Tuesday 10 December 2019

December 10th and The Accidental Christmas Cake

I wasn't planning to make a Christmas cake this year. I made one last year and  without Col here to eat it no one else ate much so that it ended up lasting me through all of January and beyond. ( I think I fed the tail-end to the birds!)
But I accidentally bought marzipan and icing.....don't ask!........... so made a small cake. It smelled so delicious when I unwrapped to feed it for the first time, that I decided it was worth making for that experience alone.

The recipe I use is a Mary Berry recipe from over 30 years ago. Pages torn from a Family Circle Magazine and kept ever since, although I also have the recipe on a separate sheet of paper and on here on the recipe page.


Adding a little brandy  to keep it nice and moist





Back Tomorrow
Sue



32 comments:

  1. Looks so good, and well worth the effort. Yum!

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  2. It looks so good and you've reminded me to feed mine. The brandy in my house is disappearing rather quickly this month! X

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  3. I finally got round to making & marzipanning mine (is that a word?) Coming from a good Baptist teetotal family, my recipe uses cold tea instead of brandy, and it doesn't get "fed" - but the almond paste coat seems to retain the moisture.

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  4. I'm not making one this year, but when I do I always use a Mary Berry recipe and it's delicious, even if I say so myself. I can't begin to think how anybody 'accidentally' buys marzipan and icing lol. xx

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    1. I'm blaming a blogger who shall remain nameless, who found the supermarket marzipan shelf completely empty, so when I saw some I thought "oh must buy marzipan in case there is a shortage!" I did tell Joy when I met her that it was all her fault! Oh Whoops given the name away!

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  5. I also haven’t made a proper one for years. DB likes them so maybe next year I will make him a little one.

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  6. I’m a ‘Delia Smith’ cake person but I agree with you - the smell of the cake cooking and then when you unwrap it to feed it is worth the effort! I make 2 smaller cakes from her recipe and freeze one for a treat later on in the year.

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  7. Your post made me think of listing things I have never done. The top of which would be "never made a Christmas cake".

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  8. For years I made a large Christmas Cake (Delia), but not since I had to go gluten-free. The licking of the spoon after mixing was almost the best bit!

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  9. I let my daughter make the cakes now she enjoys cooking.
    Hazel c uk

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  10. I need to get on and accidentally make mine - it would normally have been done now but it collided with the recent christening we had. I don't want to miss out on this treat either as making them is one of my favourite jobs. I think mine is a Good Housekeeping one - I like them with plenty of 'cake' - some are more solid fruit and more like a pudding.

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  11. My christmas cake is over 25 years old, it has never failed, enjoy your cake.

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    1. Hope it's the recipe that's 25 years old and not the cake!! :-)

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  12. Now that looks good. Looking forward to the icing and decorations.

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    1. Think it will just be a sheet of the ready to roll icing.

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  13. When I made a Christmas cake the recipe came from Home and Freezer. I prefer to eat any fruit cake, with cheese.

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  14. Not a tradition for me to make a Christmas cake. I'm busy making cookies now. I've made three kinds and have three or four more kinds to make.
    When you said "feed" I wasn't sure if you meant eat until you wrote about giving it brandy. Funny word to use but makes sense now.

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  15. I've never made a Christmas cake … there I've admitted it publicly!!

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  16. I've never had a Christmas cake. It's not a "thing" here in the states. But I've been watching a lot of Paul and Mary and Pru and all and now I think maybe one day I must try. They look delicious!

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  17. Here in my country, we have Fruit Cake at this time of year. Not the awful fruit cakes which are the stuff of many jokes. But a yummy one, laced with Brandy. :-))))

    I too keep old things, like your torn-out-of-magazine recipe. Not many. But a tiny few.

    "Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way..."
    ♬ 🎶 ♫

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  18. Looks yummy! Just wondering lol, why is it an accidental Christmas cake?

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  19. Got my one made as well, Another Family circle recipe called Victorian Xmas cake the fruit is soaked in sherry for a couple of days before its mixed. its lovely and moist. Really liked that magazine ,lots of nice recipes and interesting articles. Enjoy your Cake.

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    1. This is it - Victorian Christmas cake - three quarter of recipe

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    2. and using cold tea instead of sherry to soak

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    3. Never tried using cold tea must give it a go . Thanks for that tip (:

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  20. Your Christmas cake looks lovely!! Enjoy it.

    God bless.

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  21. Awesome blog..Thanks for the share anyway!

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  22. Love this post. I will keep an eye out for it.

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  23. Though it is an accidental christmas cake, but still looks so yummy!

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