FRUITCAKE TIPS AND HINTS

By curly

Ingredients

• NONE

Preparation

Step 1

Use fresh good quality ingredients - make sure spices are fresh.

Soak fruit and nuts at least overnight in fruit juice or liquors to soften, drain and use excess liquid in recipe.

Dredge fruit and nuts with some flour so they won’t sink in batter. Shake off excess flour and use in the recipe.

If changing pan sizes, remember baking time will be altered in the recipe. Fruitcakes may be baked in muffin tins, disposable pans, etc.

Be sure to grease and flour pans or use greased brown paper for liners. Greased wax paper is also used in some recipes.

Place a pan of water on rack or on the oven floor below the baking cake.

If cake is browning too fast, place a sheet of foil on the top of the cake.

Test for doneness by placing a metal/wooden skewer in center of cake. If it comes out clean, cake is done. Be careful not to over bake cake.
OVER
Always cool fruitcakes completely in pan and remove when cold.

Pour or brush some liquor of choice over hot cakes for good flavor. Poke cake with skewer if desired.

Fruitcakes taste better with age! This is called “ripening”. Liquor based cakes may be stored several months in advance in a cool place prior to serving. Non-liquor soaked cakes may be kept in a cool place or in refrigerator for short term storage or a freezer for long storage. Be sure to ripen fruit cakes a few weeks before serving.

To store for a long period of time, wrap the cake in brandy or wine-soaked towels, and then wrap in either plastic wrap or aluminum foil.

For very long storage, bury the liquor-soaked cake in powdered sugar and place in a tightly covered tin in a cool place. Fruitcakes can be enjoyed for as long as 25 years this way. Check liquor-soaked cakes periodically and rewrap in liquor soaked cloth.

Frost cakes close to serving time (not ahead of time). Use a sugar-syrup glaze to b rush on cakes for a shine and to adhere. Slice cakes in a sawing motion with sharp thin blade of knife or a serrated knife. Add 1 cup of applesauce to your fruit cake recipes to make a moister cake.

Refreshen stale fruitcakes by gently heating pieces (microwave or steamer) and server with a hard sauce, brandy sauce, glaze or desired topping.