Christmas cake faux pas

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I tend to use whatever fat is going in the recipe, or neutral oil because I’m too lazy to melt it if I can just dip my brush into something already liquid

[Pampy Profile]

My mother used to keep all the old marge papers to grease tins with. I still do it!

My mum did too!

[Pampy Profile]

I've always thought that bog standard marg is best for greasing, so I keep some in the freezer solely for that purpose. (Not light, spreadable, enhanced this, reduced that etc.)

I'd rather use something natural like butter.

[Suelle Profile Website]

I tend to use whatever fat is going in the recipe, or neutral oil because I’m too lazy to melt it if I can just dip my brush into something already liquid

Just goes to show that we all have different, but equally valid experiences.

I would never grease a cake tin with oil, after one bad sticking experience, which may just have been bad luck.

Equally, I would never grease a bundt tin with just butter - in the absence of a cake release spray I use a home-made mix of vegetable oil, solid white vegetable fat (Trex) and flour (equal weights of each). Since starting to use this, I prefer it to a cake release spray as it's visible in the tin, so you can gauge coverage, and I've never had a cake stick, even partially.

[Hickybank Profile]

Whatever I use to grease a tin I will also always dust with flour

[herbidacious Profile]

I now use the spray for bundt tins (especailly give the complexity of the ones I have.) Although what's in it? (Don't answer. I can go and look.)

How long do you keep it for? I make a cake probably on average once a year, if that. The last one I made must be over two years ago.

[ZeroCook Profile]

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I'm in the whatever category- tho I only ever use oils and butter, sometimes non hydrogenated lard - no spreads or marg. Unless I'm lining the tin I always flour after oiling or buttering. Never fails.

.

[herbidacious Profile]

My Delia's classic Christmas cake came out ok... as far as I can see. Quite pleased with it.

I cooked it at 120C in the fan oven. (I tested my conventional oven with an oven thermometer and it wasn't relaiable. Thermoestat gone? If so can this be repaired?)

[Suelle Profile Website]

My Delia's classic Christmas cake came out ok... as far as I can see. Quite pleased with it.

I cooked it at 120C in the fan oven. (I tested my conventional oven with an oven thermometer and it wasn't relaiable. Thermoestat gone? If so can this be repaired?)

In what way was it unreliable? A failed thermostat usually means no temperature regulation at all. All ovens will oscillate about the set point as the thermostat reacts to the temperature of the oven and turns the heating element on or off. Some ovens oscillate a long way ie at times the temperature may be several degrees higher before the thermostat turns the heating element off but it will fall to several degrees below the set point before the element is turned back on.

There's also, I believe, a certain amount of tolerance allowed, by law, as to how accurate the thermostat is when it comes to reaching the temperature you have set, so for your particular oven, you may set the temperature at 120c, but it may oscillate around 110C or even 130C

[herbidacious Profile]

I'd have to do some more experimentation to find out, Suelle.

When I checked on Saturday, it was much lower than it should have been. About 110 instead of 140. (The light indicated it had reached the correct temperature.) But in the past it has been inconsistent. I am pretty sure there is something wrong with it, but alas it seems to be intermittent. That's partly why I started using the fan over and few years ago.

[herbidacious Profile]

In the interests of keeping myself busy (and exhausting myself, it would seem) I am making Hicky's boiled fruit cake. (Also because I can't wait until Christmas for fruit cake...)

Question: it says 4oz plain flour/4oz self raising. Is this either/or, or is it both?!

Also gas mark 4.... 160 fan oven? (Don't worry about this one. I can google it.)

I have everything else measured out

[Suelle Profile Website]

In the interests of keeping myself busy (and exhausting myself, it would seem) I am making Hicky's boiled fruit cake. (Also because I can't wait until Christmas for fruit cake...)

Question: it says 4oz plain flour/4oz self raising. Is this either/or, or is it both?!

Also gas mark 4.... 160 fan oven? (Don't worry about this one. I can google it.)

I have everything else measured out

From the way it's written on Mamta's website, it means 4oz of each flour - 8oz in total.

https://www.mamtaskitchen.com/recipe_di ... p?id=13797

[Suelle Profile Website]

But 4 oz isn't 180g as it says on the website - it's 120g.

[herbidacious Profile]

ok 8oz in total. The rest of it was in imperial so sticking with that.

Thank you. Very glad I asked.

[Busybee Profile]

The first time I made it I only used 4oz of flour in total. Not a complete disaster but much better when it’s 8oz in total.

BB

[herbidacious Profile]

It's not very big/hasn't risen much. Can putting too much bicarb in it make it flatter? I don't think I made any other mistakes
Maybe this is how it's supposed to be.
I am sure it will taste alright (too much bicarb not withstanding.) I shan't wait too long to find out...
It was a lot less drama to make than Delia's. And a lot quicker.

I really appreciated/enjoyed using the precut greaseproof discs and strips I happened to have.

[Hickybank Profile]

It's not very big/hasn't risen much. Can putting too much bicarb in it make it flatter? I don't think I made any other mistakes
Maybe this is how it's supposed to be.
I am sure it will taste alright (too much bicarb not withstanding.) I shan't wait too long to find out...
It was a lot less drama to make than Delia's. And a lot quicker.

I really appreciated/enjoyed using the precut greaseproof discs and strips I happened to have.

Hi herby, it should be fine, I don't think fruitcakes tend to rise much anyway. This recipe is very forgiving I know when I passed it on to Mamta she used it in, I think an old folks home she volunteered in with great success.
I Will be interested at what you think & yes it is 4oz of each flour
Terry.

[Rainbow Profile]

It was a lot less drama to make than Delia's. And a lot quicker.

That's why I always make boiled fruitcakes!!
They are very popular in Oz because they cook much more quickly, and having the oven on when it's a hot summer day over here is really not a good idea

[herbidacious Profile]

Question is, how long can I bring myself to wait, Terry Bu thanks for the recipe.

[Hickybank Profile]

Question is, how long can I bring myself to wait, Terry Bu thanks for the recipe.

Christmas is still 7 weeks away, plenty of time to try it & make another one.
"But get it right this time )