Delia's Christmas Cake

Making Delia’s Classic Christmas Cake: Why the Right Cake Tin Matters

We have an exclusive discount of 20% on the whole 12-piece Delia Online Silverwood Bakeware Range - so why not treat yourself to the right tin!

Delia’s Classic Christmas Cake is more than just a recipe, it’s a Christmas tradition.

From as early as September we get messages sent in to Ask Lindsey asking questions, advice and help for Christmas recipes - so we know our members are quick off the mark and getting organised!

But while the ingredients and method are foolproof, there’s one detail that can make or break your cake: the tin you bake it in. Yes, the humble cake tin plays a starring role in whether your Christmas cake comes out perfectly baked, ready to mature with regular 'feeding' before the final marzipan and icing stage.

If you’ve ever wondered what size tin you need for Delia’s Christmas Cake or why tin choice matters for fruit cakes, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know.

What Makes Delia’s Classic Christmas Cake Special?

Delia’s recipe has stood the test of time because it’s reliable, detailed, and steeped in her own family tradition. This is no ordinary cake. It’s a dense, luxurious fruit cake made with plump currants, sultanas, and raisins, chopped nuts and glacé cherries, warming spices and nutmeg and a generous splash of brandy

The fruits are soaked in alcohol overnight to plump up, then slowly folded into the rich mixture. This long baking ensures the cake darkens as the sugar slowly caramelises, the flavours develop and the texture stays moist without drying.

And here’s where the cake tin becomes vital.

The Secret to a Perfect Christmas Cake: The Right Tin

Christmas cake needs a good quality, deep, heavy-duty tin because of its weight, richness, and long baking time.

An 8-inch (20 cm) round, deep cake tin is used in the Classic Christmas Cake recipe. This size ensures the cake has enough depth to rise properly and enough surface area to bake evenly. When Delia collaborated with the iconic British bakeware company Silverwood to create her range of tins for the Delia Online Cookery School, the tin she recommends for this recipe was included. Using the same tin as Delia gives you the best chance of achieving that perfect, evenly baked Christmas cake. Silverwood tins are resilient and heavy-duty, they won't warp, rust or peel. The anodised aluminium surface, which is non-toxic and completely food-safe, will release cakes easily.

Special Offer: We’re offering a 20% discount on the Delia Online Silverwood Range — the perfect opportunity to invest in bakeware that guarantees festive success. All you need to do is to click here and answer one (very easy) question to receive your code.

Here’s why tin choice is so important:

Even Baking – A thin or flimsy tin conducts heat too quickly, which can leave the edges overdone while the middle stays raw.

Moist Texture – A deeper tin helps lock in moisture during the long baking time, preventing the cake from drying out.

Perfect Size – The 8 inch, 20cm Loose-based Silverwood tin has been thoroughly tested using Delia’s much loved Classic Christmas Cake recipe.

Easy to Clean – Delia’s cake tin isn’t suitable for the dishwasher but it’s very easy to wash in warm soapy water, followed by a rinse and then wiped with a tea towel or dried in the residual heat of your oven.

How to Line and Prepare Your Cake Tin

Even with the right tin, preparation is key. Delia recommends Bake-O-Glide liners or a double lining with parchment.

The liner or two layers of parchment should stand proud above the rim. Wrap a few layers of brown paper around the outside of the tin and secure tightly with string to protect the cake from over browning during the long, slow cooking.

Investing in the correct tin is worthwhile if you plan to bake a Christmas cake every year, and once you've made Delia's classic, you’ll almost certainly be making it again and again.

Feeding and Storing Your Christmas Cake

One of the joys of Delia’s Christmas cake is that it matures beautifully. After baking, once the cake has cooled, you’ll wrap it in parchment lined foil and store it in an airtight tin.

Every week or so, “feed” it with a tablespoon or two of brandy (you can substitute the booze with freshly squeezed orange juice). Make small holes in the top and base of the cake with a cocktail stick or small skewer, then spoon over the brandy. This not only keeps the cake moist, but over the weeks leading up to Christmas also deepens the flavour of the cake as it turns into something truly luxurious.

Again, the tin you started with matters here, a well-baked cake in the right tin will mature evenly without becoming dry or crumbly.

Decorating Delia’s Christmas Cake

By the time Christmas is near, your cake will be ready for its festive outfit:

A thin coat of warmed apricot jam with a little brandy brushed over the surface.

A layer of marzipan, rolled and smoothed over the cake, why not make your own this year? See the recipe below.

A snowy topping of Royal Icing, left rustic with snowy peaks or Silver Angel Icing (below) for a smooth sleek finish.

Your cake tin has given you the perfect base: a cake that looks beautiful when decorated with blanched almonds before baking or topped with glazed nuts or iced.

The Tin Is Just as Important as the Recipe

When people are making a Christmas cake, they often focus on the fruits, the spices, or the long cooking time. But the tin is the unsung hero of the recipe.

Get it right, and you’ll have a moist cake that bakes evenly. Get it wrong, and you risk a dry, burnt, or even misshapen cake.

So this year, as you make your shopping list, make sure you’ve got the right tin waiting — and take advantage of our 20%discount with Silverwood. Your beautiful homemade Christmas cake deserves the perfect tin that will last for years to come.

The Tin is Not Just For Christmas...

Your Delia Online Cake Tin isn’t just for one recipe – it’s a baking essential you’ll use time and time again. Not only is it the perfect size for Delia’s Classic Christmas Cake and three other festive favourites, it’s also the correct size for Easter Simnel cake. And it doesn’t stop there. You can use this versatile, high-quality tin for all the cake recipes in our One Tin - 15 Cake Recipes collection below. giving you year-round baking inspiration.

Made to last a lifetime, this Silverwood cake tin is a smart investment – and with our 20%discount, it’s even more cost-effective. Reliable, durable, and endlessly useful, it guarantees you’ll always have the right tin for the job.

See our collection of cakes using the 20cm tin here