As-you-like-it Christmas cake

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• Vixx811

  26 October 2010

  Vixx811 commented on this recipe

  This was easy to make but I was a bit confused about wrapping the cake tin in newspaper. The recipe in the magazine said that this would be explained on the Good Food website but I couldn't find any sign of this. Anyway I've done it all and it's in the oven now, so fingers crossed.

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• Vixx811

  26 October 2010

  Vixx811 rated and commented on this recipe

  

  This was easy to make but I was a bit confused about wrapping the cake tin in newspaper. The recipe in the magazine said that this would be explained on the Good Food website but I couldn't find any sign of this. Anyway I've done it all and it's in the oven now, so fingers crossed.

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• Claire

  28 October 2010

  Claire commented on this recipe

  The cake was easy to make and it smelt delicious when in the oven. The only down side was it took a lot longer to cook than it suggested in the recipe!

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• Schnappi

  01 November 2010

  Schnappi commented on this recipe

  I am likewise confused about the newspaper. If the cake is in a lined tin, why would the tin have to be wrapped on the outside as well?? It's soaking now, so fingers crossed it will come out well when I bake it tomorrow.

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• Chef Bhuna

  01 November 2010

  Chef Bhuna commented on this recipe

  This cake smelt amazing from the word go. Soaking in the kitchen and the aromas filled the house with smells of Christmas. Wrapping the tin was easy, referred back to my old friend Delia! She never lets me down. However the Cake took and extra hour in the oven. ( I cooked it on conventional mode) but the cake smelt great whilst cooking and turned lovely and moist, all wrapped up now ready for first feed next week. Roll on Crimbo.

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• Schnappi

  01 November 2010

  Schnappi commented on this recipe

  Ah thanks. Delia explains it beautifully! Oddly I have never wrapped a cake tin before, but because we now have a gas oven I'll better do it. Long and slow is the key. At least 4 hours at mark 1 (yikes)!

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• Chef Bhuna

  01 November 2010

  Chef Bhuna rated this recipe

  

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• Debby

  03 November 2010

  Debby commented on this recipe

  putting newspaper around it stops it from burning

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• VeggieSara

  07 November 2010

  VeggieSara rated and commented on this recipe

  

  As the other comments have said, the suggested cooking time for this cake was waaaay out;it took me over 3 hours before the skewer test could be passed. I am going to store it and feed it with brandy until christmas so I can't comment on the taste yet, but I'm sure it'll be fine, all the traditional flavours are there so i'm sure it'll be lovely.

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• Chef Bhuna

  09 November 2010

  Chef Bhuna commented on this recipe

  Unwrapped mine for the first feed lastnight, and the aromas of Christmas filled the kitchen, absoloutley wonderful. I forgot to say before that I ommitted some of the tea to a drop of brandy when soaking and the mix of the two seems to off done the trick. wonderfully moist and wont need much feeding i think either. Cant wait for Christmas so I try it!

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• Lucy

  18 November 2010

  Lucy rated and commented on this recipe

  

  Very easy to make, smells brilliant and very moist. Again, to echo other reviewers - it takes a lot longer to cook than stated!

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• Sue Campbell

  22 November 2010

  Sue Campbell rated and commented on this recipe

  

  This is a fantastic recipe, very easy to follow and I loved choosing the ratio of dried fruit according to my taste. The cake cooked in exactly the time stated and smells heavenly. I can't wait to start feeding it with more sherry and Christmas can't come soon enough so that I can taste it :oD

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• paula

  22 November 2010

  paula rated and commented on this recipe

  

  Easy to make and it smells wonderful. We are planning to go for the robins when it is iced.

