16 TESTED
CHRISTMAS CAKE
WINNER
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Frosty Snowflake Iced Fruit Cake £12 for 900g 82/100 With a generous amount of fruit, light spicing and a good hit of brandy, our winning cake is a real taste of Christmas. The moist, fudgy texture was excellent, and our panel felt the hazelnuts gave a nice crunch against the thick layer of icing.
RUNNER-UP
Iceland Luxury Iced Christmas Cake £8.50 for 1kg 81/100 Rich and intense, the dried fruit had a beautiful depth of flavour and natural treacly sweetness. It’s well-balanced, with a burst of citrus, well-integrated alcohol and the perfect marzipan-to-icing ratio.
BEST BUDGET
Lidl Deluxe Luxury All Over Iced Christmas Cake £6.99 for 1kg 71/100 It wasn’t particularly aromatic, but the flavoursome marzipan saves this simple fruit cake. Testers enjoyed the hearty nuttiness, which added welcome balance.
10 TESTED
PANETTONE
WINNER
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Cherry & Almond Panettone £10 for 750g 92/100 Filled with tangy cherries, soft slivers of almond and subtle hints of citrus zest, this is a delicious twist on the traditional.
RUNNER-UP
Tesco Finest Tiramisu Flavoured Panettone £10 for 750g 91/100 Combining two top Italian delicacies, this is the ultimate after-dinner treat. It has a nostalgic instant-coffee aroma and is filled with mascarpone. The panel enjoyed the bitter chocolate, boozy kick and dusting of icing sugar.
BEST BUDGET
Aldi Specially Selected Chocolate Panettone £3.99 for 750g 76/100 Aldi’s budget bake is full of oozy melted chocolate pockets, although some testers found the texture a touch crumbly. runner-up
BEST SAVOURY PANETTONE
Waitrose & Partners Parmigiano Reggiano & Cracked Black Pepper Panettone £8.50 for 500g 79/100 A supermarket first, this subtly cheesy bake is made with Parmesan and has a lovely black pepper kick — think cacio e pepe, in bread form. An excellent addition to a Christmas grazing table alongside charcuterie and cheese.
40 TESTED
MINCE PIES
