August 7, 2018
Get Into the Holiday Spirit with Our Boozy Fruitcake Recipe
STEP 1
Remove your fruitcake from its tin. Discard the cake’s cellophane wrapping. Line the empty tin’s base and walls with plastic wrap. Using a skewer, poke small holes 1” deep across the entire surface of the cake. Place your fruitcake back inside the plastic wrap-lined tin.
It is important to thoroughly line your tin to avoid any possible leakage while encouraging the liquor to infuse into the fruitcake.
STEP 2
Evenly pour 1.5 - 2 ounces of your favorite bourbon, rum, brandy, or cognac, over the fruitcake. For a quick way to measure, use a standard-sized shot glass. Take care to pour slowly, allowing the liquor to absorb into the cake with minimal runoff. Once you are finished, replace the lid and store your fruitcake tin in a cool dry location, like your refrigerator, for one to two weeks.
BE BOLD
For a bolder flavor, repeat steps 1 and 2, adding an additional 1.5 - 3 ounces of liquor till the desired flavor profile is reached.
POPULAR PAIRINGS:
Whiskey or Bourbon
Rum or Spiced Rum
Cognac
Sherry
Brandy
AHH, SHUCKS! Wanting to use brandy to soak your fruitckae but just realized you're out?—read how you can use these brandy alternatives in our blog, 5 Best Substitutes for Brandy in Fruitcake.
BePatientand BePrepared
As the fruitcake and liquor rest together, the strong alcohol taste from the liquor begins to mellow leaving behind the subtle flavors and aromas of your chosen spirit. The longer your fruitcake is allowed to marinate in the liquor, the less predominate the alcohols’ signature burn.
However, if you are too eager to dive into your fruitcake right off the bat, try warming a slice in the microwave for just a few seconds. This will help cook off some of the strong alcohol taste.
For best results, order your fruitcakes at least 2-4 weeks before serving to family and friends. This allows time for both the delivery and infusing of your fruitcake.
Can I Infuse My Petites? Of course!
STEP 1
Remove and discard the Petites cellophane wrapping. Remove your Petites from their packaging and place them in a large airtight container. The container should be large enough to allow each Petites to lie flat without overlapping.
STEP 2
Fill a small pastry bottle with 1.5 - 2 ounces of your favorite liquor. Using the pastry bottle fill a very small quantity of liquor into the center of each petite. With the remaining liquor, evenly distributed across the tops and sides of each Petite. Close the container and store your Petites in a cool dry location for one to two weeks.
Storing Your Infused Cakes
Liquor-infused fruitcakes and fruitcake Petites can be stored safely for longer periods of time. For short-term storage, we recommend storing your cakes in a cool, dry location such as your refrigerator. For longer-term storage, place your cakes in your freezer.
But First, You Need a Cake
Now, you have the recipe. It’s time to start pouring. Shop online to get your DeLuxe®️ Fruitcake today!
FAQs
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.
What two ingredients help fruitcake last longer? ›
Sugar and alcohol create a hostile environment for microorganisms. One ingredient that bolsters fruitcake's longevity is alcohol, says Bryan Quoc Le, a food scientist and faculty research fellow at Pacific Lutheran University.
How long to soak fruit in alcohol for fruit cake? ›
You can soak the fruit for days (or weeks) by adding alcohol and mixing as you go, allowing the dried fruit to soak up all the liquid. We do this by adding alcohol (or fruit juice or even a mix) bit by bit until the fruit is plump, or you can just soak overnight and add the rest of the alcohol after the cake is baked.
What does fruitcake mean in slang? ›
countable noun. If you refer to someone as a fruitcake, you mean that they are crazy or that their behavior is very strange. [informal, disapproval]
How do you keep fruit cake moist with alcohol? ›
Fruitcake should be tightly wrapped and stored in a cool, dry place while aging. If you wrapped your cake in soaked cheesecloth, resoak the cloth once a week and age for six weeks to three months. Cakes simply wrapped in plastic wrap should be brushed with more alcohol every few days during the first two months.
How can I moisten my fruitcake? ›
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.
How long to leave fruit in alcohol to infuse? ›
Infuse for 3 to 5 days: Shake the jar of fruit and vodka daily. You'll see the vodka gradually take on the color of the fruit. Taste it after 3 days and continue infusing to your liking. Most fruit vodkas are finished in 3 to 5 days, but you can continue infusing the vodka for longer.
Why does my fruit cake taste bitter? ›
One of the most common misfortunes among bakers is that they are using too much baking soda or baking powder. Know that too much baking soda or baking powder in cakes will not just lead to a metallic and bitter taste, but it can also make a big mess in the oven as it will rise beyond expectations.
What do British call fruitcakes? ›
Did you know that the of eating fruitcake around the holidays stemmed from Great Britain? The traditional Christmas dessert isn't at all similar to the candied peel and citron cakes you might think of when “fruitcake” is mentioned. Called Christmas cake or plum cake in Great Britain, the dessert dates to Roman times!
What is Fruitcake's real name? ›
Fruitcake is not her real name, but a sweet nickname given to her affectionately by Fred. The Two Million Pound Menu star has not revealed her real name or what she does for a living as he keeps his private life guarded.
The Roman fruitcake was a mash of barley, honey, wine and dried fruit, often pomegranate seeds. What you might recognize as a modern-style fruitcake – a moist, leavened dessert studded with fruits and nuts – was probably first baked in the early Middle Ages in Europe.
What alcohol is best for preserving cake? ›
Commonly, rum or brandy is used to soak Christmas cakes. The alcohol adds flavor and helps preserve the cake. Usually brandy, although you can use whiskey or dark rum if you prefer.
What alcohol is good to soak dried fruit in? ›
Key Ingredients
Dry Fruits like Plums, Black Raisins, Golden Raisins, Cranberries, Cherries are used. Candied Orange Peel adds a nice citrusy flavor to the soaked fruit. Good quality Rum is used to soak the fruits and nuts. Some prefer to use a mixture of rum and brandy or wine too.
What rum is best for fruit soaking? ›
The best rum for soaking fruit for christmas cake or black/fruit cake is dark or white rum in combination with sweet fruit or dessert wine. Traditionally, Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum and Red Label Wine are used for Jamaican christmas cake.
How long does rum soaked fruit cake last? ›
Like most rich fruit cakes, it benefits from a maturing period and being fed with some extra alcohol, though in the book it is suggested that the keeping time is 6 weeks and generally we suggest if keeping the cake for longer than this then the cake should be frozen as it will keep for a year.
