Thank you {% member.data['first-name'] %}.Your comment has been submitted. Wow! Can I feed my Christmas cake with fresh orange juice instead of alcohol? For Nigella's Chocolate Fruit Cake we do not recommend substituting the prunes for other dried fruits. Keep in a cake tin with a tight-fitting lid, or wrapped in a large sheet of foil, in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months. Place the dried fruit, orange zest, walnuts, ginger, cinnamon and mixed spice in a bowl and add a … I want to make a Christmas cake this year, but what can I use instead of alchohol, could I use some sort of fruit juice? Mary Berry’s well baked fruit cake can be stored in the fridge, wrapped thoroughly in foil or a plastic bag to stop the cake from drying out, for up to 6 months after opening but we’d recommend eating sooner for the best taste. Built by Embark. Fruitcakes without any alcohol should be consumed within a few days of baking or tightly wrapped and frozen for up to six months. This process is to keep your cake lovely and moist and to intensify the flavours once you finally cut a slice and dig in. Admittedly it got a bit dry after about 8 weeks though. Keep the cake in an airtight tin and store it in a cool dark place. Mary’s Christmas cake tips. Fruitcake – Alcohol Free, a kid-friendly cake that you can have the same day you bake it. Mix all the ingredients together thoroughly, adding enough milk to give a soft dropping consistency. 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!!! I like to wrap the cake in a double layer of greaseproof paper and then in double foil. Answered on 22nd October 2017. To ensure you have a nice moist fruitcake Take a muslin/cheesecloth soaked in rum, brandy or fruit juice Wrap the … Unwrap and feed with a tablespoon of alcohol once a week, then wrap again and store in the same way. Our answer. Grease a … This is a simple pudding that requires no time to mature, so it can be made as little as a week before it's required or even made on the day and served fresh. Alcohol obvioulsy keeps well whereas orange juice will deteriorate over time and the cake should be tightly wrapped in a double layer of greaseproof paper or baking parchment (parchment paper) and … A cake made without alcohol will not keep as well as one that is made and then fed with alcohol, so we would suggest that you do not make the cake more than one month in advance of eating. The lighter fruit cakes can be stored wrapped in plastic and then placed in an air tight container in the fridge for 2 weeks, or frozen for one year. Glace fruits such as cherries and candied peel do not need to be soaked and so can be omitted from the soaking stage and just added when the cake batter is mixed. If stored properly (see above), an un-iced fruit Christmas cake should keep well for 4-5 months at room temperature. With this method, brush the kitchen towel and cling wrap every time you feed the cake, with more alcohol. Brush the marzipan with a little boiled water before adding the icing as it will help the icing to stick to the marzipan. Copyright © 2020 Nigella Lawson. Copyright © 2020 Nigella Lawson. Once baked and cooled I wrapped each cake up in tin foil and put in a cool cupboard. If you do not want to use alcohol then fresh orange juice is an alternative, though you should leave the fruits in orange juice to soak overnight in the fridge once they have cooled. Thaw the cake overnight at room temperature. In some recipes prunes can be substituted with other dried fruits such as raisins and sultanas, but it depends on the quantities and other ingredients in the cake. A rich fruit cake can be stored for up to six months refrigerated, and up to three years in the freezer. Christmas is on it@s way and you have baked your Christmas Cake in preparation, but all the recipes talk about feeding your Christmas Cake. Hello, In the Classic Christmas Cake, would use fruit juice to soak the fruits. Alcohol-free Christmas Cake. Photograph: Felicity Cloake. You can also add 1/4 cup of almond flour or almond meal in this recipe. Remove from the heat, cover the cake, and let sit for five minutes. Set the cake on a plate to cool and serve. More Vegan Christmas Recipes: Easy ginger sheet cake… It is possible to use orange juice instead of alcohol for feeding Christmas cakes but we would suggest as a precaution that this is only done a couple of months in advance of the cake being eaten. … To store a Christmas cake, start by marinating a cheesecloth in some brandy, rum, wine, or fruit juice. If you are using rolled fondant icing (also known as sugarpaste or ready to roll icing) then it should remain soft for 3 to 4 weeks once it is on the cake. Drain the alcohol from the fruit, saving the alcohol for the cake mix and for feeding the cake. If using non-alcoholic, I recommend soaking for at least a day but you may do so for a few days up to a week. Let the marzipan dry for 24 hours before adding the rolled fondant as otherwise the oils from the marzipan can discolour the icing. The U.S. Department for Agriculture advises fruit cakes can last up to three months in the fridge and up to a year in the freezer. I prefer them without the brandy flavour. If you need to make it further ahead then it is best to freeze the cake until needed, wrapped tightly in a double layer of clingfilm (plastic wrap) and a layer of foil. Here comes a detailed post on how to soak dry fruits for Christmas fruit cake (plum cake) either in alcohol or juice and how long to soak and how to store the prepared fruit mix. It’s best to follow a traditional fruit recipe, rather than just subtracting the alcoholic elements as it should give you the correct storing advice. Asked by Parousia. Alcohol obvioulsy keeps well whereas orange juice will deteriorate over time and the cake should be tightly wrapped in a double layer of greaseproof paper or baking parchment (parchment paper) and a double layer of foil and kept in a cool place. However, when Christmas cake fruit soaking, be careful not to