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• Rosie Reynolds

  25 November 2010

  Rosie Reynolds commented on this recipe

  Hi All, this is Rosie from the BBC Good food team, following a couple of reader enquiries and posts on the site about cooking times for the 'As you like it Christmas cake' I have retested it to check that the times and temps etc in the magazine are correct. I can confirm that the cake has turned out perfectly without any additional cooking. If your oven is slightly inaccurate cooking at lower temperatures may exacerbate the inaccuracy and will mean that you need to cook for longer. The ovens in our test kitchen are normal, domestic ovens and the cake was cooked on conventional setting. Happy Christmas all, enjoy the cake!

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• Vickyloo

  07 December 2010

  Vickyloo rated and commented on this recipe

  

  Well, I'm not entirely sure what I did different but mine actually took substantially less time than the recipe stated! Can't taste it until Christmas but it looks and smells delicious (and I did pinch just a teeeeeny weeny bit from the corner that was very tasty indeed). What's more, it was easy to make - excellent criteria if this is someone's first Christmas cake - like me! :D Well recommended! I can't wait to get icing in a week or two now!

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• freckles

  07 December 2010

  freckles commented on this recipe

  This was so easy to make and it smelt delicious while makeing and cooking it but it took a lot longer to cook (over an hour ) than the time stated, which is unusal cause my oven is new and it is cooking everything else alot quicker than normal. It looks great though.

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• Kerry Ann Hall

  09 December 2010

  Kerry Ann Hall rated and commented on this recipe

  

  Simplest Christmas cake recipe I've followed, delicious smells am hoping the taste lives up to this. Do have to agree on many of the other comments re the length of cooking, mine also took nearly an hour extra.

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• mmmmmm

  11 December 2010

  mmmmmm commented on this recipe

  As with many of the other comments this cake has taken about 4 hours to cook. My oven is relatively new and I've never had a problem with cooking times before. perhaps the mix of fruits etc makes a difference? Also I don't think it is that unusual to bake a fruit cake of this sort for this length of time. Smells fantastic.

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• kaz

  23 December 2010

  kaz commented on this recipe

  My cake also took longer than the stated time to cook. I have now iced mine and I have cut it into three portions to give as gifts to elderly relatives.I chose this recipe because it didn't have an endless ingredient list and you can choose what fruit to add,however I am concerned about the "moistness" of mine, it is more like a pudding! I have also passed this recipe on to two friends who have also got soggy results. I am feeling disappointed at the moment.

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• Damson

  27 December 2010

  Damson rated and commented on this recipe

  

  This has turned out very well for me. I made it without nuts & used tea as my partner does not like the strong taste of alcohol. I have to agree it is quite a moist cake but everyone seems to like it.

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http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/850633/

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/850633/

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Ingredients

• 1kg mixed dried fruits (any blend of raisins, sultanas, currants, mixed peel, dried cranberries, glacé cherries, chopped dried apricots, dates, dried figs or dried pineapple)
• 150ml sherry , brandy, rum or brewed tea, plus extra for feeding
• zest and juice 2 oranges , 2 lemons or 4 clementines
• 250g pack unsalted butter , softened, plus extra for the tin
• 250g light, soft brown sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 200g plain flour
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• 100g whole or flaked almonds , chopped hazelnuts, walnuts or brazil nuts (optional)

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Difficulty and servings

Cuts into 10-12 slices

Preparation and cooking times

Prep 50 mins

Cook 2 hrs - 2 hrs 30 mins

No need to freeze

Ingredients

• 1kg mixed dried fruits (any blend of raisins, sultanas, currants, mixed peel, dried cranberries, glacé cherries, chopped dried apricots, dates, dried figs or dried pineapple)
• 150ml sherry , brandy, rum or brewed tea, plus extra for feeding
• zest and juice 2 oranges , 2 lemons or 4 clementines
• 250g pack unsalted butter , softened, plus extra for the tin
• 250g light, soft brown sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 200g plain flour
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• 100g whole or flaked almonds , chopped hazelnuts, walnuts or brazil nuts (optional)

Per serving

681 kcalories, protein 8g, carbohydrate 112g, fat 24 g, saturated fat 14g, fibre 3g, sugar 97g, salt 0.26 g

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