Fruitcakes, which often come out around the holidays, are notorious for lasting a long time. They're packed with nuts, spices, and dried fruit, and while many modern and commercial fruitcakes are alcohol-free, traditionally the cake is also soaked in alcohol. The booze can help boost your cake's flavor, while also keeping it moist and adding a preservative effect that creates that signature long shelf life.
If you want to try making a boozy fruitcake yourself, you'll need to know what type of alcohol works best. The best route to go here is to choose a strong liquor with a high alcohol content and vivid flavor that you enjoy, as the alcohol's tastingnotes are going to come out in the finished cake.
With that being said, there are a couple of other things to know about infusing your fruitcake with booze in order to get the best possible dessert. Plus, it pays to know what to use instead of alcohol if you want a moist and flavorful cake that everyone can enjoy.
What To Know About Infusing A Fruitcake With Booze
When choosing alcohol to use in your fruitcake, you'll want to think about the flavor it's going to impart. For a citrusy feel, you could go with triple sec. This can bring out notes of orange in your cake. Or, you could use a fruity sherry to help play up the natural fruit flavors. Other good choices of booze include brandy, rum, or whiskey. Feel free to use one or a mix of these to best complement your fruitcake.
Once you've chosen the liquor, bake the cake, poke holes throughout the whole thing, and pour a few tablespoons of the alcohol over it. Or, you can brush the cake with the alcohol. Another option is to wrap your dessert in an alcohol-soaked cheesecloth to imbue the whole thing with booze. Beyond adding liquor to the baked cake, some cooks alsosoak the fried fruit in the same spirit before adding it to the cake batter. You're then ready to serve your cake and enjoy the complementary flavors of the alcohol you've chosen.
What About Non-Alcoholic Fruitcakes?
Not all fruitcake recipes have to include alcohol. In order to keep the cake moist and flavorful, infuse it with a different liquid. One good choice is orange juice, which works in a similar manner to triple sec. If you don't have orange juice on hand, you can use apple juice, which pairs well with the spices and dried fruits in the cake, helping to elevate your dessert. Another great choice is togo with brewed tea, whether you use a simple black tea or a flavored variety.
If you want a more low-key cake, you can also skip the soaking step. Just keep in mind that you'll get a different, less complex flavor profile, and your cake could be less moist without the extra soak. Whether you decide to infuse your cake with a strong spirit such as rum or brandy, or you go for a non-alcoholic alternative, a little extra effort will put you on the right track to serving a moist and tasty fruitcake this holiday season.
Other good choices of booze include brandy, rum, or whiskey. Feel free to use one or a mix of these to best complement your fruitcake. Once you've chosen the liquor, bake the cake, poke holes throughout the whole thing, and pour a few tablespoons of the alcohol over it. Or, you can brush the cake with the alcohol.
Wrap it in several layers of cheesecloth and saturate the cheesecloth with rum or brandy. Place in a sealed container or zip bag. If the cloth starts to dry out, add more booze. Your fruitcake should be ready to eat in 7–10 days but it will keep for many weeks when properly aged in alcohol.
Yes, it is absolutely possible to make fruit cake without alcohol. You can replace the alcohol with fruit juice, such as orange juice or apple juice, to soak the dried fruits, adding flavor and moisture to the cake.
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.
Cognac is probably the best substitute for brandy in fruitcake. That's because cognac is basically fancy brandy. The naming is just a bit of technicality. You see, cognac can only legally be called 'cognac' if the grapes used to make it come from the Cognac region of France.
Simple syrup is a great all-purpose glaze for cakes and fruitcakes, adding moisture and a bit of sweetness. It's also a key element in certain mixed drinks. Looking for a simple recipe for simple syrup?
For best quality, a fruit cake that is tightly wrapped with aluminum foil or saran warp can be stored for up to 1 month in a cool, dark pantry, 6 months in the refrigerator, and 12 months in a freezer. Check often for signs of spoilage, and if mold or off-odors develop, discard the cake.
How to Store Fruitcake Without Alcohol? Fruitcake without alcohol won't last as long, however, its shelf life can still be maximized through proper storage techniques. Our fruitcake can last up to one month on your countertop, four months in the fridge, and six months in the freezer.
The most common duration to properly age a fruitcake is about three months. Any quicker will limit the development of complex flavors attributed to the maturing process. You can certainly age your cake for much longer than several months if you'd like, but we know how busy everyday life can be.
I love the flavor of spiced rum in my Christmas cake, so that's what I use to soak my fruit. The dried fruits get rehydrated in the rum and soaks it all up, making it super juicy and flavorful. If you can't find spiced rum, you can also use dark rum, cognac, brandy or sherry to soak your fruits.
A Fruit Cake is a normal vanilla cake with fruits in it.Whereas a Plum Cake is made with dry fruits soaked in alcohol/orange juice for more than a day. A Fruit Cake's colour is white to yellowish inside, whereas a Plum Cake's colour is brown to dark brown inside.
Tequila, rum and gin can work nicely if you choose additives that complement the botanicals used in the distillation process. And darker spirits like brandy and bourbon work well if you pair your fruit with the toasty, caramel, and other complex notes present in barrel aged products.
Your best bet is going to be another dry fortified wine such as dry (white) vermouth. Dry versions of Madeira and marsala are also acceptable. You can also substitute a dry white wine like sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, pinot blanc, or sémillon. Dry sparkling wines will also work when used in small amounts.
Introduction: My name is Mrs. Angelic Larkin, I am a cute, charming, funny, determined, inexpensive, joyous, cheerful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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