go overboard when you feed them, as this can cause them to become soggy, or too moist at best. Lincolnshire plum loaf, a sort of Christmas cake. Lindsey, Food Editor replied . Answered on 10th December 2011. Then, wrap your Christmas cake in the marinated cheesecloth. Secure it all with an elastic band, then keep it in an airtight container till needed. Add the sugar and about 300ml or so of the alcohol. Refrigerate it after 24 hours. Pour the mixture to the prepared baking dish and bake for 2 to 2 ¼ hours or until the cake is firm to … Follow our simple step by step guide to learn how. Please could you also advise me when can I ice my cake (using fondant icicng) as I'm not sure if the icing will go hard if I ice it now? It is possible to use orange juice instead of alcohol for feeding Christmas cakes but we would suggest as a precaution that this is only done a couple of months in advance of the cake being eaten. Microwave 1 1/2 minutes on … Preheat the oven to 160 C / 140 C Fan / Gas 2-3. To make this vegan Christmas cake alcohol free, soak the fruit in the same quantity of orange juice. If using ground almonds then use only 2 cups of flour. The marzipan does a good job of not being too overwhelming, with the icing offering a soft, pillowy texture. For those who like a well-brandied cake, a little 'feeding' of the cake at odd intervals (say, weekly) before Christmas will add an extra dimension to it. About 4 weeks I made 3 christmas fruit cakes but missed the alcohol out of the recipe on purpose. Grease and line a deep 8 or 10 inch cake tin. It will help keep your cake moist (especially if you are storing it for a while) as well as give it extra flavour – and, if you’re a little heavy-handed, it will also develop that characteristic boozy kick. If you need to make it further ahead then it is best to freeze the cake until needed, wrapped tightly in a double layer of clingfilm (plastic wrap) and a layer of foil. Finally, store your cake in a cool, dry place. Nigella's Traditional Christmas Cake recipe (from Nigella Christmas) warms the dried fruits in alcohol then leaves them to soak overnight. baking powder, flour, sugar, cake mix, salt, eggs, Orange, egg yolks and 2 more Paleo Fruitcake A Girl Worth Saving maple syrup, dried cherries, pecans, lemon, arrowroot, baking powder and 5 … How long does an ordinary fruit cake without alcohol last? Thank you {% member.data['first-name'] %}.Your comment has been submitted. Mary advises that for best results you make your Christmas cake at least 3 weeks ahead of the big day. You should roll the icing to around 5mm thick (just under 1/4 inch) as if it is too thin it will also dry out more quickly.For a smooth finish you should put a layer of marzipan on the cake first. Built by Embark. Here the post speaks in detail about both alcohol rich and non- alcoholic (juice based) fruit soaking methods and its shelf life and more. Open the cake every week or two to feed by poking with a skewer in several … Thank you! Next, wrap some aluminum foil around your cheesecloth-wrapped cake and place it into an airtight container. As alcohol helps stop the cake from going mouldy over time, if you’re teetotal, bake and store a couple of days before you plan on tucking in as it won’t keep for as long. If stored correctly (double lined in baking paper and foil in an airtight container), this cake will last up to 3 months. If you soak your fruit in orange or apple juice before you start, it should stay moist. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. The first thing you notice with the Christmas cake from Morrisons is the strong hit of alcohol, which can be a good or a bad thing depending on personal preferences. Tastes just like the authentic fruitcake (maybe even better!). Will the Christmas Cake still keep for a couple of months if I don’t soak the fruits in alcohol? Alcohol acts as a preservative so the cake can be stored for many months. The outer surface will dry a little but it should remain soft underneath. If you intend to keep your fruitcake for a long time (like more than three months), freeze it … However, Juliet stresses: ‘Bear in mind if the pudding is alcohol-free, of course it will last a good while with the sugar content, but it will not last as long without alcohol to preserve it.’ If you want to light the pudding on Christmas Day you will also need to use a high alcohol content spirit such as brandy, whisky or rum. Up Your Fruitcake Game With These Recipes and Baking Tips Asked on 12 Oct 2017 by M-Anne. I’d recommend feeding it with more amaretto or brandy every few weeks to increase the flavour as it matures. I used to make a good fruitcake last most of term time when I went away to school. If it contains these ingredients can I just replace them with more raisins, sultanas and cherries? Thanks for your answer. Bear in mind that if you aren’t feeding it with alcohol then the cake won’t keep for as long, so bake it the same week that you want to serve it. Brush the cake with some thinned apricot jam before applying the marzipan. I also don’t like ingredients such as candied peel, prunes or dates in my cakes. How long will it keep? This cake is moist and stays moist for … Mary Berry’s classic Christmas cake recipe also shows you how to decorate this traditional cake in a simple, yet impressive way. Brushing with alcohol would give the fruit cake a subtle alcohol flavor and a moist texture. How can I tell when my gluten-free Christmas cake is done? I put a bit of fresh orange and lemon juice in to make the mix a bit less thick. A cake made without alcohol will not keep as well as one that is made and then fed with alcohol, so we would suggest that you do not make the cake more than one month in advance of eating. This soaking is needed to help the dried fruits to rehydrate and become plump and soft, otherwise the cake will be a little dry. Place dried fruit and juice/brandy in a large microwavable container. Asked by ruth1. If using alcohol, you can soak it at room temperature … .