Friendship Fruit Cake {plus Starter Recipe} (2024)

FAQs

What is the best liquor to soak fruitcake in? ›

What alcohol should you use? Strong, flavourful spirits with a high ABV are ideal for feeding fruitcakes. You can use rum, brandy or whisky for spice, or if you like citrus flavours, try an orange liqueur. Cherry brandy and amaretto will also work well if you prefer these.

The general idea in booze soaked cake is the flavor of the booze adding to the flavor of the cake, not just the alcohol.

Immerse your fruitcake in a generous amount of your chosen spirit, whether it be rum, brandy, or bourbon. Opt for repeated brushings to ensure the cake drinks in the essence quickly. The alcohol content not only infuses rich flavors but also preserves the cake, expediting the maturation process.

The cake will not rise much as it is a rich fruit cake rather than a light fruit cake or sponge-type cake. It should have a fairly close and slightly crumbly texture. Most rich fruit cakes, such as Christmas cake, have very little to no leavening in them as they are loaded with fruits and nuts.

Fruitcake lasts longer than most other cakes because it is filled with nuts and candied fruit. It will last even longer if you sprinkle it with a spirit like brandy.

Fruitcake with alcohol can last years, and in some rare cases, it can last decades. For those looking to prepare fruitcakes with alcohol for storage, you'll want to make sure to brush the fruitcake with alcohol fairly consistently across its time in storage.

How much alcohol do you soak fruit it for Christmas cake? The amount of alcohol you soak fruit in for Christmas cake depends on your personal preference. If you want a strong alcohol flavor, soak the fruit in a cup of brandy or rum. If you prefer a milder flavor, soak the fruit in a cup of orange juice or apple cider.

Brush cakes generously with sweet sherry, brandy, rum, port, liqueur or fruit juice; do not use wine. Using fruit juice can increase the chances of your fruitcake going mouldy. Wrap each cake in several layers of cheesecloth and then in plastic wrap.

That said, even though a decades-old fruitcake might taste like a leather shoe, eating it probably won't make you dangerously sick.

Do fruitcakes expire? ›

[Note: not all fruitcakes are made this way, see the safety note below.] The U.S. Department of Agriculture says that fruitcake will last two to three months in the refrigerator without spoiling, and will maintain its quality if stored up to a year in the freezer.

In an oven that's too hot, the outside of the cake cooks at a much faster rate than the inside. A crust forms early on, but as the inside of the cake continues to cook and rise, this crack crusts. You might experience the same problem if the cake recipe has too much leavener or if you've used a pan that's too small.

But to answer your question, the cake is heavy because it's very dense. The dried fruit, for instance, is soaked in syrup, then there are nuts and usually a cup or so of shortening to mix into the eggs and flour. It doesn't rise much because it's compact and that's what makes it heavy.

The top can overcook before the middle even gets started. The cake pan could be overfull. A full cake pan takes a lot longer to cook, and you can very easily end up with a cake that is both under, and over cooked.

Whiskey serves as a great substitute for brandy in a fruitcake. Although whiskey comes from fermented grain mash while brandy is made from fermented grape mash, the process is so similar, that the flavor will be similar as well.

Spiced Rum: Spiced rum has hints of ginger, cinnamon and allspice making it ideal for this festive fruit cake.