Mini Christmas Cakes Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How many weeks before Christmas should you make a Christmas cake? ›

Some say you should make your Christmas cake 6 weeks before eating, but the advice given on Nigella.com is that 12 weeks before is the optimum time to get baking. Your Christmas cake should be fed every 4 to 6 weeks but in the meantime, after baking, it should be stored away in a secure, air tight container.

It's possible to overfeed your cake, which will make it stodgy and wet. Our advice is to feed it once after it's initially baked, then no more than four times during the maturation period. Try a teaspoonful of whichever alcohol you've chosen before you begin feeding your cake to test its strength.

Wrap the cake in greaseproof paper or baking parchment then wrap it in kitchen foil. Store cake in a second layer of foil or in an airtight tin. You can repeat the feeding process every couple of weeks for three or four feeds.

What is the best alcohol to put in a Christmas cake? A reasonably strong spirit (such as whisky, rum or brandy) with a warm, fiery flavour or a sweet liqueur (such as cherry brandy or amaretto – NOT a cream liqueur) will compliment the flavour of the cake, and help to preserve the cake, so it will keep for longer.

Christmas Cake Tip #1: Make it well in advance of Christmas

It's best to get baking around two or three months before Christmas. This gives you plenty of time to let it mature and 'feed' your Christmas Cake regularly as the big day approaches.

Evenly pour 1.5 - 2 ounces of your favorite bourbon, rum, brandy, or cognac, over the fruitcake. For a quick way to measure, use a standard-sized shot glass. Take care to pour slowly, allowing the liquor to absorb into the cake with minimal runoff.

Method. Combine the dried fruit and candied peel in a large bowl. Add the 4 tbsp brandy and stir in to mix well. Cover and leave overnight.

If you find that the fruit in your cake sinks to the bottom, then this could be because either the fruit or the mixture was too wet, or because the oven was not hot enough.

Storing an iced cake

Once the cake has been iced, don't store it in an airtight container, or the icing will weep. Rather, place the cake in a cool, dark and dry place and covered in foil.

Why did my Christmas cake fall apart? ›

Cakes crumble because they've dried out too much. From years of baking, I know that dry cakes happen for one of two reasons; using too much of your dry ingredients or over-baking your cake.

It helps to poke holes in the top of the cake with a skewer before feeding it, to encourage the liquor to soak into the cake. Make sure that you re-wrap the cake tightly after each feeding.

Cognac is probably the best substitute for brandy in fruitcake.

We like to make our Christmas cakes six weeks ahead but they keep so well you can make them much sooner. You could start making them now if you like but the earliest we would make them is October.

To check the cake is done, insert a fine skewer into the centre - if it comes out clean, the cake is cooked.

You'll find that most of your favorite Christmas cookie recipes can be made anywhere from a month to six months before the 25th of December. (Consult this handy how-to guide to the matter.) Generally, most recipes will be best if baked and then frozen.

A good two or three months in advance is ideal.

Ideally, make an iced cake on the day to keep it fresh. Refrigerated: Your cakes will last longer in the fridge, but for an event, you won't want to push it longer than about 3 days. Make sure you wrap them carefully and take them out for an hour to return to room temperature before you serve.

HOW LONG DOES A CHRISTMAS CAKE LAST? Christmas cakes to be kept in a tin can be made up to 3 months in advance depending on the recipe you use, OR you can make it many more months ahead, freeze it and defrost it when you are ready to 'feed' it or ice it.