Another xmas cake question...

Can anyone guide me to a christmas cake recipe with alcohol in it and that would stay well frozen or unfrozen until christmas?

First time making xmas cake would like to make some for gifts to include in my hampers im doing.

TIA :)

cant seem to find what im after in the other threads.

search 4 ingredients fruit cake, it uses fruit juice but the op has said you can use sherry instead.

i am sure someone will be able to help.
just use a good recipe and add 2-4 tbles off rum,brandy,port.
sometimes you can soak the fruit in the liquer overnight.good luck.

awesome are there any more suggestions or hints .. i am an xmas cake virgin hahaha

juliewn has a good recipe & plenty of great advice on christmas cake ... hopefully she will pop in here to help.
I know her recipe is in another thread somewhere ...

Found it - the following is a post from juliewn:

This is our favourite Christmas cake.. there's a lot of writing below that includes preparing the tins and storing - the cake itself is very easy to make.
The recipe makes either a large (roast tin size) cake, or three medium cakes - which is what I do..
No sugar or eggs are in this recipe and it freezes beautifully.
The recipe can be halved easily also.

To prepare the tins:
I lightly grease three tins - round or square; and line the bottom of each with baking paper.
Line the sides with baking paper also, bringing the baking paper 5-6cm higher than the sides of the tins.
Use a little butter to stick the ends of the paper together.

I then cut wide strips of newspaper - the same width as the height of the baking paper - and about 5-6 sheets thick.
Staple those around the OUTSIDE of each tin, until you have a thick band of newspaper around the outside. I find it's easier to do this way and it means the finished cake is the full-size of the inside of the tin.
For the bottom and tops of the tins/ cakes, notes are below..

Christmas Cake:

Ingredients:
Mix together in a large bowl:
1.75kg dried fruit of your choice (I use a mix of sultana's, sticky raisins (sold in a box) and currants.
1 packet glace cherries, chopped or left whole. (optional)
1 packet mixed peel (optional)
2 cans crushed pineapple, including the juice.
Cover and leave overnight or at least 7-8 hours - the pineapple juice will be absorbed by the fruit.

Next day, when ready to make the cake, preheat oven to 120°C. Place an oven rack about a third the way up from the bottom of the oven, and place a flat biscuit tray on this.

Melt 250gms butter.
Add 2 tins of sweetened condensed milk.

Sift together:
4 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp mixed spice.

Stir 2 tsp baking soda into 3 cups cold water.

Add the butter mix, flour mix and water mix to the fruit and stir together well..

Don't forget to have everyone make a wish - close your eyes as you stir the mix.. and wish! :-)

Divide the mix between the tins. Use the back of a spoon to press the mix down well, and level the mix across the top.

On the biscuit tray in the oven, place a thick whole section of a newspaper – about 5-6 layers thick and folded so it’s flat.
Place the cake tins on this, and place another section, about the same thickness, on the top.
The thick sides of the newspaper around the sides of the tins will support the newspaper on top.
The paper will go light brown during cooking – it won’t burn though at this temperature.

Bake for 1 & 1/2 hours, then if you want, decorate the top with a mix of almonds and cherries - or your preferred mix of nuts and cherries. I place them on when it's partly cooked so the nuts and cherries don't sink into the mix.

Bake for 1 & 1/2 hours more and check in the centre with a skewer – continue cooking till the skewer comes out clean - depending on the size of the cake/s, this could be up to several hours longer - your skewer is your guide..

Remove from the oven, and cover the tins with a teatowel, then place a thick towel over that, so it covers the tops and sides of the cakes.
Leave the newspaper around the tins so the cakes cool slowly, and leave overnight in the tin to cool.
Next day, remove the cakes from the tins carefully.

and continued ...

I prefer to freeze my cakes, unless making them a short time before they're needed.
I wrap each of the cakes in three layers of plastic wrap before freezing - as the cake doesn't freeze hard, the flavours continue to develop - and there's no risk of the cake being affected by any mould during humid summer weather.

Hope this helps.. it’s the best cake recipe I’ve ever made for Christmas’, Wedding’s, 21sts, Christening’s and other special occasions.. Cakes have been sent in Christmas parcels to my Son overseas.. I've been making it since a few months before my now 20 year old Daughter was born.. so this Christmas is it's 21st year.

Enjoy :-

Edited by juliewn at 5:36 pm, Mon 1 Nov

Can someone help me please.I made the gingerale cake( It turned out just beautiful!) and added 1/2 cup sherry.I'm aware the sherry 'keeps' the cake.Question: Do people find it's best to freeze the cake or just leave in the tin until christmas?

toeblister - have a read of what I've quoted from juliewn above ... should answer your question.