Fruitcake 101 – Tips for Baking & Storing Fruit Cakes.
Baking a fruitcake is a little different than regular cakes. In this post, Fruitcake 101, you will find tips for baking the perfect fruit cake, for storing your fruitcake weather you make yours with alcohol or fruit juice.
I know Christmas is coming so everyone has almost started with the Fruitcake preparations. To those of us that have been doing fruitcakes for years; it’s just a regular cake. For those that are just starting out; it’s quite unnerving when people tell you – Fruitcake is different? How is it different? Why is it different? and What do I need to do differently?
How is Fruit Cake Different?
- Well, it has so much more than just four egg and butter? The real difference is the addition of all those gorgeous fruits.
- Most often we eat our cakes baked fresh, but not a fruitcake. Usually, a fruitcake is well preserved, fed with alcohol over weeks before the special day.
- If you do not follow the right process for storing fruit cake you could end up with a moldy fruit cake which is not very pleasant
- Most cakes are decorated with buttercream, ganache fondant and such but a traditional fruit cake is brushed with orange marmalade, then wrapped in Marzipan and then covered in Royal Icing or sometimes Fondant.
My mom baked cakes a lot. In fact, she took orders for cakes but never decorated them. I remember the once July sets in she’d soak her fruits, once October sets in she’d start making her preparations and arrangements to make sure she has a nice cozy cool corner for the fruitcakes to rest. That’s what she’d call ‘the season’. She was very good at baking so she’d get book way in advance. I credit all my baking skills to her.
Fruitcake 101 (Save/Pin)
I have given you a few fruitcake recipes so this post is not about one recipe. And you can use it with almost all fruitcakes that call for dry fruit and nuts. Especially the ones you make during the Christmas season.
My recipes are scattered between my three blogs, this one here as well as my contribution to Cake Decorating Tutorials and East Indian Recipe. I will leave the links below.
Here, I have compiled a few tips that I think are really important to know when baking fruitcakes. I do hope you find them useful.
Tips for Baking a perfect Fruitcake – Fruit Cake 101 (Save/Pin)
- Always soak the fruit, at least overnight if not for longer t it will soften and make the cake moist. Soaking the fruits means that the fruit will not absorb any more moisture from the cake batter and will cook in its own juices. This results in a very flavorful moist cake.
- Dust the fruit in flour before you add to the batter so they will not sink to the bottom of the pan. If the fruit is wet, drain excess liquid and dust with flour just before adding to the batter. The fruit on its own, when added to the batter, tends to sink to the bottom of the cake. When you dust the fruit with flour – this flour helps to hold onto the cake batter keeping it in place.
- You can add the liquid in which the fruit was soaked to the batter separately. (unless you want to limit the quantity of alcohol or unless stated otherwise in the recipe)
- Fill the pan only 2/3 full, not more. Fruitcakes do not rise when baking because they do not have too many leavening agents or lots of eggs. But a 2/3 full pan is always good for even baking in cakes.
- Fruitcakes cook long and slow. Which is why linning the baking pans on all sides is very important. This will prevent the outside from overcooking while the center is still cooking.
- When it comes to fruitcakes, I prefer to line the pan as well as use cake strips. This always gives me a moist cake. It does take longer to bake with the slow cooking.
- Ensure oven temperature is low so the batter will cook evenly without drying out the fruit.
- Often add some water to the baking tray around the pan or a small bowl of water in the oven can help keep the cake moist.
MIXED SPICES AND FLAVORS.
One of my pet peeve about Christmas baking or should I say fall recipes is that people add too much of spices. So much that everything tastes like cinnamon, pumpkin spice or gingerbread spice. I think adding spices is great if you can keep the proportion to a minimum. The spices are there to enhance flavors not to overpower the other flavors. So, next time you follow a recipe with spices? perhaps check to see if you want them all or reduce the quantity a bit.
- Mixed spice is generally made with cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, allspice, and ground nutmeg sometimes even caraway seeds, cardamom, and cayenne.
