When it comes to the Classic bakes, I think Mary Berry and Delia Smith cannot be beaten. At home, a Mary Berry rich Christmas cake is a seasonal staple - the marzipan ritualistically ripped from its surface by Steve and deposited on Ali's plate, ideally alongside some marzipan fruits - a double serving of marzipan never quite enough!
The Aga really comes into its own on these long slow bakes, locking in moisture and retaining flavour. As lots of recipes focus on cooking with conventional ovens, however, sometimes knowing exactly how to gauge timings and temperature can be tricky. To take out the guesswork, have a look at our guides for each Aga type:
-On the Electrickit Advanced, your fruit cake can be cooked in any oven set to 140c for around 4 hours.
-In the Electrickit Classic, your fruit cake can be cooked in either of the right hand ovens set to 140c for around 4 hours.
-In a traditional 2 oven Aga, place the cake in the centre of the simmering oven for 6 - 10 hours. (This will depend on the model of Aga, its age and insulation.)
-In a traditional 4 oven Aga, place the grid shelf on the simmering oven floor and cook for 6 - 10 hours.
-Fruit cakes cooked in the simmering oven will be extra moist and delicious. If you prefer a little more browning, start off in the baking oven (or roasting oven with a cold plain shelf) for the first 45 minutes to an hour, then move into the simmering oven.
-Alternatively, some Aga cooks prefer to use a "Cake Baker", no longer made. The mix is placed in the tin, placed on a trivet within a larger pan. This creates a moderate temperature within the roasting oven for longer bakes.
However you choose to bake your cake, wrap well once cool and feed weekly, storing for up to 3 months leading up to the big day.
And when it comes to the decorating, be sure to add an extra layer of marzipan for me!
The Electrickit Advanced with High-Temp Hot Cupboard is the first and only Aga that lets you digitally set the exact temperature of every oven — right up to (and beyond) 250°C.
And at Christmas? It’s a game-changer. Six Christmas cakes at once? No problem. Set all ovens to 140°C and go — no cold shelves, no shuffling trays, no fighting for space. Just effortless, stress-free baking and a showroom filled with glorious festive spice. Delicious!
Rural Ranges LTD
Unit 5 & 6 Edwards Building,
North Mills,
Bridport,
Dorset
Company number 10729164
The small family business with an international reputation. We sell and install exceptional reconditioned Agas and new range cookers. We service and maintain Aga and Rayburn cookers, convert Agas to electricity and re enamel and refurbish existing Aga cookers. Services available throughout England, Wales and internationally, including Europe and the USA.
Rural Ranges Ltd is a private limited company incorporated and registered in England and Wales with company number 10729164, whose registered office is: Rural Ranges, Unit 5 & 6 Edwards Building, North Mills, Bridport, Dorset, DT63BE. We are in no way connected with Aga Rangemaster Limited or any of their subsidiary companies. We fully acknowledge all trademarks and patents relating to any products owned by the Aga Rangemaster group