topic Re: Preparing the Christmas Cake in Off-Topic

Preparing the Christmas Cake

TallTrees — Wed, 11 Dec 2019 09:53:26 GMT

I love this time of year ~ Happiness is the smell of baking! The aroma of Spices and Brandy ready for the Christmas Cake.

It is time to prepare for the bake and assemble some of the ingredients:

Spices: Cinnamon, Green Cardamom, Cloves, Nutmeg

Then little bottles of natural extracts: lemon, vanilla, orange, almond.

Choose one or two!

Next my fruit mix kept in this tub with lots of brandy

All fruits with peel and cheeries and more brandy

Cake out of the oven, and decorated!

This is heaven at Christmas!

Everyone enjoy bakes and eats for Christmas 2019

Re: Preparing the Christmas Cake

Cleoriff — Wed, 11 Dec 2019 11:09:35 GMT

I don't bake for Christmas. I know many do. One of my friends starts preparing her Christmas cake about October.

The problem is, none of my family like Christmas cake. Also there are so many different Christmas sweets nowadays and although they are shop bought they are usually delicious.

A bit like mince pies. Shop bought every year for me. (Actually I could eat mince pies all year round)

Well done to all those who enjoy baking. Sadly I'm not one of them.

(I made a Yule log once. Then very annoyed to find all the time and money I spent on it, Marks and Spencers did a vastly superior one for half the price!)

Re: Preparing the Christmas Cake

TallTrees — Wed, 11 Dec 2019 11:22:58 GMT

Ah no worries @Cleoriff

I am sure all your efforts were appreciated anyway. Matter of opinion whether M & S better

I just enjoy baking these. I am not good at mince pies and would say shop ones come out better. Lovely with fresh cream on top

There are lots of Christmas eats in the shops that are excellent.

Read you are escaping "everything" this Christmas and going out! Well done. Enjoy it. I always

think when someone else produces a meal it is better than mine! It must be the relaxing and not

doing

These Christmas Cakes that I bake are quite small cakes actually so eaten up quite quickly. They substitute for a quick meal too with some cheddar cheese if in hurry ~ to sit down!

Best wishes Cleoriff Happy Christmas from TallTrees

Re: Preparing the Christmas Cake

jonsie — Wed, 11 Dec 2019 14:23:08 GMT

None of my family liked Christmas cake.

Instead always....my wife enjoyed baking one of these:

Re: Preparing the Christmas Cake

Mi-Amigo — Wed, 11 Dec 2019 17:10:52 GMT

I prefer mince pies to Christmas pud, and do enjoy Christmas cake.

I no longer cook, so will be asking my carer to get a M&S Christmas cake with marizipan [love marzipan] and icing when she does the Christmas shop for me just before Christmas.

@TallTrees your recipe does sound delicious and looks tasty. I wish those who have a go at making it every success and enjoy it

Re: Preparing the Christmas Cake

TallTrees — Wed, 11 Dec 2019 17:17:58 GMT

Yes those are gorgeous @jonsie
I'll try that too. Thank you for letting us know your festive cake treat.
Happy Christmas jonsie enjoy a peaceful time with lots of eats and happiness TallTrees 🎅☃️❄

Re: Preparing the Christmas Cake

Jenniwren — Wed, 11 Dec 2019 17:18:25 GMT

I also love Christmas pudding and cake with marzipan on, but I don't like the icing anymore it's too sweet for me. I don't think I'll be having any this Christmas though as I lost my husband in 2018 after 30 years together and I'm still missing him so much that I don't feel like celebrating again this year.

I'd like to wish everyone else seasons greetings though.

Re: Preparing the Christmas Cake

TallTrees — Wed, 11 Dec 2019 17:36:08 GMT

Oh yes @Mi-Amigo
The marzipan is absolutely essential. Adds alot of taste to the fruit cake with the icing.
I used to adore Christmas pudding with sweet white sauce - dreamy.
Not everyone a fan though.
M & S will have quality cake you'll enjoy it. We don't have these treats all year so very nice indeed.

Well I like mince pies too hot with fresh cream on top. However have to be reasonable 🤢

Thank you very much for sharing your treat sweet over the festive holiday. Enjoy a very happy enjoyable time especially the cake Mi-Amigo TallTrees

Re: Preparing the Christmas Cake

jonsie — Wed, 11 Dec 2019 17:44:40 GMT

@Jenniwren wrote:
I also love Christmas pudding and cake with marzipan on, but I don't like the icing anymore it's too sweet for me. I don't think I'll be having any this Christmas though as I lost my husband in 2018 after 30 years together and I'm still missing him so much that I don't feel like celebrating again this year.

I'd like to wish everyone else seasons greetings though.

so sorry for your loss @Jenniwren

i lost my wife of 43 years just over 8 years ago and I have hated Christmas and New Year ever since. It;s not a time of celebration for me either.

Re: Preparing the Christmas Cake

TallTrees — Wed, 11 Dec 2019 17:47:12 GMT

Hi @Jenniwren
Thank you for joining in with the Christmas cake spot.
So sorry to hear that you have lost your husband only last year such a difficult time for you.
Very best wishes and thanking you for yours. TallTrees

Re: Preparing the Christmas Cake

Anonymous — Thu, 12 Dec 2019 11:15:09 GMT

Nice!!! A real artisan production there @TallTrees !!

Christmas is a time for over indulgence, I try not to participate as I always spend January looking in the mirror regretting it..

Re: Preparing the Christmas Cake

TallTrees — Thu, 12 Dec 2019 11:34:58 GMT

Hi there @Anonymous

Thank you very much.

Mirror ~ yep

Nop ~ over-indulgence is for those "other people"

Enjoy your holiday time @Anonymous

Happiness is being a "reasonable person"

Re: Preparing the Christmas Cake

welshsteve76 — Mon, 23 Dec 2019 15:25:08 GMT

I've never baked at Christmas. Always get shop bought stuff, although both sets of my grand parents always used to bake cakes etc at Christmas.

Would like to have the time to learn though