First ever Christmas cake at 65 - is this a record?

Yes you are quite right about all of that I have made Delis Xmas cake for years as long as her recipe has been available but this year I am doing Mary Berry's one. Yes don't open the oven door and do let it rest in the time before turning out onto a wire tray. I usually leave mine a few weeks with a weekly soaking of brandy then I almond past and ice with a weeks resting in between. Are you doing traditional Royal Icing? If so you will need to rest it between the base layer and any decorative icing you do. Fondant ready made icing is easier but not as nice - very sweet indeed.

Sounds lovely, Granarchist! Have fun decorating it.

ooo - I seem to remember Royal is the way to go, but my sister (A stunning cook) did one once we had to take a saw to - it was so hard!!!!!!! - Fondant looks easier? Maybe we should go the whole hog and try Royal?

I've never made one and I'm nearly 68! My mum used to make one for everyone and ours never got eaten so I didn't take up the mantle. I make a chocolate log which is always eaten by the end of Boxing day.

I think it's a little bit of glucose you can put in royal icing to make it less hard. But as I am inclined to whack a bit of rough icing on it on Xmas Eve, I never need to do that.

I think it's glycerine that makes it softer, not glucose, but I stand to be corrected!

You can buy little bottles of Dr Oetkers glycerine.

I have always baked with my granddaughter (now 16) but just little cakes and sponges. This year she asked if we could 'make a Christmas cake'. I said 'well we can try but I've never done one before'. We made it and it was delicious. So successful that I made another one for a family member. So I made my first one at 67! I just got the recipe by Googling 'Christmas cake recipe'. It was actually a Tesco recipe. We just did the old fashioned icing, icing sugar and water and it was lovely. I tried fondant icing on the second one but it was a palarver and kept tearing but as I said I am not experienced in this art.

You mean you've eaten it already, KatyK?

Yep, you're right greyduster. Knew it began with a 'g'.

I think you add a bit of glucose when you make your own soft roll out icing. Or have I got that wrong as well?

I so want to eat mine. Right now! #soddingdiet

I must remind myself not to laugh at other peoples posts but it was the image of your sister sawing her Christmas cake ?

Ana Well let me explain.... My DH is doesn't like Christmas cake and if I kept it here I would eat the lot. So DGD took it home and texted me to say that she would love to try some. Well, as I can't refuse her anything, I told her to go ahead, it's her cake. When I went around there a few days later, there was only a third left. I had to have a taste didn't I? Then I made one for my sister and got a message to say 'cake is delicious'. I can only imagine that my cakes are so delicious that people can't wait until Christmas. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

I really spoilt mine last year they have always been fine before. I really do like a rich fruit cake.

I don't put icing on as I don't like it. I cover it with marzipan and put nuts and candied fruit etc on the top.

I don't ice mine either - nobody here likes icing or marzipan.
I just brush it with warmed apricot jam, then cover with different nuts arranged in circles. Then a wide tartan ribbon around it. I'm not at all artistic but it looks very professional and festive!

Might do a different recipe this year though, since have seen one where the fruit is soaked in a mix of hot tea, whisky and melted marmalade, and the cake is then 'fed' with more of the same. Sounds good to me!
It's the hot toddy Christmas cake on the BBC site, if anyone's interested.

Granarchist I'm with Candlefran I cover my cake with a thin layer of marzipan about 10 days before Christmas then a week later slap rough icing all over, flicking it up with a palette knife so it looks like snow.

I tried ready-made icing one year and thought it vile - taste and texture of gone-off toothpaste to me

Thanks everyone - I think I will do what Swanny suggests. I will 'feed' it between now and then - should I use brandy for this bit please experts? That year with the saw was extremely dangerous - bits of rock hard icing flying in all directions - wish we had had video phones then - it would have been a youtube sensation I think!

I hope it turns out ok. Will you give us a full description of the taste? Perhaps I'll try next year when I retire. How far in advance does it have to be made?

Granarchist I don't normally feed my cake, however I check it every couple of weeks or so. If it's feeling a bit dry then stab its bottom a few times and splash some brandy over - if you see what I mean

morethan I usually make my cake end of October/beginning November, then just wrap it in tinfoil when cold and place in an airtight container. A Quality Street-type (plastic) tin is ideal. I place the cake on a cake board to marzipan and ice it, then invert the tin to sit over the top.

Strangely we don't like icing so e throw it away but I like doing it and the look of it with all my tacky Decs on it.

Made mine last week James Martin have used that recipe for the last 4 years, so it's all rapped up and waiting to be decorated which DH will help me with. Next year I'm going to try a pudding as well.