How To Soak Fruits for Christmas Cake: A Quick Guide (2024)

FAQs

What is best to soak fruit in for Christmas cake? ›

Most recipes call for dried fruit to be soaked overnight. I take a speedy approach: just microwave the dried fruit with juice and/or brandy, then stand for 1 hour to soak up the liquid. So much faster – and just as effective! Other than that, there's nothing unusual about how this fruit cake is made.

The US Food and Drug Administration, the US Department of Agriculture and other scientists agree: use a cold water soak with baking soda to effectively help remove dirt, chemical residue, and other unwanted materials from your fresh vegetables and fruits.

It is not necessary to keep the steeping fruits in the fridge as both the fruits and the alcohol keep well.

Put your dried fruit in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let it steep for 10 to 15 minutes, and then strain the fruit and discard the water. The fruit will be plumper, juicier, and softer. To give your fruit some extra flavor, swap the water for fruit juice or a liquor, like rum, bourbon, or brandy.

It is possible to use orange juice instead of alcohol to soak the fruits but we would not use it to feed the cake with after baking as fruit juice spoils more easily than alcohol.

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.

To make sure your fruitcake doesn't dry out, unwrap it every few days and brush it with rum, brandy, or a simple sugar syrup.

How do you keep fruitcake moist? ›

Wrap each cake in several layers of cheesecloth and then in plastic wrap. Store the cakes in airtight containers in a cool dry place, but not in the refrigerator or freezer. Check carefully at least once a week, as rich, moist cakes mould very easily.

Soak the fruit overnight so it can absorb the alcohol and plump up.

Whether you're using a honeydew, blueberries or strawberries for your fruit, you can't go wrong with a fruit infused with alcohol.

You can reduce the liklihood of dried fruits such as cranberries or raisins sinking by lightly dusting them in flour before adding them to your cake mixture. Simply toss the fruit in a small bowl with a small scoop of flour and add the lightly covered fruit to your cake mix and follow the rest of the recipe as normal.

And you can use other alternatives such as sweet sherry, Grand Marnier or Amaretto. It is possible to use orange juice instead of alcohol to soak the fruits but we would not use it to feed the cake with after baking as fruit juice spoils more easily than alcohol.

Rehydrate the fruits: Dried fruits can be quite hard and dry, so it's often a good idea to rehydrate them before adding them to your baked goods. To do this, simply soak the dried fruits in warm water or fruit juice for 15-20 minutes until they are plump and tender.

For making Christmas fruit cake and plum cake, fruits should be soaked in alcoholic beverage for atleast one week and can be stored for a few weeks or months. It is ideal to leave the fruits soaking for 4-5 weeks before baking rich fruit cake.