Festive baking: tips for creating the finest Christmas cake

As “Stir-up Sunday” approaches, master patissier and owner of the Cake Boy bakery, Eric Lanlard, shares some expert seasonal advice.

How far in advance should you bake your Christmas cake?

You should bake it the last week of November. Stir-up Sunday is an official thing, meaning the date to make your Christmas cake this year is Sunday 20 November.

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What should you look for when choosing the ingredients for your Christmas cake?

Choose plump dried fruit (the dried fruit should not be too dry). If you are not going to use mixed peel buy it whole and chop yourself. I use natural glace cherries, golden sultanas, dark raisins and mixed peel that I chop myself.

Do you add any unusual ingredients to your Christmas cake?

At Cake Boy we make a chocolate Christmas cake. We add some dark melted chocolate and use Cointreau instead of brandy.

Have you got any tips for the baking of the cake?

Use the finest ingredients – this will ensure that your cake will taste delicious – and roast your nuts in advance as it brings out the flavour. Put a small dish or bowl of water in the oven to create steam when you bake, which will stop your cake from drying out and will keep it nice and moist.

How should you store your cake?

In my kitchen, we wrap our cakes with cling film. I would recommend doing the same at home and, once wrapped, store the cake somewhere cool and dark.

How often should you feed your cake and what should you feed it with?

You should feed your cake as soon as it comes out of the oven, maybe a couple of times before Christmas Day and then just before you are going to decorate. Use neat alcohol – brandy or Cointreau.

How long will a Christmas cake keep?

Unofficially forever; officially it has a three-month shelf life.

Do you prefer to use royal icing or fondant to cover your cake?

Fondant icing – I do not like royal icing as it’s too hard and I don’t think it tastes very nice. You can actually roll fondant icing thinly and it makes for a softer and more sophisticated look.

What are your top tips for decorating the cake?

Practice makes perfect – so practice before, particularly if it’s your first time. And try to do something original. I always like to add a little bit of glamour, for example edible gold leaf or white and silver glitter for a winter wonderland effect.

What do you recommend to pair Christmas cake with?

I think a slice of vintage cheddar cheese goes really well with Christmas cake. For a slightly more unusual option, cut the cake into thin slices and toast and then serve with pate or foie gras. Red Muscat is also an excellent accompaniment; it’s a sweet wine that goes very well with Christmas Cake. Port is another great pairing and is reasonably priced.

Do you have any favourite ways to use up leftover Christmas cake?

Crumble the leftover cake and fold into a quality brand vanilla ice cream to make a lovely sundae.

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