You will need to finish it within 3-4 days max if stored at room temperature. Light Fruit Cake – My Recipe Notes Line your cake tins well. How To Store fruit cake. This treat is packed with fruit and nuts. Here comes a detailed post on how to soak dry fruits for Christmas fruit cake (plum cake) either in alcohol or juice and how long to soak and how to store the prepared fruit mix. How do I store fruit cake? Some will also preserve fruit … This Holiday Chocolate Fruitcake is infused with bourbon, brandy, and rum. During storage a fruitcake ripens and develops a … With this method, brush the kitchen towel and cling wrap every time you feed the cake, with more alcohol. Despite the alcohol in the ingredients, nobody becomes intoxicated by eating a moist, delicious rum cake because all of the alcohol is burned off during the baking process. The alcohol you use to age your fruit cake is also up to you. You have a choice of white rum, spiced rum, brandy, whiskey, cognac or liqueurs like Grand Marnier. The best fruit cakes are matured for at least a month and moistened or ‘fed’ from time to time with alcohol such as sherry, Madeira or brandy. However, when Christmas cake fruit soaking, be careful not to go overboard when you feed them, as this can cause them to become soggy, or too moist at best. Brush the warm cake with rum or brandy. I like to wrap the cake in a double layer of greaseproof paper and then in double foil. Soak the fruit before baking, in the same spirit you plan to use for preserving the cake. Fruit cake enthusiasts suggest soaking a cloth in the same type of liquor as used in a cake's ingredients, wrapping the cloth around the cake, wrapping foil over the covered cake and storing it in a cool, dark place. Choosing the best-quality dried fruit you can find produces a better-flavored fruitcake, both in the short- and the longer-term. Fruitcake can remain in its pan for storage, if desired. 1 tsp baking powder. Remove the cakes from the oven. Bear in mind that if you aren’t feeding it with alcohol then the cake won’t keep for as long, so bake it the same week that you want to serve it. Soak fruits for Christmas fruit cake about a month before Christmas - in the last week of … Fruit cakes without liquor … ¼ tsp cinnamon powder . Traditional cakes would be fed with Brandy or a similar spirit – the alcohol helps to preserve the cake. ½ tsp baking soda. Feel free to dilute the rum or whiskey with water, since most of the alcohol will evaporate during the baking process. If you know the rules, it is time to bend them. Adding too much non-alcoholic liquid, however, may … This method is supposed to allow the cake to last for years without growing mold. Cut one of the quarters into halves and then into halves again. Allow the fruit mixture to sit in a cool, dark place. It’s no news that fruit cake can last up to a year. To ripen a fruitcake for a few weeks before the holidays, brush it with a moistening ingredient such as a light sugar syrup, fruit juice, or the traditional rum or brandy. This fruit cake takes approximately 2 hours and 10 minutes to bake to perfection. I flip the torted layers over with a cake … Alcohol: medium sherry, dark rum, whisky, brandy or orange-flavoured liqueur are the usual flavours for fruit cakes. If you want to store it for longer, I recommend you allow the cake to cool completely and then wrap it well with cling film and freeze it. Brandied fruit is a delicious treat. Usually I would make it months in advance, but I'm worried about it going off without the… It’s wonderful as a shortcake topping, over ice cream or even by itself in a bowl. Since the cake contains no alcohol, it doesn’t have a long shelf life. The concern most people have is how to store the cake properly. Homemade versions don't always contain alcohol and may substitute plain dried fruits for the candied versions. Or carefully remove cake from the pan after about 5 minutes, loosening its edges first. I am fine with baking it with tea instead of alcohol to soak the fruit, but I'm concerned about how long it will need to mature. Store in an airtight container and allow to mature for at least a couple of weeks. A simple treat that is also a great hostess or holiday gift! Given the long baking time, to avoid the sides of the cake from over baking and to dry out, you must wrap the sides of the cake tin with a … You can then ‘feed’ the cake once in a while, if you wish. ⅛ tsp nutmeg . Grand Marnier happens to be my aging liquor of choice because its citrus flavor