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!

    ReplyDelete
  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

    ReplyDelete
  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.

    ReplyDelete
  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

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    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!

      Delete
  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.

    ReplyDelete
  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.

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

    ReplyDelete
  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!

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

    ReplyDelete
  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.

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

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

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

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

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

    ReplyDelete
  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.

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

    ReplyDelete
  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!

    ReplyDelete
  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..."
    ♬ 🎢 ♫

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

    ReplyDelete
  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.

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

      Delete
    2. and using cold tea instead of sherry to soak

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

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

    God bless.

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

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

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

    ReplyDelete