Christmas cake - dilemma and decision

I want to do this too so I have no advice but watching with interest.

My father did this sometimes but his recipe was SOLID as it was basically fruit glued together with eggs and butter.
There was nothing to crumble.

Have you tried freezing it? Perhaps freeze the portions before adding marzipan. However, wrapped up in foil it should last at lease a month in a tin. Not that I can really offer advice because we two eat mine within less than a fortnight.

In school I used to make individual round Christmas cakes with the children using small baked bean tins. Washed out obviously. Cheap and you get the beans for supper?

They baked perfectly and any equally sized tin would do.

I don’t see why not. Your knife would have to be really sharp (kitchen knife rather than cake knife) but I recently cut up some Guinness Chocolate Brownies and they cut very cleanly (probably because of the booze as of course would be the case with your cake.)
Many years ago in my catering incarnation I baked “individual” Christmas cakes in (I didn’t tell my customers) this) 800g Pedigree Chum tins! Carefully washed out in the dishwasher of course and equally carefully lined. I don’t remember the exact diameter but it made a good sized cake for a couple and the dog appreciated the dog food.

Peasblossom

In school I used to make individual round Christmas cakes with the children using small baked bean tins. Washed out obviously. Cheap and you get the beans for supper?

They baked perfectly and any equally sized tin would do.

Great minds think alike!

1'd go for cooking the big one and cutting up. Cooking times for small tins would be different and more risk of a dry cake.

Peasblossom

In school I used to make individual round Christmas cakes with the children using small baked bean tins. Washed out obviously. Cheap and you get the beans for supper?

They baked perfectly and any equally sized tin would do.

Great idea.

Peasblossom that’s a great idea. I’m the only one of the family who likes Christmas cake so I usually buy a small one but a home made one would be so much nicer. I will look up Delia’s recipe unless anybody can recommend a better one.

Peasblossom perhaps you can advise about a baking time.

It’s a long time ago and it depends on the density of fruit etc
I’ll have a hunt for the recipe. It came out of Child Education ?

MaybeMaw might remember. Her dog tins were the same ??

I made them in a deep muffin (as in American muffins) years ago. I didn't ice them, I put glazed fruit and nuts on after the alcohol treatment. They were delish and stayed fresh well. I found a few in a tin quite a while after xmas and they were still soft and edible.

GagaJo that sounds delicious, I think I would prefer it to marzipan and icing, a small Dundee cake would be good as well.

I am another one who has made small cakes in baked bean tins or similar.

Lakeland used to sell a cake tin which had dividers that you could insert to make smaller cakes. But to be honest if you make one large cake leave it to mature whole then cut and marzipan and ice it shouldn't be any drier than normal , do you feed your cakes with alcohol after making this also helps to keep it moist . A good sharp knife to cut it should stop it crumbling too.

Sooo! All this talk of Christmas cake, I shall have to make one now.
So be it if it turns out poorly, I'll just scoff it!
And theres me trying to cut down

My husband (ex chef ) suggests buying individual foil pudding basins for your small cakes Jackie they are not expensive.

I often cut a larger square cake into 4 smaller ones.
Keep well wrapped until you are ready to decorate and treat as you would a large one. I’ve had no complains.

My DP makes our Christmas cakes using Delias Celebration Cake recipe. During the year he makes round ones un-iced so we can have a small slice now and then! They're always so fruity and moist!
Last year he made a square cake (using measurements for usual round cake) then cut them into 4 once ready for marzipan and icing, so we could give 3 of them away and eat the 4th over Christmas. Worked really well with no drying out and they were wrapped in cellophane once complete. Enjoy your baking.

Why not bake it in a tray? After you have marzipan and iced it, use a very sharp knife to cut it into squares.

We make 4 x 8" cakes in one of those tins with separators, using the recipe that comes with the tin. Make them in October, feed them and wrap them till December with a couple of extra feeds in between.

We used to give four away but have less people to give them to now. Two of the cakes were cut in half and iced and marzipanned for families (couples). The other two we eat now throughout the year (no icing or marzipan), just cut one in half and leave the rest wrapped until we want it. Lovely with a chunk of cheese.

I have largeish square muffin tins which I use to make individual (gluten free) Christmas cakes which are sold for charity.

Lakeland do a tin which will allow you to make 12 at a time. It is a bit pricey at £17.99 but it would also allow for making individual desserts. So that is my route and I will be assisted to decorate by 6 year old and 4 year old. All will be well.

Well if you do a large one and cut it up, any faults will be well and truly covered by marzipan and icing. I made mine weeks ago, Delia's too. I don't know what came over me but it's steeped in Cointreau so should be okay!