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Helen, I will leave it to you to lift off the layer of icing, then peel away the marzipan!

When are you going to frost it?

I bagged the rest of my tiny loaf and after is set a few days I sent my parents a bit and nibbled a slice myself. I was amazed -- mine tastes like fruit cake now that it sat for a while. Since I had never done this I had no idea what it was meant to look like or how it changed while waiting.

I suppose I should get the icing and marzipan on soon. They advise one week before Christmas. So, Friday it is. I think it may need some more brandy!
How much have you given your cake, Alice?

More brandy... Jo, don't let anyone leave the house after eating the cake..

My fruit absorbed a cup and I have given each of the little cakes about a tablespoon.

Because I made my cake so late I think mine is a New Years cake rather than a Christmas cake.

Carmel - news update just for you.
I cut a small piece of cake from one side (so it is no longer square) I had to check, to find out how much more brandy it needs!

You will be relieved to learn that it can't take another drop of brandy. It is strongly fortified as it is.

What a relief.. ENJOY !!

It can't? My cake seems to be able to take absolutely any amount of brandy, until disintegration, if I only would let it.
By now it has consumed more brandy than I have in my entire life.
How is the decoration coming on?
After reading about the intricacies - as a word, and product - of marchpane http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marzipan I was happy to skip it. Particularly when persepane, as a substitute for marchpane, came up .
Made of peach kernels, and you have to get the prussic acid (cyankalium) out first ...

Liis, you are the cause of much dictionary searching!!
now I have to find out about persipane - and Prussic Acid?

My cake is covered with marzipan. I haven't put the final icing on yet- I don't have the right kind of cake stand. I hoped to go out and buy one today, but after spending 10 minutes getting ice off the car and then seeing the problems of black ice on the road, I decided to stay at home. The cake can wait one more day.
Oh - those red berries have gone. I think the birds needed them.

Fair enough - seeing that your beautiful Christmas cake photos and recipe have doubled my lifetime brandy consumption, and more ...

Prussic acid, aka hydrogen cyanide, HCN, liberally used by old-time detective story writers, preferably as its potassium salt (potassium cyanide, KCN). The detective takes a sniff and cries , Aaah, a smell of bitter almonds, murder it is ... As in Agatha Christie's Sparkling cyanide.
BTW, cockroaches are called "prussakad" in Estonian, same word origin as the prussic in prussic acid.
Well, send the birds here. Or back here since Scandinavian blackbirds are said to spend the winter in UK. All rowans are still absolutely loaded with berries; there is a stunning variety with a perfectly globe-shaped crown on the parking lot of the botanical gardens, dripping with brilliant scarlet berries and not a bird in sight.
NB (edit) for the language-, chemistry or orderminded: it is prussic acid, but, for instance, prussian blue; both to do with Prussia, Germany, reason unknown at the moment

Liis's reference to Persipane reminded me that the alternative medicine community was full of news about using apricot kernels for the treatment of cancer.
Apricot kernels contain Laetrile, or B17. Then there was a story about an American who killed him/herself by soaking too many apricot kernels overnight, then eating them, thereby consuming cyanide.

The correct amount to use is said to be 5 -6 kernels daily, or sufficient to cover the palm of a hand.. No soaking!

Amazing, how we manage to stay on topic!

Jo, I was hoping to see the finished article. I mean The Cake... ? Enjoy your Christmas with family and friends.
Hope hubby has fully recovered ?

There is a tale to tell! My husband is the artistic one of the team, so I hoped he would be able to ice the cake. He wanted to but his health is poor.
Today he was able to get to the kitchen and he has just finished putting the icing on it. It looks a bit shaky, if you get close to it, but when it is dry enough I will put a frilled band around it, then cover the top with holly and robins and various bits of decoration, then I can take a pic from a distance!!
I was pleased that he was able to do it, even if he thinks it is not one of his best!

I will photograph it tomorrow, before we cut it.

Thats fine I am sure and I hope that he can have a taste.
Wish you both well for a Happy Yuletide.

The Christmas Cake!

Magnificent!
We the humble beginners - how many are we, by the way: Alice, me ... others? - salute The Masters !

It is a delicious cake and husband is eating some now.

All that Benedictine I poured in - it tastes marvellous!
It usually has a more professionally polished look to the decor, but this year is different.

Mine did not even get any frosting

Then you have a perfect excuse to make another, Alice!

Well Jo,'Faut pas chercher la petite bète'
Vous allez 'manger comme quatre'
'Qu'importe le flacon,pourvu qu'il y a ivresse' because in your cake 'Il y à boire et à manger'!!!
Then you will ; 'Dormir comme un loir'
and I hope, not ... 'les quatre fers en air' !!
Cheers .