Tesco Finest partridge in a pear tree - The very best Christmas cakes
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| Tesco Finest partridge in a pear tree £18.75 for 1.5kg
We love the ornate ivory shell and delicate tree design – a popular theme this year. Inside, soft raisins and glacĂ© cherries are bound together in a moist crumb that’s laced with brandy. |
White Christmas rose - The very best Christmas cakes
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| White Christmas rose £35 for a 20cm (8in) cake, by Fiona Cairns, from Waitrose With its handmade edible roses and pristine icing, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more elegant cake. The spiced crumb has a lovely texture, with large nuts and chunks of citrus peel. |
The Co-operative all over iced
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| The Co-operative all over iced £8 for 907g A thick fondant icing and strong, almondy marzipan are the perfect foil for a crumb bursting with glossy black sultanas. It’s alcohol-free, but packs a punch with hunks of candied peel instead. |
Daylesford fruit-topped
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| Daylesford fruit-topped £22.99 for 1.4kg (daylesfordorganic.com). Order by 15 December A marked citrus theme is at work here, from the candied-orange topping to the bold marmaladey notes of the cake itself. Brandy-soaked fruit gives it a boozy richness. |
Morrisons iced brandy-soaked
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| Morrisons iced brandy-soaked £10 for 900g This dark, sticky cake glistens with glacĂ© cherries and syrupy sultanas. It has been steeped in brandy, too, giving it a heady scent and a devilishly boozy crumb that intensifies over time. |
Waitrose Christmas Red Button
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| Waitrose Christmas red button £14.40 for 1.6kg, from ocado.com; £15.99, from Waitrose There’s a festive aroma of warm gingerbread to this, thanks to a generous helping of stem ginger throughout the nutty mixture. It’s definitely one for fans of marzipan. |
