send it to Teesside that would be great, lol.

I used to always make my own but I haven't done any baking at all for many a year - in fact I got rid of all my baking tins etc. so couldn't make one now even if I wanted to. Hubby and son would love it if I started again but as my son and I are both overweight and I'm diabetic I don't think it would be a good idea.

I wish I could be in your kitchen whilst it's baking as I love the smell of Christmas cake in the oven.

Kath. x

The old date for making your Christmas cake was LAST December!

Fed with brandy or other liquour, wrapped well in cheesecloth, kept in an aitright tin a cool/cold place (ie the larder), fed regularly by wetting the cheesecloth, until it was time to decorate.


OH has always made out Christmas puddings and cakes, though he hasn't made a cake for many years (since we stopped hosting large Christmas Day parties). He often made the Christmas cake as late as in early December, but never earlier than November.

He still makes Christmas puddings using a recipe from a Cheshire cook book that was published well over 50 years ago. The recipe uses beer, but we then feed with brandy before putting in an airtight tin.!

He makes 3 or 4 puddings, usually in late November or early December, uses one for that Christmas, and keeps the others in a cool place we have in the basement, or wraps in tinfoil and keeps in the large freezer that we have down there.

So he makes them only every 3 or 4 years!

If you make it now you won't half be able to wind some booze into it!

Don't think I will do mine until after I have pickled the onions.

As for Christmas pudding.I used to make one from a recipe that Julian Graves was giving away but it wouldn't keep. I hate Christmas pudding with such a vengeance that we buy a tiny one for OH and anybody else who might be here.

OH still makes the puddings, because daughter loves Christmas pudding and wants us to take one when we go at Christmas time ....

......... her husband hated/hates fruit cakes and puddings. He had to give way when they married because she wasn't having anything but the English-style fruit cake with royal icing ............ and let me tell you, THAT took some finding over here, until we discovered that the local Community College insisted that their bakery and cookery students had to learn how to make one!

Much cheaper than a bakery as well ;-)

He never used to have Christmas pudding, but sometimes now takes a little bit with rum sauce

OH, daughter and myself eat most of it, but we usually leave her with some left-overs

Isn't the whole idea of Christmas cake seeing how much booze you can get away with?? :-)

Yep, that's correct, Caroline. ;-)

For the last few years we've bought commercial cakes produced by the Lions clubs which have always been excellent, but las year we couldn't find any, so I'll go back to making one this year.

I won't start until early November as we have a longish trip late October/early November so won't be here to maturate it properly if I make it now :-D

Note to RR'r…..check on the meaning of the word 'maturate' :-P

I'll be using the same recipe that I used for both my son's and daughter's wedding cakes

Most of the supermarkets are having offers on the Baking sections, so maybe they think it is the time to start.

W'rose will soon have their Christmas cake kit in the shops. All the ingredients in one box.

ok i have just bought the ingredients now lets get baking.