There is still time to make your own Christmas cake, but many of us would rather add one to our supermarket shops and save on the time it takes to bake one.
With this in mind, here is our review of some of the tastiest supermarket Christmas cakes currently on sale for 2020 celebrations.
Picture: Lidl
While the Christmas cake from Lidl features all the classic Christmas flavours you’d expect - fruit, nuts, cognac and so on - the major downfall of the festive delight is the more than generous layer of marzipan that causes all other flavours to fall by the wayside.
Between the icing, the marzipan and the cake itself, this offering from Lidl verges on the sickly side - with a little going a long, long way. 2/5
Picture: Morrisons
The first thing you notice with the Christmas cake from Morrisons is the strong hit of alcohol, which can be a good or a bad thing depending on personal preferences.
The marzipan does a good job of not being too overwhelming, with the icing offering a soft, pillowy texture.
The cake itself boasts good cake to fruit and nut ratio, however it’s a bit on the dense side, even for a Christmas cake. 3/5
Picture: Tesco
While other cakes may focus on the flavourings of alcohol or marzipan, this offering from Tesco has its priorities set elsewhere, with strong flavours of spice and fruit.
There is less of an emphasis on the alcoholic element here, and the icing good structure and without being terribly sweet, which balances out the sweetness found elsewhere. 4/5
Picture: Waitrose
This citrusy number from Waitrose is the clear winner in the Christmas cake showdown, and for a multitude of reasons.
Firstly, the layer of icing is soft, yet firm, and sports a lovely orange flavouring.
The marzipan layer is thin, with the flavour still there but decidedly more subtle, and doesn’t threaten to overwhelm the other flavours going on.
The orange flavouring from the icing appears to permeate through to the cake layer, as the sponge itself has an orange flavouring too, as well as the requisite fruit and nuts. 5/5
Picture: Asda
The problems with the cake from Asda begin with the icing, which up front is far too sweet, and throws off the balance of the other flavours.
The cake is a bit too dry, and the flavour quite bland. The marzipan is nice, but not good enough to make up for the shortcomings of the other elements. 2/5
These Scottish businesses are offering Christmas dinner deliveries