- If you cannot get mixed spice? add 1/8 tsp each of ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground clove and or ground allspice.
- Don’t like spices in your cake? – add 1/8 tsp Cinnamon, 1 tsp vanilla or 1/2 tsp almond extract – you can add all three or just simple plain vanilla extract.
- If you are going to use orange marmalade to brush the fruitcake later you could add 1/2 tsp of orange extract to enhance the flavors when baking too.
This was our Tip Thursday collection for this week.
you can find them all on this blog and Pin them on Pinterest here to
Tips for Storing Fruitcakes – Fruit Cake 101 (Save/Pin)
In general – you can store Fruitcake at room temperature for one month, refrigerator for six months, or store in the freezer for up to a year!!!
To ensure you have a nice moist fruitcake.
- Take a muslin/cheesecloth soaked in rum, brandy or fruit juice Wrap the cake well with this liquor/fruit soaked cheesecloth.
- Cover the wrapped cake in aluminum foil.
- Do not let the aluminum touch the cake directly. The acid in the liquor will corrode the foil and affect the flavor of the cake.
- Place the cake in an airtight plastic box.
- Keep away from direct sunlight.
- The liquor/juice soaked muslin/cheesecloth can be refreshed every month to ensure a moist fruit cake (optional)
- Place an apple in the box with the fruitcake to help keep moisture. (optional)
- Extended Length storage – to store for more than a year. Cover the alcohol-soaked fruit cake in powdered sugar, then in plastic and then in an airtight container.
Again this was our Tip Thursday last week –
you can find them all on this blog and Pin them on Pinterest here to
Troubleshooting
Why does my fruit cake not rise?
A fruit cake is a dense batter loaded with fruit so it won’t rise like a regular sponge cake. However, it is not a flat dense cake so there has to be some rise because we do have leavening and eggs in the batter. Make sure to check the baking powder is not expired.
Why is my fruitcake crumbly?
Measure the ingredients properly, so there a good balance of fruit to the cake batter. Too much fruit means there is not enough batter to hold it all together. Alternatively, too much sugar in a cake batter to crumble when you cut. Too little sugar can make the cake dense and tough.
My fruit cake is too dry?
Often, over-baking a fruit cake is the cause of dry fruit cakes. A fruit cake must be baked at the right temperature. The too-high oven temperature will dry the cake. Follow the recipe closely, including baking times.
Frequently asked questions
While fresh fruit keeps the cake moist, dry fruits can take moisture from the cake. Soaking the fruits ensure they are already moist so the cake stays moist and flavorful for longer. You don’t have to soak the fruits for months, weeks, days or hours. Even an hour or two is a good start.
Store a fruit cake in a cool dry place away from sunlight wrapped well in parchment or greaseproof paper and foil. Then place in an airtight container.
Later to store a fruit cake for longer than one year. Cover the alcohol-soaked fruitcake in powdered sugar, then in plastic and then in the airtight container.
Personally, I love to use brandy, dark rum or Cognac. But, sherry, whiskey, orange-flavored liqueur such as Cointreau work too.
By adding more moisture to the cake. Soak a cheesecloth with alcohol, fruit juice or syrup. Wrap the cake in the soaked cheesecloth and place it in the refrigerator.
Well, this depends on how boozy you want the fruit cake. You don’t want the cake too soggy but you don’t want a dry or stale cake either. For a rich mature fruit cake feed it once every week for 12 weeks.
Fruitcake Recipes
The BEST Rich Fruitcake Recipe
Boozy Christmas Fruitcake Recipe
Dark Fruitcake Recipe
Moist Eggless Fruitcake Recipe
Traditional Christmas Pudding Recipe
Pistachio Cherry Bundt Cake – Cherry Fruitcake
Cranberry Almond Semolina Cake Recipe
Moist Cranberry Almond Cake
Tutti Frutti Cake – Glace Mixed Fruit Bundt Cake
Halva Fruit Cake Bars aka Halva Squares
SAVE THIS RECIPE ON PINTEREST FOR LATER. TRIED MY RECIPE? SHARE IT WITH ME, PLEASE.
