When do you make your Christmas cake?

[Gemini]

If you make one that is.
Although we can both do without the calories, we love Christmas cake, so I always make one, and a small one for my mum as well in recent years.

I think Stir Up Sunday is late November, but that seems a little late to me.

[Daisy]

Gem - this may surprise you, and other ladies, but when I was teaching I used to make our Christmas cake at the end of October, during half-term week. Then there's plenty of time to keep it well-fed with brandy, plus the perfect excuse to test the quality of the brandy regularly!

In fact, in my teaching days I used to do all my shopping for presents etc in half-term, mainly because I couldn't stand the crowds elbowing each other round the town for Christmas shopping on Saturdays. Although there was the year I reached an all-time low of brinkmanship by starting and finishing all my shopping on the last Saturday before Christmas. Now I'm not working, my "Start in December" strategy works well for me.

So, I agree. Stir Up Sunday seems a bit late.

I haven't made a Christmas cake for years, but this year I'm seriously thinking about it! I've even got some of those cake tin liners from Lakeland this week, and some materials for decorations.

[Oma]

I stopped making Christmas cake when FIL died as there was only myself and him that ate it ,
I now buy a slab from M&S although we have been talking today about making a Genoa cake

[Daisy]

Oma - you can't beat a 'real' Christmas cake - it doesn't have to be huge, but the really big advantage is that it keeps. My mum used my Christmas cake recipe for my wedding cake back in 1967, and 5 years later the top tier was still perfect for DS1's Christening.

[WeeGranny]

Haven't made any for a couple of years now. Always made one for DD,DS and ourselves. But, nobody seems to want them anymore so i haven't bothered! Maybe I will this year, just to check that the recipe still works! The best bits are the icing and marzipan. I always have to buy extra marzipan, because I eat it as I go!

[Daisy]

WeeGranny - I love marzipan as well. I used to make that from scratch years ago, but I'd always make far too much and then have to eat it!!

[Nana]

I've made mini Christmas cakes this yr as no-one wanted a bigger one. They're in a tin wrapped & waiting to be marzipanned & iced.