While a decent cook, I'm less keen on baking.

I was rather fond of M&S Xmas cake with marzipan and icing. I've seen the thread about M&S delivering here but they don't seem to include the cake.

Those oblong blocks of fruitcake are available here but they are only small and not really Christmassy and no sherry or brandy or whatever.

If you don't make your own, what do other people do?

In the past, I've made do with Stollen Cake which seems freely available. But I've not had 'proper' Xmas cake since.....er....must be 5 years.

Some of my wife's relatives in France resolutely send us a mail order Christmas cake in a tin every year. From memory it's actually baked in either Windsor or Oshawa. I get home next weekend, so if there's still interest in this topic, I'll look in the cupboard where we keep the unopened tins. There must be 10 of the suckers in there by now.

The Civitans used to sell very nice fruit cakes in shopping malls during the holiday season. I don't know if they still do. I always thought that they were the best. Nearest thing to the real mccoy. I can't find them here though.

I just carry on avoiding them like the plague!

Presidents Choice have introduced a christmas cake made in Scotland this year along with mince pies and christmas pudding from UK.

Really? That could be the answer then. PC stuff is usually good.

Thanks.

The Civitans. Sounds like something from Star Trek.

Christmas cake

750g mixed fruit
125 g mixed peel
125g glace cherries
brandy
225g plain flour
1/2 teasp cinnamon
1/2 teasp nutmeg
pinch of salt
1 tabspoon cocoa powder
225g butter
225g soft dark brown sugar
4 large eggs

1 soak fruit and peel in brandy. Amount and length of time optional. Eg 1 week, stirring am and pm.
2 Set oven at 150 C
3 Sieve dry ingredients
4 Whisk butter and sugar together
5 Beat in eggs with a spoonful of dry ingredients
6 Add fruit
7 Fold rest of flour in.
8 Put cake mixture into tin (lined with double thickness greaseproof paper). Smooth top of mixture and bang on work surface to remove air bubbles.
9 Cook for 3 hours. Check after 2 1/2. Then leave in tin for a further hour at beginning of cooling period. Do not remove greaseproof paper.
10 Wrap in greaseproof paper and then foil. Store in airtight container. Add extra brandy if required.

That's why I'm less keen on baking.

Just looking at the recipe laid out puts me off.

We have been doing that part.

Does anybody want to buy a very mature Christmas Cake?

Should you get to the point of giving it away I'll take it off your hands.

You'll have to pay shipping and handling though.

I'm only doing this a favour to you.

We always make our own
Plus rum truffles and more for hubby who is used to his gran doing it all

I can now get stuff right, only been here 2mths and managed to get the baking side sorted as well....
Role on xmas

yeah if you get the PC xmas cake,you can always poke some holes in the top with a knitting needle or lots of tooth picks,and then pour in your sherry or brandy.....just a little every week,so that the fruit soaks it up....yummy

I always make my own cake... made in September using my Grandmothers recipe, and then it is liberally "fed" with brandy once a week until it is time to marzipan and ice it.