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Old 27-10-2015, 22:25
Desert_Rain
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I'm not much of a cook, but I am really eager to make my own Christmas cake this year.

I know what ingredients to get, and can look up a recipe etc online. But there is one thing that is confusing me that I can't find the answer to by googling.

When exactly do I make the cake? Some people say 3 weeks in advance, some say 3 months. In order to make it in advance, would I need to add brandy or any other kind of alcohol to it? If so I won't be able to make it early because I don't really want to add any alcohol to it (Kids will be eating it too)

Can I still make it early without the alcoholic ingredient? If so when is the best time for this?

Do I add the marzipan and icing early too or wait until nearer the time?

Thanks everyone
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Old 28-10-2015, 00:10
Toby LaRhone
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Marzipan and icing definitely nearer the date.
Can't advise on the non alcohol side as my best cake was made well over two years in advance (circumstances, not deliberately) and was "fed" healthily on brandy at birth.
It was incredibly moist and tasty.
I suggest you buy a "mini-pud" for children or make it just a few weeks before?
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Old 28-10-2015, 02:44
ChristmasCake
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You could substitute the alcohol for orange juice, or cold tea.

I'm not sure how well they'd preserve though so can't give any advice on when to make it..
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Old 28-10-2015, 22:49
gemma-the-husky
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surely any alcohol will evaporate during cooking?

it can't affect kids, can it?
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Old 28-10-2015, 23:12
Toby LaRhone
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surely any alcohol will evaporate during cooking?

it can't affect kids, can it?
The fruit used is steeped in brandy for at least twelve hours.
It will absorb the alcohol and retain the flavour.
After the cake is cooked it is then "fed" by injecting it with more alcohol either by pouring it over after making many punctures with cocktail sticks or by using a syringe.
The cake can be made many months in advance and will "mature" and stay preserved and moist.
Obviously, how much you add is down to personal choice and taste.
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Old 29-10-2015, 00:01
pugamo
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You could substitute the alcohol for orange juice, or cold tea.

I'm not sure how well they'd preserve though so can't give any advice on when to make it..
Well if you can't help, I don't know who can
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Old 29-10-2015, 00:37
ChristmasCake
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Well if you can't help, I don't know who can
My mum tends to pour in the alcohol using a slotted spoon. I've never made one sans alcohol. Tbh, I'm not trusted with the Christmas cake, I do the Turkey.
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Old 29-10-2015, 05:00
RubyNyx
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Marzipan and icing definitely nearer the date.
Can't advise on the non alcohol side as my best cake was made well over two years in advance (circumstances, not deliberately) and was "fed" healthily on brandy at birth.
It was incredibly moist and tasty.
I suggest you buy a "mini-pud" for children or make it just a few weeks before?
The fruit used is steeped in brandy for at least twelve hours.
It will absorb the alcohol and retain the flavour.
After the cake is cooked it is then "fed" by injecting it with more alcohol either by pouring it over after making many punctures with cocktail sticks or by using a syringe.
The cake can be made many months in advance and will "mature" and stay preserved and moist.
Obviously, how much you add is down to personal choice and taste.
Everything here ^^^^^^

You've never done this before have you Toby?!?!

Always have mine done no later than April (at a push), this year though, due to a personal situation, I couldn't manage it, so it's going so be just a richer spiced fruit cake for us this year.

And to add, the more alcohol, the better, in my opinion.
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Old 29-10-2015, 07:45
gorgeousgirl
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You could substitute the alcohol for orange juice, or cold tea.

I'm not sure how well they'd preserve though so can't give any advice on when to make it..
I made one last September and for one reason or another it's only just getting eaten and it's absolutely fine. This is with orange juice too as both my mum and nan are tea total. I don't like the stuff so I haven't tasted it but the rest of the family say it's lovely and not dry at all.
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Old 29-10-2015, 08:28
Hotgossip
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I made my own Xmas cakes for years. I made them several months before Xmas and used a kebabs skewer to make hole in the cake and pour alcohol in.
I then marzipan need and iced them just before Xmas.

They were always well received and were nice and moist. One year my hubby won a M and S luxury Xmas cake in a raffle. I sliced it up when we had visitors and everybody raved about how wonderful it was (assuming I had made it) and When they'd left I thought "why bother?" And I've never made one since.
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Old 29-10-2015, 13:25
wildpumpkin
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I was told many years ago by a person who had her own wedding cake business that a fruit cake reaches it's peak at 8 weeks from making.

