Christmas Cake Feeding Schedule 2026: When to Bake, How Often to Feed, and When to Ice

A rich fruit Christmas cake improves with time, as long as you remember to feed it. Most bakers start six to twelve weeks before Christmas, feed the cake every week or two, and stop about a week before decorating. Christmas Day 2026 is a Friday, and Stir-up Sunday is 22 November. Here's how to plan the weeks between now and then.

When to bake your Christmas cake in 2026

Country & Town House says most bakers recommend baking six to twelve weeks ahead. It quotes baker Nancy Birtwhistle saying early November is the best time. For Christmas 2026 that means:

• Earliest sensible start: early October (about 12 weeks ahead).
• Ideal for most: the first week or two of November, for example Sunday 1 or 8 November.
• Traditional deadline: Stir-up Sunday, 22 November 2026, the Sunday before Advent. This leaves about a month to mature.

Baking later than that still gives you a good cake, just with fewer feeds and a less mature flavour.

How to feed a Christmas cake

Silver Spoon's method:

• Let the cake cool, then leave the sides wrapped and unwrap only the top.
• Make several small holes in the top with a skewer.
• Spoon over 1–2 tablespoons of brandy, or another spirit, or fruit juice for an alcohol-free cake.
• Re-wrap it fully in baking paper or foil and keep it in a sealed container in a cool place.

Nigella Lawson suggests starting soon after baking, while the cake cools in its tin. Delia Smith uses teaspoonfuls poured into holes made in the top and the bottom.

How often to feed it, and when to stop

Feed once a week or once a fortnight. Both work, so choose one rhythm and stick to it. Feeding more often makes a boozier, moister cake. Too much at once can make it soggy, so a tablespoon or two at a time is plenty.

Stop feeding about a week before you decorate or serve it, so the top is dry enough for the marzipan to stick. A final splash just before serving is optional.

When to marzipan and ice

Marzipan needs to dry before icing goes on top. Nigella's site suggests 24 to 48 hours. Lawson's guide says at least 24 hours before fondant and at least two days before royal icing. Delicious magazine says the whole decorating process takes about 3–4 days of drying in total.

For a cake served on Christmas Day, that means marzipan around 19–20 December and icing on 21–22 December.

A sample week-by-week plan (baked Sunday 1 November)

• Sun 1 Nov: bake, cool, first feed.
• Sundays 8 Nov to 6 Dec: feed weekly (or on 15 and 29 Nov only, if you're feeding fortnightly).
• Sun 13 Dec: last feed.
• Sat 19 Dec: apricot jam and marzipan.
• Mon 21 Dec: ice.
• Fri 25 Dec: serve.

If you bake on Stir-up Sunday (22 Nov) instead, feed on 29 Nov and 6 Dec (and on 13 Dec if you're decorating later), then follow the same decorating dates.

Frequently asked questions

When is Stir-up Sunday 2026? Sunday 22 November 2026, the Sunday before Advent.

How often should I feed a Christmas cake? Every week or every two weeks, from soon after baking until about a week before you decorate it.

How much brandy should I use each time? About 1–2 tablespoons, spooned into small holes made with a skewer.

Can I feed a Christmas cake without alcohol? Yes. Fruit juice works, although an alcohol-free cake won't keep as long, so store it somewhere cool and check it.

Is it too late to make a Christmas cake in December? No. A cake baked in early December will still be good; it just has less time to mature and fewer feeds.

How ReminderIt helps

The hardest part of a fed Christmas cake is remembering it's in the cupboard. ReminderIt can ring your phone at the time you choose and send a WhatsApp message with Done and Snooze buttons.

Message ReminderIt on WhatsApp something like "Remind me every Sunday at 11am to feed the Christmas cake until 13 December", then "Remind me on 19 December to marzipan the cake". There's a 7-day free trial with no card, then it's $7/month.