"baglady" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Dave Smith" > wrote in message
> ...
> > baglady wrote:
> >
> >> Today I have cooked a Christmas cake following Delia Smith's
Traditional
> >> cake recipe and I fear that it may be a bit dry. I fed it a little
with
> >> brandy when it had cooled. Will my cake moisten up a little in keeping
or
> >> will it still be dry come Christmas??? I lined the cake tin with paper
> >> inside and out.
> >
> > How dry is it? My mother has been making dark Christmas cakes for years.
I
> > remember once trying it when it was freshly made and it was a little on
> > the
> > dry side, but she always puts brandy on it and lets it sit a month or
two
> > before use.
>
> .....but was it still dry??? I don't know how dry my cake is as I haven't
> cut into yet. I wish I could as I want to know now.
> Thanks.

Don't cut into it! Keep it well covered with brandy-soaked cheesecloth and
add brandy a few more times before you want to use it. Keep the whole thing,
including the cheesecloth, well covered. It won't dry further and the brandy
will moisten the cake throughout. Delia's recipe is super and if you
followed it, you shouldn't have a problem. It isn't a super moist cake
anyhow. It is just moist enough to not catch in yer throat. A Christmas cake
should be firm - moist, but firm.

Charlie