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The 2010 Christmas Cake Thread

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  • 06-11-2010 10:03pm
    #1
    Cicero
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,144 ✭✭✭✭


    Ok....job done (hopefully all turns out good)...but loads of questions to ask so looking for your best tips. I know there's tons of variables to this annual event so I'll start off with a few basic questions and let's see how the thread develops....

    1. When and where to add the alcohol...and maybe even what alcohol...(combination of brandy (French Cognac) and whiskey (Irish) is mine..)....before and straight after...but how much???

    2. How do you know it's done....i.e. what constitutes a clean knife/skewer etc ??

    3. Do you cover the cake with brown paper throughout or at a certain point? ..me, after 1/2 hour ...stops sticking but keeps burnt top away...

    4. .Do you soak fruit in alcohol? ..me know...think it dries the mixture out...I use freshly squeezed oranges and a dash of lemon juice also

    5. Do you cover cake after it comes out of oven?..me?..no...dribble further whiskey over and leave to cool...after 1 hour, drape damp tea towel over to stop drying out...but that's if you know your mixture...what you think?

    6. What temperature..1st hour...subsequent hours (while ovens differ (fan/non-fan...etc it's also based on size obviously...please state)

    All of the above open to MAJOR debate..no offence taken if you take a totally different approach...it's only about learning...let's see how this goes...
    best of luck if just starting...:)


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    #2
    dkd
    Registered Users Posts: 30 ✭dkd


    O.K. working backwards.
    6. The temp is dependant on the type of cake i.e. how heavy. It may take a couple of failures to figure your oven out ( It did mine), I normally start at about 170 to 180 Deg C and drop to about 150 after 20 minutes-ish. Now I know my oven well enough to know that 150 on the dial means more like a real 160 to 165 but I only learned this by trial and error. With a big heavy cake you are probably better to err slightly on the lower side after setting the fruit to prevent burning until you know your oven..

    5. I leave to cool in the tin and soak the top with whiskey once as its cooling as I find the edges don't dry out too much this way When cold I wrap in grease proof paper and feed a few times with whiskey in the next few weeks. Cheap crap whiskey works just as well as the real stuff.

    4. Soak the fruit? Hell yes! More booze in cake as well as moister cake

    3. Cover the cake. I normally do after the first hour ish

    2. I judge it done by ear. If ir is no longer actively bubbling its done. I start checking after the 3 hour mark and run till its done.

    1. Booze of choice. Whiskey, sometimes rum. Coganc is too nice to waste on cooking anyway, hic, hic, every cook needs to relax, hic...


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    #3
    Cicero
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,144 ✭✭✭✭Cicero


    dkd wrote: »
    O.K. working backwards.
    6. The temp is dependant on the type of cake i.e. how heavy. It may take a couple of failures to figure your oven out ( It did mine), I normally start at about 170 to 180 Deg C and drop to about 150 after 20 minutes-ish. Now I know my oven well enough to know that 150 on the dial means more like a real 160 to 165

    Fan ovens differ...another Question...do you use fan oven setting or normal oven setting ?

    5. I leave to cool in the tin and soak the top with whiskey once as its cooling as I find the edges don't dry out too much this way When cold I wrap in grease proof paper and feed a few times with whiskey in the next few weeks. Cheap crap whiskey works just as well as the real stuff.

    Feic...forgot the rum!!!.....need Rum...gives a good taste...ta..

    4. Soak the fruit? Hell yes! More booze in cake as well as moister cake

    this is where we differ....found it burns out the fruit too much....

    3. Cover the cake. I normally do after the first hour ish

    yea..big thing ...need to do this I think.....otherwise, burnt top...think it's a given...

    2. I judge it done by ear. If ir is no longer actively bubbling its done. I start checking after the 3 hour mark and run till its done.

    feic me.....do you have a decibel counter?:D.....need to read up on this listening thing....how do you compensate for Bob Dylan playing in the background?:p

    1. Booze of choice. Whiskey, sometimes rum. Coganc is too nice to waste on cooking anyway, hic, hic, every cook needs to relax, hic...

    RUM...defo RUM...how could I have forgot that?.....:o


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    #4
    dkd
    Registered Users Posts: 30 ✭dkd


    Tell me about ovens differing. Stupid top of cake burnt today with above settings:(. Cover curling back after being put in place either didn't help either. Oh well it tastes o.k. so I guess I'll have to make the sacrifice and it myself, the things we have to do for our baking :D

    BTW I tend to use Guiness to soak the fruit, doesn't burn the fruit but needs a little extra sugar to balance, plus there is half a can left over which musn't be wasted if you know what I mean.


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