You can't miss the ads on TV right now, as Delia Smith confidently tells Heston Blumenthal how she's got Christmas cakes all wrapped up.
This year Delia has worked with Waitrose to produce a pack containing the ingredients to make her classic Christmas cake recipe. It's become the store's fastest selling seasonal product ever, with one sold every seven seconds.We tried out a pack to see if it lives up to Delia's promise. In true Big Cook Little Cook style I got my seven year old son to take the lead, whilst I was his willing assistant.
So just how easy is Delia's cake pack to use?
And what kind of cake does it produce?
Don't be fooled into thinking that this pack contains absolutely everything you need to make a cake - you'll still have to add eggs, butter, orange and lemon zest and icing.
To make your cake, it's just a case of getting a large bowl, snipping the corners of the cake pack sachets, tipping them in together and mixing with a wooden spoon. There's no doubt that it's fantastically handy to have all the ingredients together - if you've ever trotted round several supermarkets looking for the right combination of candied peel, currants and the rest, you can appreciate that whilst you might spend a little more on this pack, it will definitely save you time and cut down on wastage.
We had our cake prepared and in the oven in under 10 minutes - the instructions are simple and easy to follow. My seven-year-old was very proud of his production.
We cooked our cake for Delia's recommended four hours, and it seemed a bit overdone by then. If you've got a fan oven like us, it might be an idea to cut back the cooking time a little. Luckily fruit cakes are forgiving beasts, so I'm soaking this one in brandy to make sure it's not too dry.
For the novice cook, this pack is undoubtedly a nifty introduction into the ways of Christmas baking. In fact you might say: it's a piece of cake.
Delia's Classic Christmas Cake is available for £10 from Waitrose, but be quick as stocks are expected to run out soon, and Ocado is already out of stock on this.
What do you think of Delia's cake pack? Leave a comment below
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