goes well with the citrus notes in the fruit cake. However, some people prefer to ferment the fruit for up to 2 to 3 weeks. Once completely cooled, wrap the fruit cake in several layers of cling wrap and place in an air-tight container. Here are some tips on How to Keep Fruitcake Tasty and Moist. Hi! Here the post speaks in detail about both alcohol rich and non- alcoholic (juice based) fruit soaking methods and … The spray gives a light, more even coverage without soaking. Fruit tends to ferment quickly, in 24 to 48 hours. I have a couple of small spray bottles that make a very fine mist. Most traditional recipes can store well indefinitely if packaged properly, but nonalcohol versions have a shorter shelf life. Experts at North Carolina State University, U.S., said illness-causing bacteria is unlikely to grow on a fruit cake, because the alcohol helps kill bacteria and prevent mould. Preserving the fruit cake is a very important aspect of fruit cake making. Cakes made without liquor may be kept in the refrigerator for short-term storage or freezer for longer storage. Fruit cakes aged with liquor can keep well for up to 6 months or longer. To make this vegan Christmas cake alcohol free, soak the fruit in the same quantity of orange juice. Keep the cake in an airtight tin and store it in a cool dark place. I make simple syrup and then mix half syrup and half liquor or liqueur and spray all surfaces except the very top. You can use alcohol or black tea. When fruit is in season, you can can it, dehydrate it, or freeze it to store it for later use. Keeping a fruit cake moist is one of the best ways to preserve the fruit cake. Combine the dates, raisins, cherries, and nuts with 1/4 cup of the flour and toss to coat the fruit and nuts. My choice is usually a dark rum or brandy, but this year I am also experimenting with a spiced bourbon cake as well as our standard rum cake. In a small bowl, mix together the baking soda and sour cream; set aside. Ingredients . Instructions. Brush 1-2 tablespoons over the cake immediately it is removed from the oven. Soak your fruit with alcohol for up to one month. A better version of the Christmas fruit cake. A classic technique for storing fruitcakes for a long time without losing quality is to wrap the aged cakes in a thin layer of marzipan , coated with royal icing . With alcohol use dark rum, brandy, sherry, whiskey or bourbon. d. The short cut method if you need to make the cake without too much time for the soaking? Preheat oven to 325°F. *Brandy is used in this initial starter recipe, but since you are using it to candy fruit, and not adding the liquid itself to the cake, you will put very little alcohol into the cake because of it, and the amount you put in will bake out. 1 + ½ cup maida. ⅛ tsp clove powder. This cake needs alcohol to be added just once, mid week before Christmas Day. Just a quick question about making an alcohol free fruit cake. The cakes are done when a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Wrap it with cheesecloth followed by airtight plastic wrap, and refrigerate the cake for three to six weeks. Celebrate with our Triple Liquor Cake. orange zest, little Christmas is a season to make fruit cakes and making a fruit cake is a pleasant experience especially if it for your loved ones. Secure it all with an elastic band, then keep it in an airtight container till needed. For those who like a well-brandied cake, a little 'feeding' of the cake at odd intervals (say, weekly) before Christmas will add an extra dimension to it. Note that: This fruit cake recipe is made without any alcohol, so it should be consumed within a few days of baking or tightly wrapped and frozen for up to six months. Rum cakes usually contain fruits and nuts and are a traditional Caribbean dessert enjoyed during holidays and special religious events, including christenings. Fermentation occurs once bubbles appear on the fruit because the yeast is digesting the sugar and converting it into alcohol. Repeat this process on the other quarters of fruitcake till you have 16 equal, 2” thick slices of fruitcake. If you wish to gift it, it is best made fresh. I made it without eggs, condensed milk, alcohol, processed flour, or sugar. My recipe is a healthier take on the classic fruit cake. Instead of alcohol, this fruit cake has a ton of flavor using orange juice and zest. Taking your knife, cut the cake horizontally so that you will have four equal cake quarters. Place in a cool, dark and dry area of the kitchen like a pantry.