Christmas preparations # 1: Christmas Cakes - UPDATE! Stages 2 and 3

So, the boy continues to be a legend, and he has a bit of a gnarly cold so is sleeping even more.  That said, it has taken some time to getting around to feeding the cakes, for a number of reasons...

I made the mix:

And, being rather Janet British Bake Off about following a recipe, substituted gluten free self raising flour instead of plain flour (we'd run out as Mr WP had been in a Hummingbird frenzy again).  And this also meant my mum, who loves a Christmas cake, could share in the joy.

So, I baked them:

And they came out with a nice spongey top and a clean skewer etc etc.  But then mum tried one and we found they were, horror of horrors, UNDERDONE.  Oh no!  What to do?  Mum said feed with brandy and they'll taste alright.  But I just couldn't face an underbake.  I could hear Paul and Mary's words ringing in my ears so I consulted Helen and we decided it would be ok to bung them back in the oven for half an hour.  This happened today - FIVE days later.  Proper Janet behaviour. 

So now they look like this and have also had a liberal dowsing with brandy:

Proper rock hard slightly burnt Christmas cake.  Yessssss.