Dried fruits for Fruit Cake. Dried cherries and cranberries are used for fruit cake just like candied peel is used for gingerbread. They are also a good addition to sweet tarts, flans and cheese cakes. If you have some dried fruits left over, you can use them as decoration on your fruit salad or as a garnish on your cream pie. Dried fruit isn’t just for snacking! Adding dried fruit to your favorite fruit
cake recipe will take it from ordinary to extraordinary. Making new recipes with dried fruit can be a great addition to your holiday baking list! There are many ways to prepare fruit cake. Dried fruits are often used as ingredients for it. Dried fruits can add a particular flavor, aroma and taste for the cake. Many people do not prefer to eat fresh fruits, instead they like dried fruits due to its health
benefits. Dried fruit can taste fabulous and be fun, but their health benefits often go overlooked. Many people don’t know the health benefits of dried fruits or why they should include those healthy snacks in their diet. Dried fruits are a great way to add nutritional value to your diet when snacking. Here is how dried fruits can benefit your health and the reasons many people reach for this type of snack over nuts.
Dried Fruits For Fruit Cake
Dried Fruits for fruit cakes are a great addition to your cake and make it extra tasty. It provides a moist texture, nutritional value and you can use it on different kind of cakes. I have a sweet tooth so I like to eat as much cakes as possible. Every time I go to a store, I buy an assorted variety of cakes for me and my family. My family has a sweet tooth too and though they don’t ask for it often, when they do ask, I try my best to get the best quality cake for them. I love buying fruit cake because they are made from the best quality dried fruits available in the market.
You can easily prepare soft and moist fruit cake with the super moist fruit cake recipe.
Making a classic fruit cake couldn’t be simpler or easier than this.
In this fruit cake recipe, we boil the dried fruits in liquid to soften and plump them up, making the cake incredibly moist and delicious.
One of the least messy methods we can make a fruit cake is the way we made this incredibly soft fruit cake.
The amazing part is that the only special equipment needed to make this cake is a sauce pan, and the main tools required to produce this fruit cake are a wooden spoon and a wooden spoon.
Why You will Love This Super Moist Fruit Cake Recipe
- This fruit cake is full of Christmas aroma and is packed with juicy plums, raisins and lots of dry fruits.
- One of the easiest and quickest moist fruit cake recipe ever
- You will need only a saucepan,a bowl and a spatula to make this easy boiled fruit cake.
Ingredients
- Plain flour: 228g or 1 and 3/4 cups(loosely packed)
- Mixed spice: 1 tsp
- Cinnamon powder:1 tsp
- Baking powder:1 tsp
- Salt:1/2 tsp
- Eggs (medium): 3
- Vanilla Extract (optional):1 tsp
- Soft dark or light brown sugar: 100g or 1/2 cup
- Mollasses /if you don’t have molasses you can use brown sugar : 3 tbsp
- Butter: 226g or 2 sticks or 1 cup
- Dried mixed fruit: 600-700g(you can use dry fruits of your choice and can choose candied peels or glazed cherries or nuts according to your preference)
- Zest of 1 Lemon
- Zest of 1Orange
- Water: 180ml or 3/4 cup
All Spices” I have used is powdered nutmeg, cardamom, cloves,dry ginger.
Dried fruits I used in this recipe;
- Raisins-175-200g
- Cranberries :175-200g
- Prunes or dry plumes:175-200 g
- Dates:75-100g
- Pecans:50-75g
Getting everything ready for making the best fruit cake
- Lightly grease a 7 inch or 8 inch cake tin with some butter/oil and neatly line with greaseproof paper (double thickness).The pan I used in the video is 7 inch pan.
- Chop the nuts and dried fruits into a large clean bowl .You can use a prepared dried fruit mixture available in most supermarkets, or blend your own to create an individual cake, balance the mixture to your preferences (I love more raisins, cranberries,prunes and less chopped dates in mine).
- Grate the rind of lemon and orange and keep it aside.
- Sift the flour ,baking powder, mix spices, zest of orange and lemon and salt into another bowl.
- Pre-heat oven to 320 F 160°C .
How to make moist fruit cake
We can make moist fruit cake in 3 simple steps.
Step 1.Boil the dry fruits
- In a medium saucepan, combine the butter with the raisins, cranberries, brown sugar,molasses and water and bring to a boil.
- Simmer over moderately high heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from the heat and let stand for 45 minutes or until it is cool.
Step 2.Add all the rest of ingredients
- Add the eggs (lightly beaten) and vanilla extract (optional) and the nuts.
- Add in the flour mix which is Flour+Baking powder+Salt+Ground spices+Zest of orange and lemon.I didn’t add the spices and the zest of lemon and orange into the boil mix because we need to preserve the fresh smell of those spices and that of lemon and orange.
- The taste of a fruit cake is mostly the aroma of that cake
- Mix everything together, just until everything is well incorporated.
