[Lesley Silvester]

Put my cakes in the oven at 8o'clock on gas mark 2.  After half hour I turned the oven down to 1/2 as the recipe stated.  An hour later my OH pointed out that the oven wasn't alight.     Lit it again  As soon as I turned it down it went out.    I am now due to get to bed sometime after 2am.  IT'D BETTER TASTE GOOD.   

[Dan]

Poor you!

IT'D BETTER TASTE GOOD.

I don't think it would dare do otherwise! 

[little blue]

ours was in about 6 hours! The gas ran out after 4, so had to put the emergency on the meter
the top looked too sticky to risk taking it out

Mind you, it could have been the extra sweetener - a friend bought us one of those "ready to cook, just add eggs" ones from tesco (not the more expensive Delia Smith one, some 1970s cook I've never heard of, on offer at £5!)
and o/h was mixing as I was papering the tin.... I passed him the bag of icing sugar instead of the flour & he chucked it in without looking!!
So its a lovely and sweet cake topped with just marzipan 

[doganjo]

I think it might be just a wee bit too sweet 

[HappyHippy]

(not the more expensive Delia Smith one, some 1970s cook I've never heard of, on offer at £5!)

That'd be Mary Berry then  I've made her Xmas chutney receipe for the last couple of years - it's great 
I spotted the kits down at a fiver too, and since I hadn't got round to making my cake picked one up.
Mine definately won't be as sweet as yours Ruth, Kaitlin decided to dousesoak it in lemon juice  so there's about quarter of a bottle of brandy in it now to try & mask the flavour

[Bionic]

Well with all that brandy in it you will probably be past caring about the taste 
Sally

[bloomer]

(not the more expensive Delia Smith one, some 1970s cook I've never heard of, on offer at £5!)

That'd be Mary Berry then  I've made her Xmas chutney receipe for the last couple of years - it's great 
I spotted the kits down at a fiver too, and since I hadn't got round to making my cake picked one up.
Mine definately won't be as sweet as yours Ruth, Kaitlin decided to dousesoak it in lemon juice  so there's about quarter of a bottle of brandy in it now to try & mask the flavour

don't fib the brandy was going in anyway!!!

[Lesley Silvester]

Finally got to bed at 2.45am but the cakes look ok.  Just glad I didn't have to get up to do morning milking.  Still only milking once a day.

[little blue]

The extra sweet cake is actually lovely!
And the extra booze stops it being too sweet....

Thats the lady, thanks Karen,  Mary Berry - very Christmassy name!

[Lesley Silvester]

The cakes are now marzipanned.     The big one had lots of cracks (when I say cracks I mean it was broken in bits) so I warmed extra apricot jam and poured it all over.  Hopefully it will seal everything.     To be honest, I think it was mainly due to the fact that a lot of liquid escaped from the bottom of the tin.  Daisy dog cleared up the mess from the kitchen floor.  The recipe includes 1/4 pint red wine and 1/4 pint of brandy. Daisy is sleeping soundly now.  Hope she doesn't have a headache in the morning. 

[melodrama]

I made my cake using one of Mary Berry recipes that I found online and it is gorgeous!  Made it in November and have been dousing it in sherry ever since and it is lovely and moist and tastes great - I think I'll stick to that recipe every year from now on.
Mel x

[Lesley Silvester]

My recipe is a Victorian one called 'Mrs Putnams's Wedding Cake'.

[Daisys Mum]

Just tried this years cake after throwing last years in the bin as it was horrible, this years is Delia's Irish whisky cake and has 1/2 bottle of whisky in it. Have to say it is delicious, would definately recomend it.

[Lesley Silvester]

Despite their shaky start, the cakes were lovely.   

[little blue]

"were" ?!