| Archive for The Potting Shed A forum to discuss Crafts, Cooking, Gardening, Countryside, Livestock and Pets |
| Libby |
Christmas Cake BakeDragonflies idea, but I think its a good one, I have to make at least 2 so we could have a group cake bake.As I said on the mincemeat thread, we don;t necessarily have to bake on the same day, but maybe the same week and then post, recipes, pics of making and baking , then we could go on to the decorating as well. I hope you all think this is a good idea and join in. It will be like baking with a friend! 
So sign up and give us a rough idea when you would like to make yours! |
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| Jacky |
I'm in 
I would like to do it the week of Half Term (Wiltshire UK), 25/10-02/11/08 if this is good with everybody else.
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| Lizzie |
Count me in! Just tell me when (it'll have to be a Sunday....)
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| Kathy |
I've got a cake to bake too, might not be the exact date though as I'm away from 25th to 30th. 
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| alison |
I'm in.
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| Libby |
this sounds good to me so if we say roughly this time, if its earlier fine or abit later fine to, but as close as everyone can comfortably make it to these dates hey! |
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| Lizzie |
Oh crumbs, I've just realised we've arranged to go to Keswick on 26th October, which would have been the ideal day otherwise....I may be able to manage the day before.... | ||
| Libby |
As I said earlier we need to be flexible and if you can't do it on the exact day then thats fine just do it when it fits in with you but don't forget to post about it!
I'm really looking forward to this 
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| Jacky |
I have been collecting everything together in readiness
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| Flowerlady |
 Gosh this is really getting organised!! Not a bad idea though 'cos cakes are always better when they have been 'fed' over several weeks!
Keep prodding me folks, I just know that I should do mine too !! No good at fancy decs, but just love to do "Snow Scenes" 
So ... count me in please!
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| Libby |
Your counted...........
prod, prod!!!
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| Kathy |
Stuff had been purchased and the I'll post the recipe I'm using later on.
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| Libby |
excellent!
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| Libby |
Beleive it or not my recipe came from school, my cookery teacher gave us a sheet which had all the different sized cake tins on with the list of ingredients needed underneath, I still have the sheet and the cake it makes is quite scrummy too!!! | ||
| Lizzie |
Has anyone made their cake yet? I did mine on Saturday, and took pictures as I went along, but I haven't had a chance to post them up yet. I might get time this evening....
which reminds me, I need to unwrap it and slosh some brandy over it
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| Libby |
I think I will do mine this week..... sometime
I usually have to make 2 or 3 as hubbies birthday is in January and he loves Crimbo cake! |
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| Lizzie |
Well, here's how mine went on Saturday....lots of photos I'm afraid....
I started with a nice cup of tea... 
then dug out the recipe book... 
First up, cream butter and lemon rind... 
Then add brown sugar and cream some more... 
Next, add 4 eggs and some black treacle and mix some more... 
Fetch the fruit, which has been soaking in brandy for a couple of days (the recipe says 3-4 hours but logistics meant I had to start the soaking on Thursday night  )...
More mixing.... 
Then put it in the prepared tin (two layers of greaseproof paper inside and a layer of brown paper tied around the outside)... 
Three and a half hours in the oven and ta-daaaaa 'tis done! 
Now it's wrapped up in the tin and will be fed every now and then with a good slosh of brandy. It'll be iced and decorated a couple of days before Christmas and then we'll spend the rest of the year eating it (is it bad that I had to throw the remains of last years out before I could put this years in the tin? The cake was fine but the icing had gone a bit nasty... )
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| Libby |
Mmmmmmmmmmmm!! I wish we had smell-a-vision.
Aren't you good doing it all by hand, I bought a mixer a million years ago and still use it now! I hope to get mine done soon, but to be honest the neighbours are away this weekend so I am waiting for the eggs as we will be looking after the chickens!
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| Lizzie |
You can make cake in a mixer????
Why didn't anyone tell me?
The only thing I really use mine for is liquidising soups and chopping stuff like nuts..... |
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| Libby |
yup!!! I will post pics of me making mine using a mixer, when I do it It definately saves the arm muscles
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| Jacky |
I have made my cake, usine the Delia Smith Christmas Cake Receipe didn't quite make in half term but did put all the fruit to soak in brandy on Sunday and made the mixture up last night after dinner.
It is now in the oven ready to be switched on at 3:45, so it will be ready about 8:30 pm ish
Putting it on at this time means I can go home and use the warmth of the oven to also cook dinner. A receipe; cabbage and mushroom galette. I am using from this super blog. |
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| Lizzie |
Well done Jojo!
That galette recipe looks absolutely lovely - I might have to give it a go myself soon. Thanks for posting the link
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| Kathy |
Oooo yummy, wonderful photos and I can "smell" it from here! Really must get mine done, might do it today! | ||
| Flowerlady |
Wow great looking cakes ladies! Mine is still in the packets I'm afraid but I'm slowly collecting the bits for it!
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| Libby |
I've made two today, only two more to go 
Weighed out the fruit and poured on the brandy to let it soak! 
mixed butter & sugar 
after adding eggs and flour started to add fruit 
all mixed up 
and in cake tin 
Now I have never done before what I am going to do now and that is cook two at once! 
