General Chat

My Mum always tied newspaper round her fruit cake tines to stop burning the edges. She was the family expert, made all our wedding cakes etc. We don't eat them much now she's gone.

I haven't made a Christmas cake for ages, but I still have the brown paper - several thicknesses in a permanent circle - that I put round the tin. Like the others, I also put a layer of paper on top to stop it burning/overcooking. I also used to stand the tin on several layers of paper in the oven.

How to line the tin was part of the recipe and the first time it took nearly as long as mixing the cake!

Yes I make lining paper a bit taller than the tin and also put a round of foil over it talking it off for the last twenty mins

My Dundee cake is always very moist too

Saying that haven’t made one for years

Used to make it for a Christmas cake as daughter hates marzipan and OH didn’t like icing

I put newspaper around my fruit cakes. Tie around the middle with string.


I make the sides longer than the tin so I can place a top of newspaper on if it start to brown too much and will go dry.

I am always complimented how moist and lovely my fruit cakes are.

I used to make a pad of tin foil and wrap it around the tin when cooking a Dundee cake

It stopped the edges going crispy as it cooked

Ok thanks Kay, I’ll put that on my shopping list.x.

helps stops the sides from burning and going crispy as it takes a while to bake ,the same method is often used for home baked chirstmas cakes etc.

Looking at a recipe for Dundee cake it says to wrap and tie some brown paper around the outside of the tin to bake it, why, what does it do and do any of you do it?