Share a picture of your work with me by uploading an image here below my image on this board. You can also find a collection of my tutorials and recipes here on Pinterest.
More Christmas Baking
- Eggnog Yule Log Cake,
- Chocolate Yule Log Cake,
- Christmas Fudge
- Candy Christmas Cookies
- Ice Cream Cone Christmas Tree Cupcakes
- Snowflake Christmas Cookies
- Christmas Cookie decorating Tutorial –
- How to decorate Christmas Cookies with Fondant
- Quick Marzipan Recipe
- Homemade Chocolate Marzipan Recipe
- Cooked Marzipan Recipe
Grover
Thank you for these tips and all the fruitcake recipes. I made two last year and going to make all your fruitcake recipes again this year. I have already soaked the fruit two months ago for my boozy fruitcake just as you suggested. I wanted to say thank you for all your recipes. They are always 100% fool-proof and the way you write everything with tips and details are very appreciated
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Grover. So happy you are enjoying my recipes. Fruitcake is sure a big hit during the holidays on my blog so am happy to hear you making it again. Appreciate you coming back to write this feedback. Thank you.
Deborah
Hello Veena, the recipe I used had crystallized ginger in it. I added extra ginger to mine because I love a rich gingerbread flavour. I brushed the cake with honey liqueur & whiskey. I have run out of alcohol. Which alcohol should I use to keep it gingery & not affect the flavour I want to enjoy??
Veena Azmanov
I am a big fan of ginger too. Crystallized ginger would work wonderfully with this recipe.
You can use a Ginger Liquor to keep it moist and gingery. I personally like rum or brandy with my fruit cake.
In winter I infuse my brandy with ginger for medicinal purposes and that would work well too.
Additionally, you can add ginger powder to the liquor or fruit cake.
I hope this helps.
Deborah
Hi Veena,
I already made the fruitcake with Crystallized ginger , Powdered ginger and the other usual spices and fruit. It was a London England recipe.
When I had a piece of the wedding cake, It reminded me of a rich gingerbread cookie taste but obviously not consistency. I’ve vowed I would make it in after 10 years I just made it last Thursday. I have rushed on honey liqueur & Jack Daniels whiskey over it once it came out of the oven and then after 10 hours I brushed it again over top and sides and bottom of the 12“ x 3“ fruitcake. I really want to preserve the delicious gingerbread flavour that I had tasted many years ago. I don’t want it to become a predominately alcoholic flavoured cake. So, should I just stop sprinkling Liquor on it and maybe make a simple syrup so that the cake is brushed all over once a week with it and then that will preserve the flavor? I don’t want it more gingery or more alcohol tasting.
Do I really need to poke holes all through the top of my cake to put a simple syrup in if that is what you would recommend or can I just brush it over the outside of the cake. I’m really surprised that fruitcake will dry out so easily that it Hass to be brushed once a week for six weeks for it to ripen. This is my first cake, and I really want to do it right.
Do I really need to poke holes all through the top of my cake to put a simple syrup in if that is what you would recommend or can I just brush it over the outside of the cake. I’m really surprised that fruitcake will dry out so easily that it Hass to be brushed once a week for six weeks for it to ripen. This is my first cake, and I really want to do it right.
Thank you so much again, Deborah
Veena Azmanov
It all depends on how moist your cake is Deborah. I don’t know the recipe but if you don’t want alcohol then don’t add more alcohol. Sugar syrup will make the cake too sweet to eat so personally I would not use too much sugar syrup. Also, it’s not necessary to do it every week if your cake is moist. You can do it every other week. Hope this helps.
Deborah
Hi Veena, how do you know how moist your cake is?
So can I just let it ripen now for six weeks in my refrigerator in the basement? It is wrapped very well with wax paper and then cellophane and I have put it back in it’s 12” x 3” round cake pan with foil over top.
I baked it uncovered at 275°F for five hours and when I put the butter knife in it it came out clean.
