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Do I feed a light Christmas cake?

Asked on 22 Oct 2022 by Rosalindjean

Hello,
Can you “feed” Delia’s Light Christmas Cake with alcohol as with her Classic Christmas Cake and does the Light Christmas Cake have a similar shelf life.
Thank you,
Rosalind

Lindsey, Food Editor replied

Hello Rosalind,

A light Christmas cake doesn’t mature like a rich fruit cake but as the proportion of fruit is still quite high it does keep longer than something like a cherry or Dundee cake.

We usually eat it within 3 weeks. It will freeze very well if you want to make it sooner.

We do not feed a light fruit Christmas cake.

Best wishes

Lindsey

Rosalindjean replied

Dear Lindsey and Delia,

Thank you so much for replying so quickly to my questions about the light fruit Christmas cake.

My mother died some time ago and it was only now that I had decided to go through her recipe box. There I found a recipe card in her writing saying “Rosalind’s favourite Christmas cake, a light fruit cake with glacé fruits.” I, being Rosalind her daughter, was very moved seeing her hand writing. Part of the recipe was illegible as it had faded so I was therefore thrilled to find Delia’s recipe for a light Christmas fruit cake.

Thank you for the answers to my questions which make absolute sense. I am so looking forward to making Delia’s recipe this year and remembering the times in my teenage years when my mother baked a similar recipe.
With best wishes,
Rosalind