General Chat

No problem. My biggest regret now is that g.daughter is marrying next September and I cannot do her cake.

Wonder if I could teach OH in the meantime?

Thank you Chris, good tips :-)

It never occured to me that I would turn it upside down to decorate it...........brilliant tip and I will be back nearer the time to get advice on that too.

<3 <3

Different advice from everyone but each way will work for them. There was a thread up about this some years ago.

Me having designed and made many rich cakes over the years from christmas/christening/weddings etc., these are my tips you may find useful.

First of all I soak all the fruit in choice of booze, cling film over the top of bowl. give the bowl a good shake each day for at least a week (the fruit will absorb the alcohol and will be nice and plump).

As has been said use at least two thicknesses of brown paper fold over and tie around the sides of string and leave it there for ever and ever. Line tin(s) with two layers of parchment paper (if trying to line a tin such as a hexagonal I used to hold the lined sides with clothes pegs until I got the bottom layer in - and added the cake mix - saves a lot of hassle and cake keeps its shape.

Place a dish of water in bottom of oven and replenish it as necessary - this will keep moisture in the oven. Easy way of checking when cake is cooked - listen to it - if it has stopped 'singing' - it is ready. I used to remove from oven and wrap up in a thick towel and leave until cool.

remove from tin and as has been said skewer over the cake and pour alcohol over (do not have to turn cake over as remember the bottom of the cake will be the 'top' which you will decorate.

Leave the lining paper on and wrap in more parchment paper and then cling film. Now wrap again in tinfoil and then cling film and place in a cool dark cupboard and leave - no need to 'feed it' any more booze. You will smell and taste the booze - don't worry.

If I was baking wedding cakes - used to leave alone for six months - never had a failure. Any other occasions at least 6 weeks or more. The longer it is left the cleaner it will cut - less crumbs and no one wants expensive crumbs!!!!

Do miss baking and decorating now.

Kitty once a week turn cake upside down and with knitting needle make holes all over - take spoonfulls of brandy and brush over cover in greasproof and put in air -tight tin ..........remember 1 spoonful for cake 2 for cook ;-)

Awww thanks Prickles and Mau.

It does smell good..........I have marked my calender with cake feeding days, my daughters will think I've gone loopy ! :-D :-D

xxx

Hi Kitty :-D...when cake is cool pierce it with a skewer and feed it with your choice of brandy, sherry etc etc

Wrap cold cake in double layer of greaseproof paper, then in foil. Feed every week (well I do) but don't remove lining paper when storing,this keeps cake moist.

Can smell your cake from here * mmm mmm mmm :-D

Oh bless you Kitty.

Good luck..........i hope it's ok for me to laugh at your antics?

Too late............cos i am laughing anyway!

Prickles. xxx

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>*rushes back to thread*

It is a thing of beauty and smells brilliant :-D :-D :-D :-

Now it says cool in the tin, so I have put it on a high shelf for the night as the dog is sniffing the air :-) :-)

I am fairly confident that it will be a good one.......... how do I store it and how often do I need to give it more brandy??

Hi BC <3 I'm very late this year *bites lip... but nothing that an extra slug of brandy cannot fix :-D...

Hiya Mau <3 Got your cakes and pud done then? *drools :-D

Kitty will be lying under the kitchen table with an empty brandy bottle :-0 :-D

*frets...Carol, do you think she has forgotten it? :-D :-D

Is it cooked yet Kitty?

:-D

I always used to make mine, but now we usually spend Christmas with one of our sons, so I haven't made one for some time.

Tips handed down by my grandmother, to stop the outside of the cake burning, is to stand the tin on several layers of newspaper and also to put thick brown paper round the outside of the tin. I used corrugated cardboard, (the same piece every year), which worked a treat.

And before you ask, the oven temperature is so low that the newspaper doesn't catch fire!! ;-) ;-)

Not sure how to feed a cake Nolls :-S

Made 2 last week now have to feed them with brandy for next few weeks :-) :-)

I was given some today, they went straight in the loft where they will be for at least another 6 weeks :-D

Oh heck.................must put greaseproof on the cake>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Stray has put her Christmas Decs up Today
she is off her box that one lol ;-) ;-)

I would love to do the Great B Bake off Ann............I need more practice though!?!

Chaotic.........I laughed as well, once the mixture was firmly contained and in the oven.

I have checked to make sure there is no leakage and so far so good *crosses everything*

:-)

:-D :-D :-D Kitty where would we be without your baking experiences. Are you practicing for the Great B Bake off??

I think you are very very brave and wish you loads of luck with it. :-) <3