I am about to make my Christmas cake & want to put a variety of nuts on top. At what point do I add the nuts because I have put them on at the beginning & got too brown so can they be put on near the end & if so how do you make them stay stuck. Thanks

Lyn V I use only almond nuts and when I think the cake and nuts are brown enough I put something like a WW magazine (which is thick) on the top of the tin until the cake is cooked. It stops cake and nuts from browning further.

Dame Alison Holst suggests an ordinary sugar syrup (or a thick layer of golden syrup) about half an hour before the end of cooking time and press on the nuts which have also been coated in the sugar syrup and leave to finish cooking. I have not used this method but I imagine it to make the nuts nice and glossy as well.
Regards,
Dawn.

I put almonds on top of the cake and they turn a nice golden colour. If the cake needs longer than expected and the almonds are a nice colour, I cover the tin loosely with tinfoil till the cake is done. We don’t like our Christmas cake iced and I have been doing this for many years.

When I make a Dundee cake I do concentric circles of blanched raw almonds, by the end of the cooking time they are perfect. Like Chris has mentioned I would just cover the top of the cake with foil if its browning to quickly. I have in the past made Christmas cakes with all the nuts put on top before baking including glace cherries. I just made sure I used large whole raw nuts and then glazed the top when it was out of the oven.

Thank you all, I had thought of foil but a magazine is a new one to me. Will do as you say though.

R
Dawn, regarding using a magazine. Some of you might remember that many years ago the Listener’s size was foolscap. My recipe said to sit the tin on the Listener to avoid the bottom of the cake getting too dark. Worked like a charm.

Now I think about it Chris you are probably right, although I'm sure I used a mag on the top but it was a good few years ago that I did it. It does make more common sense to use a thick mag on the bottom to stop the bottom of the cake from overcooking. As it is suggested tin foil would be the better option for the top.

In making Xmas cakes I generally find the nuts don't over brown, but depends on the temperature used to bake the cake.
Regards,
Dawn.

All done very successfully thanks to you all. Magazine on bottom bit of foil on top after 3/4 done.

Glad all is good with your Christmas cake Lyn V and you used a mag on the bottom! My cake is still a few days away from making as I've only just put the dried fruit and brandy together - supposed to be for a week to absorb the brandy, but I might warm it in the microwave to hasten things and bake it earlier.
Regards,
Dawn.