Veena Azmanov
Hey Deborah. I cannot speak for somebody else’s recipe.
You can definitely try letting it rest in the fridge to ripen. Or you can perhaps contact the website where you got the recipe and see if they have some information about the cake for you.
Sorry not being much help I know, but don’t want to misdirect you because each recipe works differently.
Thanks
Elimi
BEST Fruit cake recipe ever Veena. I’ve been making your recipe for years. Bookmarked it and here I am again.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Elimi. So happy that this recipe worked well for you and you enjoy it every year. Thank you so much for coming back to write this feedback. Love to hear from those who tried my recipe.
Gretra
Thank you so much for these tips. They are so straightforward and well explained. The other blogs were so confusing.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Gretra. So happy you found this article useful.
yeu
Hie
Wow I enjoyed going through your blog and all my questions where answered.thank you for your time and efforts
Veena Azmanov
Thank you Yeu – So happy to hear that.
Carson
Thank you for this detailed post. I really got all my questions answered. Appreciate the time you take to write things in detail.
Veena Azmanov
So happy to hear that all your questions were answered with this post. Feel free to ask any questions if you have anytime. Thanks you .
Snehal
The recipes and tips are awesome… Just one question .
When we Take a muslin/cheese cloth soaked in rum, brandy or fruit juice Wrap the cake well with this liquor / fruit soaked cheese cloth. I put this wrapped cake in the fridge or keep it in a container at room temperature?
Veena Azmanov
Snehal. These are actually kept at room temperature in a cool dark place. Back in the old days they use to not have fridge so this was a preserving method to keep the cake for longer times.
Janet hayman
My question is, when storing in powder sugar, do you cover just the top of cake, chesecloth with powdersugar, or do you bury the whole cake with the sugar, then place in tin…and also do you once monthly unwrap cloth to liquor or do you brush top of cheesecloth with liquor. Or do you do nothin with cake, once it is in powdersugar bed.
Veena Azmanov
Hi Janet – Yes you actually cover the whole cake in powder sugar. The sugar works as a preservative which is why you can keep it longer than a year or more. I remember my mom say you can keep it for over 10 years. Honestly never tried it.
My mom would brush the cake with liquor that way she could also keep an eye on what’s really happening. I remembers she’d do it in cool dark part of the room with a small light.!! The liquor is only for the first few weeks. After that once it’s in powder sugar you do not need to add more liquor. There is enough in there already.
Cora Barkhuizen
Your tips was definitely helped me a lot. Thanks for that. I baked my first one yesterday. I experienced a few problems, but that is I believe not so surious.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you Cora. So happy to hear that it was successful. Would love to know what problems you had so may be I can advice and it may help others who are trying the recipes as well. Thanks
Melissa
I have never actually had fruit cake and had no idea it was preserved with alcohol. Yours looks amazing! Thanks for all the tips!
Veena Azmanov
Yeah Melissa.. it’s an old English Fruit Cake delicacy that has been lost to the rest of the world. Though it’s still big in England. And of course in India being a British colony
Kirsten @ Treat Yourself Sweeter
I have to say, I was never a fan of fruit cake but as I get older… I really appreciate them! The smell of them just screams Christmas! As much as I like them.. it has to be a good one and yours looks gorgeous… all those fruits and it looks so moist. Think I’ll have to try this out and make my first ever fruit cake!!
Veena Azmanov
Aww thank you Kristen. I do hope you try it – it’s really simple and I have a great recipe for you too. <3
Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy
A few years ago we made fruit cake. We used rum on some and brandy on the others. Homemade fruit cake is so good. It is a labour of love for a few months…but so worth the effort.
Veena Azmanov
That is true ! It is a labor of love. Thanks for the comment
Julia
I of course heard about fruit cakes and tried them (they sell them at the Christmas market around here) but I never knew it could be stored for so long! Is it the alcohol that preserves the cakes?
Veena Azmanov
Yes, it is the alcohol Julia that’s what preserves the cake for so long. Glad you enjoy fruit cakes.