I have a solid fuel Rayburn and the bottom oven is the warming oven and according to my thermometer it is a steady 140C so I've put the small one in there, it may take a bit longer but if it works it means I can pop them in there overnight! The top oven is the hard work as it runs hot and you have to keep opening the door to adjust the oven temp. Not what you would do in a conventional oven but these are the instructions for a Rayburn. I will let you know how it goes! |
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| Libby |
Well the top one is out, and I forgot I should have put the deflector shelf in above it, but can't find the flippin thing! This deflects the heat from the top of things like cakes so they don't get a hard crust! So this one has a hard crust, I'm not sure I can use it, so hubby will be pleased as it means he can eat it.
The one in the bottom oven is still cooking but feels lovely and soft, it has been in for 19 hours so far. I did get up at 0300 to check to make sure it was OK. If it turns out well which I think it will I shall definately use the bottom oven again. I will keep you posted!
This is fun I'm already planning the decoration of them
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| Kathy |
Looks great Libby, would soaking the top of the cake with brandy or something help to soften the crust? | ||
| Libby |
Yep, I must admit I have already done that and it is loads better.
The cake that was cooked in the warming oven proved to be a little more difficult than expected. All the palarva of what happened is on my blog |
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| alison |
The easiest thing to do is skim off the top completely, then turn the cake over and ice the bottem. That is waht you do normally to get sharp edges for wedding cakes. | ||
| Libby |
ah yes but if my skimming is anything like my bread cutting we will have a wonky top to the christmas cake
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| dee |
Ill be making my Christmas cake this weekend - well, sort of Dundee cake,everyone here hates marzipan and hubs cant have icing [diabetic] so i don't bother. I have started it late this year but that's not a problem as no one eats it until new year. Too busy with the chocolates
Plus im away over crimbo .Still had to make one though
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| Flowerlady |
I came across a Victorian Christmas Cake in my Mary Berry book ... it has no icing (which usually gets thown away) and it has pineapple almonds and cherries on the top with pineapple apricots sultanas and ground almonds in the cake!
Think I might have a go at that sounds yum !! |
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| dee |
Hmmm that sounds lovely
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| Libby |
That does sound scrummy! | ||
| Kathy |
Has anyone else done theirs then? I still haven't done mine and it looks like I'll need to do my usual emergency one the week before.
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| Libby |
I've cooked two but one has already been eaten so I need to make another two
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| Cabbagepatch |
Haven't made one for quite a few years now as nobody eats it here.
Bah humbug
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| lloyd |
now if we were talking pigs in blankets, roast stuffing balls, oodles of roast turkey, etc, it might be a different story...................
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| alison |
Done mine.
It will need brandying again in a couple of days. Mincemeat is also made, and Christmas pud is ready, although that was from last year. |
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| dee |
My puddings are done just need to glaze my cake "i don't ice it" Having cherries and walnuts on top, glazed with apricot jam..
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| Libby |
I always fancied doing nuts and things on top for a change, this could be the year to try it!! | ||
| Libby |
another one today, still cooking in the Rayburn
Click to see full size image 
Click to see full size image for got to take a pick of it in the tin
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| Flowerlady |
Here we go ... rather pleased with this
Pineapple, apricots, cherries, almonds, raisins and lemon rind
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| Libby |
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
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| Kathy |
Very nice Flowerlady, wish I'd made one like that. What recipe did you use? | ||
| Flowerlady |
Celebration cake from Mary Berry
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| TheGirlsMum |
Very late here but finally got the cake in the oven now. Dellia's recipe with a few changes, no lemon, no nut and no currents......its as the hubby likes it, with extra Rum ofcourse, he is a sailor. | ||
| Libby |
I have marzipaned Cake No2
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| Libby |
Finished today
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| Jacky |
Libby that is stunning
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| Aqui |
Cor - it's lovely! | ||
| dee |
Beautiful
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| Libby |
I must admit I'm really rather pleased no fiddly icing either
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| Cabbagepatch |
Gorgeous, I love the decoration
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| Kathy |
Stunning Libby.
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| Lizzie |
Gosh that's absolutely beautiful Libby
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| Flowerlady |
Well done Libby I bet that will taste gorgeous!
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| Libby |
Christmas Cake Number 2 finished!
I'm not sure number 3 will get iced, hubby is in holiday mode and was doing the Argentinian tango whilst hoovering this morning
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| Kathy |
Mine's getting made on Tuesday..........................
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| Flowerlady |
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| Kathy |
I did it! No photo though as someone left the camera off the hook and the batteries are flat.
It looks ok if a bit flat, I made it up as I went along, chucking in what I had in the cupboard. I did have all the ingredients, bought them a few weeks but they've since been used.
It is loosely based around Rose Elliot's Last minute Christmas Cake........................... |
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| Kathy |
Finally, better late than never, My Cake, Rustic Style....................
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| Libby |
Yummy Kathy, I like the rustic look!
The one I took up north has all gone!!!! The star one is still whole
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