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Christmas Cake Baking Question
Posted by helen
Christmas Cake Baking Question December 12, 2019 02:17AM |
Admin Registered: 18 years ago Posts: 7,920 |
I have just had a message from Sally re her Christmas cake and I am hoping someone here can help.
"I’ve made the same Christmas Cake for over 20 years. It was the recipe from the kindy my children went to and they are now 26 & 28... but I have a new oven and the cakes I made last month were not cooked through and have gone mouldy.
I have always cooked them at 130 for 3 hours. Turned the oven off and left them in sometimes over night...
do you suggest a higher temp or longer time??
"I’ve made the same Christmas Cake for over 20 years. It was the recipe from the kindy my children went to and they are now 26 & 28... but I have a new oven and the cakes I made last month were not cooked through and have gone mouldy.
I have always cooked them at 130 for 3 hours. Turned the oven off and left them in sometimes over night...
do you suggest a higher temp or longer time??
Re: Christmas Cake Baking Question December 12, 2019 03:29AM |
Registered: 12 years ago Posts: 3,422 |
Re: Christmas Cake Baking Question December 12, 2019 10:25PM |
Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 2,935 |
I think TPANDAV may be right.
Maybe Sally could make a batch of biscuits from a recipe familiar to her and see if she notices any difference between those cooked in the old and the new oven.
The thermostats on appliances can vary even if they are from an identical make and model. Hot water cylinders are a good example of this as are electric frypans.
Maybe Sally could make a batch of biscuits from a recipe familiar to her and see if she notices any difference between those cooked in the old and the new oven.
The thermostats on appliances can vary even if they are from an identical make and model. Hot water cylinders are a good example of this as are electric frypans.
Re: Christmas Cake Baking Question December 13, 2019 03:54AM |
Registered: 18 years ago Posts: 771 |
I always cook my Xmas cakes at around 130 dec C, after an initial 30 mins at 180 deg C.
I cook until a skewer comes out clean.
Never store your cakes in an airtight container e.g. T.pp..ware or wrap in tin foil or plastic.
The tin foil can react with fruit cakes, and plastic will not allow the cake to breathe and cause it to rot.
Always leave in its cooking paper with greaseproof and then newspaper wrapped around.
Store mine in the pantry and feed with brandy about every 5-6 weeks.
Hope this helps
Raewyn G
I cook until a skewer comes out clean.
Never store your cakes in an airtight container e.g. T.pp..ware or wrap in tin foil or plastic.
The tin foil can react with fruit cakes, and plastic will not allow the cake to breathe and cause it to rot.
Always leave in its cooking paper with greaseproof and then newspaper wrapped around.
Store mine in the pantry and feed with brandy about every 5-6 weeks.
Hope this helps
Raewyn G
Re: Christmas Cake Baking Question December 13, 2019 05:27AM |
Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 405 |
I have always baked my Christmas cakes at a low temperature, my current recipe is always at 130 (NOT fan). I also do a couple of things taught to me by my grandmother and my husbands great aunt Joyce who both baked amazing heavy fruit cakes for Christmas, Wedding cakes, Christenings and 21st cakes back in the day. When preparing the tin grease the inside and line with baking paper with the top of the paper coming about 2cm above the rim. Then take 3 or 4 of sheets of newspaper and wrap them around the outside of the tin and tie in place with kitchen string, trimming if necessary. This helps the cake to bake slowly and evenly. When you have filled the tin and leveled the top, drop it on the ground from a height of about a metre. I find that the cake takes a little longer to bake this way, I don't go strictly on time but start to test about 20 minutes before the recipe states, sometimes they can take an hour or more longer. I'm using an old boiled fruitcake recipe with no eggs at the moment that is very easy and very consistent. I get a lovely flat top and a moist cake. When it comes out of the oven I douse it well with either rum or brandy or both. Its delicious straight away but gets better over the weeks. I have never had one go moldy and I make about one a month for Mum and Dad. Sometimes I make one for our house and it keeps for several months (dieting). Its quite nice to add some chopped up chunks of chocolate to the mixture before baking for a change sometimes. I have taught both my adult daughter this method and they have both had success as well. There is one recipe I make which has a lovely flavour but always crack on the top so that is clearly the recipe not the oven or the cook.
Re: Christmas Cake Baking Question December 13, 2019 05:34AM |
Registered: 16 years ago Posts: 1,979 |
I follow an old Alison Holst recipe (pineapple Christmas cake) and for a large 2.5kg cake, you do 2 hours at 150 and then another 1.5 hours at 120. This is after lining the tin with 5 layers of newspaper and then another of bake paper. For smaller tins I adjust the cooking times, but never the temps. This is for a very solid, dense fruit cake though. It is a dark golden top when finished, and absolutely delicious.
Re: Christmas Cake Baking Question December 13, 2019 05:37AM |
Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 405 |
I think that I would be inclined to still cook the cake at 130 but test it often and cook a little longer. The reason I start testing before the recipe states is that occasionally, especially without the newspaper it can be ready before the time. If I end up with lots of holes from the skewer that doesn't matter because it helps the alcohol soak in at the end. I have some brandy in the batter before cooking and then more when baked, possibly the last slosh helps to preserve the cake. Its weird how sometimes things just cook at a different rate. I think you take a while to get used to a new oven so its trial and error for a while.
Re: Christmas Cake Baking Question December 16, 2019 03:44AM |
Registered: 18 years ago Posts: 771 |
Re: Christmas Cake Baking Question December 16, 2019 10:58PM |
Registered: 18 years ago Posts: 518 |
I've found this thread fascinating. I always thought that all the newspaper was not necessary with more accurate ovens, but I notice my daughter-in-law, who is a baker, always sits the tin on a folded newspaper, and wraps multiple layers around the outside of the tin....... or uses a wooden "tin". My son, a builder, has made her wooden "tins" in different sizes, based on one of the ones you used to be able to buy. I don't use paper, but do test, test, test until the skewer shows no raw mixture (we like ours really moist). This year I made the mistake of not lining the sides of the tins as I was in a hurry. Won't do that again! Thanks for sharing all your knowledge.
Re: Christmas Cake Baking Question December 16, 2019 11:01PM |
Registered: 18 years ago Posts: 518 |
Re: Christmas Cake Baking Question December 17, 2019 04:06AM |
Registered: 18 years ago Posts: 771 |
Re: Christmas Cake Baking Question December 17, 2019 04:32AM |
Registered: 18 years ago Posts: 5,388 |
Re: Christmas Cake Baking Question December 18, 2019 02:22AM |
Registered: 18 years ago Posts: 771 |
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