It will last longer of course but that will be when it tastes best.

As suggested use a good orange juice instead of alcohol but still steep the fruit in it over night as it helps to keep it nice and moist.

As regards the marzipan do that 3-5 days before the you ice so that it has plenty of time to dry out. Ice as late as you can, I used to do them no earlier than a week before needed.

Oh meant to add that I don't remove the greaseproof paper which you have around it...as to me that helps to keep the flavour in the cake, wrap it up well in greaseproof paper then foil to keep the air from it.......keep turning the cake over each week...so the cake juices are evenly distributed which keeps the cake moist throughout.
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Old 31-10-2015, 17:46
Toby LaRhone
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Oh meant to add that I don't remove the greaseproof paper which you have around it...as to me that helps to keep the flavour in the cake, wrap it up well in greaseproof paper then foil to keep the air from it.......keep turning the cake over each week...so the cake juices are evenly distributed which keeps the cake moist throughout.
That's exactly what I did (see post 2) - grease proof paper, then foil and kept in a "Roses" tin.
It was made in September and were given a cake at Christmas so it stayed in the tin.
Next Christmas my DiL made one and brought it for Christmas Day so it stayed in the tin.
It was eaten the following Christmas - 28 months later.
It was delicious and beautifully moist.
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Old 31-10-2015, 17:50
Desert_Rain
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Thank you everyone for all this lovely advice.

I am going to be making this cake at the end of the week and make it the traditional way, by 'feeding' it brandy. What I'm going to do is make a child friendly cake nearer the time too.

I'm exciting about doing this now and will post updates and a picture of the finished cake nearer the time
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Old 31-10-2015, 17:51
Desert_Rain
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I was told many years ago by a person who had her own wedding cake business that a fruit cake reaches it's peak at 8 weeks from making.

It will last longer of course but that will be when it tastes best.

As suggested use a good orange juice instead of alcohol but still steep the fruit in it over night as it helps to keep it nice and moist.

As regards the marzipan do that 3-5 days before the you ice so that it has plenty of time to dry out. Ice as late as you can, I used to do them no earlier than a week before needed.

Oh meant to add that I don't remove the greaseproof paper which you have around it...as to me that helps to keep the flavour in the cake, wrap it up well in greaseproof paper then foil to keep the air from it.......keep turning the cake over each week...so the cake juices are evenly distributed which keeps the cake moist throughout.
Thank you for the advice on the marzipan and icing, I will do that, probably do the marzipan on 20th of december and the icing on Christmas eve.

I really hope this turns out well
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Old 31-10-2015, 18:50
Toby LaRhone
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Thank you everyone for all this lovely advice.

I am going to be making this cake at the end of the week and make it the traditional way, by 'feeding' it brandy. What I'm going to do is make a child friendly cake nearer the time too.

I'm exciting about doing this now and will post updates and a picture of the finished cake nearer the time
Good luck!
If you like the end result then next year make it around September and let the brandy really work its magic
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Old 31-10-2015, 22:36
gemma-the-husky
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A couple of years ago, I bought a cake mix from Tesco about 2 days before Christmas - down to about 50p, or so.

I made it up, but put it in the oven for 4 hours, forgot about it, and left it for 6. Would have been great at 4 hours, I am sure!
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Old 31-10-2015, 23:35
Toby LaRhone
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A couple of years ago, I bought a cake mix from Tesco about 2 days before Christmas - down to about 50p, or so.

I made it up, but put it in the oven for 4 hours, forgot about it, and left it for 6. Would have been great at 4 hours, I am sure!
Hmm- four hours or two years??
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Old 07-11-2015, 00:55
JazzyJaney
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I always do mine around Halloween, then I keep feeding them brandy every week until I ice them late November. A good tip with the marizpan is to cut a long strip (like a wall) and stick that around the sides with melted marmalade. Then cut a disc out using your cake pan as a template and stick that on top. It will give a harder edge and give the top layer of icing a much better finish I find. Also I've read you should always wait a few days after you've done the marzipan layer to do the icing layer otherwise the marzipan's colour can come through, although I think that only applies if you're using that quite yellowish marzipan.
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Old 07-11-2015, 11:39
stud u like
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I always make mine on Martinmas.
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