Christmas Cake

[northepaul]

I made mine today and it looks like an actual cake....!!

How long do you think, should I allow it to breath before adding marzipan etc?

[nick the grief]

My wife used to make hers in october and then we used to keep moistening it every week with Brandy ... you didn't care what it looked like after a slice or two

SHe never covered it with marzipan untill the week before and then Iced it 2 or 3 days later

[Nicos]

Yup-3 more weeks of adding extra preservative!!

NB...to the froglets on here ...don't add preservatives..just more brandy

( being a family forum n all!!! )

[Alison]

I too make mine in October (usually but sometimes later if I'm busy) and like Mrs Grief I lace with brandy every week or so. Usually marzipan the middle of the week before Christmas and am often icing on Christmas eve but have also been known to end up doing both jobs that late!

[Jeanied]

Yup-3 more weeks of adding extra preservative!!

NB...to the froglets on here ...don't add preservatives..just more brandy

( being a family forum n all!!! )

* Chuckle - I love multilingual jokes, Nicos!
To the other monolingual grapes - preservatives is French for condoms!

[janeyo]

which reminds me of my french oral exam at GCSE when I told the lady I had du toast avec les presevatifs pour mon petit dejeuner.
But I also told her when she asked me if I had any pets, that yes I had a brother!

And funnily enough I am now a french teacher pmsl!!!!!!!!!!


Back to topic, I made my cake about 5 weeks ago and it's been fed twice with sherry snd will be fed once more then iced. Not going to marzipan it as it's disgusting stuff.

[northepaul]

Hey I am just pleased it is cake shaped and smells right....(thanks to PLENTY of overnight soaking of fruit in brandy )

[Jeanied]

Well done northepaul - keep feeding it until a few days before Christmas and it will be ready for a marzipan jacket - glued on with melted apricot jam - finished off with a smart icing coat and deccies of your choice! Nobody eats cake here so I am enjoying yours by proxy!

[binley100]

If you don't want the traditional look it's quite nice to use toasted nuts and glace fruit on top. Just brush over with apricot jam sieved, arrange nuts and fruit then glaze with apricot and brandy glaze to make it nice and shiny.

[northepaul]

Can you use anything other than apricot jam? I have: damson, fig, banana (my little ones!!) strawberry and redcurranant/gooseberry...will they do instead?

[Alison]

If I do a fruit topped one then I put them on before I cook and therefore have no need for the jam and have never thought about glazing the tops.

I do always use watered down apricot jam for sticking the marzipan to the cake (only a very thin layer though as I think it's horrible thick but essential to have some as it protects the white icing from the dark cake which means you don't get cake crumbs spoiling the icing. You need a light coloured jam or it will colour too much. If you don't have any then I suggest one of the taster pots from the supermarket, usually about 35p so won't break the bank.

[northepaul]

You need a light coloured jam or it will colour too much. If you don't have any then I suggest one of the taster pots from the supermarket, usually about 35p so won't break the bank.

Thanks for the tips Alison

I will have a look on Friday - I actually like apricots anyway...

[Brengirl]

[QUOTE=janeyo;569730]which reminds me of my french oral exam at GCSE when I told the lady I had du toast avec les presevatifs pour mon petit dejeuner.
But I also told her when she asked me if I had any pets, that yes I had a brother!


pmsl. The fact that you fooled them all and can also bake a christmas cake shows you cannot fool all the people all the time.

[northepaul]

[quote=brengirl;570207

pmsl. The fact that you fooled them all and can also bake a christmas cake shows you cannot fool all the people all the time.[/quote]

lol!! :d:d

[Ken the Chef]

A tip that works!
Soak all the fruits in brandy for several days in a sealed container, turning once a day. DO make your next Christmas cake three month before reuired and keep it in a cool place.