Step 3.Bake the boiled fruit cake
- Transfer the batter into the prepared pan.7 inch pan / 8 inch pan will work.
- Bake in the center of the oven @ 320F for about 75-90 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Large baking tray (8 inch) will take slightly less baking time.
- Let the cake cool completely.
- Unmold the cake and transfer to a serving platter.
- This fruit cake is best to serve the next day.The flavor and texture of cake improves a lot with that time.
- The cake may seem buttery and crumbly and less flavorful if we cut it immediately it is cooled.
- This last minute fruit cake is so flavorful and has a very soft and moist texture even though it is a fully packed dense fruitcake.
- It is not a necessary thing to season this fruit cake before serving.But it’s all your preference and if you want to age or season the fruitcake, you can do it so.In that case, you need to make this fruit cake, in advance so that you have enough days to feed the fruit cake with alcohol.
How Long Will This Dried Fruit Cake Last at Room Temperature ?
This dried fruit cake will last for up to 2 weeks when kept covered at room temperature(60-80 F or 15-26 C).
The shelf life of this moist boiled fruit cake (which is not made with alcohol) depend on the ambient temperature where it is stored.
If your place is hot and humid, then it’s better to keep it covered in fridge or freezer; if you plan to keep it for more than a week ;or you can feed the fruit cake with alcohol (ageing or seasoning) so that it can stay fresh for longer.
How Long Will This Fruitcake Stay Good in Refrigerator or Freezer ?
Fruit cake or Plum cake can be stored in refrigerator for up to three months, or can be stored in the freezer for an entire year.
How Long Will Traditional Fruitcake Fed With Alcohol Last?
Fruitcake covered or soaked in alcohol can last much longer than those fruit cakes that are not fed with alcohol.
The alcohol in the fruitcake acts as a preservative and can also enhance the flavors.
A dish that would normally be good for only a few days will last up to a month when covered or soaked in alcohol. So, fruitcake with alcohol can last years.
For those looking to prepare fruitcakes with alcohol for storage, you’ll want to make sure to brush the fruitcake with alcohol fairly consistently during the ageing process.
What is Seasoning or Aging a Fruit Cake
“Seasoning,” also known as ripening or aging, a fruitcake involves letting it mature in a cool, dark place for several weeks. It is a traditional technique meant to improve the flavour and texture of fruitcake.
How long will it take to age a rich fruit cake
The aging process for a fruitcake will take roughly between three weeks to three months.Therefore a fruitcake “meant for aging” should be made well in advance as it needs to sit for quite some time.
How to properly age homemade fruit cake
- After you bake the fruitcake,allow the fruit cake to cool down completely.
- When cooled, remove it from pan and then remove parchment paper.
- You can feed the fruit cake either by wrapping the cake with a cheesecloth that is already soaked in alcohol or by brushing the top of fruit cake with alcohol.
- Either soak the cheesecloth in whiskey, rum, brandy, bourbon,or other liquor and then wrap it around the cooked, cooled fruitcake.Then wrap it again using a plastic wrap and store .
- You can also simply brush the cake with an alcohol of your choice and wrap tightly.
- For soaking and brushing ,do not use wine. Using fruit juice can increase the chances of your fruitcake going mouldy.
- Wrap the fruit cake tightly and store in a cool, dry place while aging.
- If the fruit cake is wrapped with soaked cheesecloth, resoak the cheesecloth once a week and age for six weeks to three months.
- If you wrapped your fruit cake simply using a plastic wrap, then brush it with more alcohol every few days during the first two months.
How do you store plum cake?
The fruit cake must be kept in a cool, dry, and dark environment.
It can be preferable to either freeze the cake until you’re ready to ice or serve it, or keep it in the refrigerator, if you live in a hot or humid climate.
Up to a year can pass after the fruit cake is frozen. If the cake is frozen, it must thaw at room temperature for a whole night.
How to Soak Fruits for Christmas Fruit Cake
A thorough explanation of how to soak fruits for Christmas fruit cake is provided in this post. The fruits to use and the ratios in the recipe below are the same whether you soak them in alcohol or a non-alcoholic liquid, and I’ve provided instructions for both types (the timelines for a non-alcoholic liquid are given at the end of this write up). The durations and the best way to keep the fruits for the cake till baking do vary. If I don’t address your concerns in the comments section below the post, feel free to inquire. I’ll be glad to assist.
In the recipe for baking a Christmas Fruit cake, I have provided a shortcut option if you do not want to soak the fruits first.
My favorite foods during the holidays are plum cakes. After asking locals which bakery they consider to be the “best,” I make sure to load up on the delicious cakes that are available at the many bakeries while visiting Kerala. I had been hoping to bake the customary cake at home but hadn’t been able to get started until recently due to various circumstances. The finest method for soaking fruits for Christmas Fruit Cake was the first thing I had to discover.
Half the battle will be won if this is done correctly. I sought up old, dependable recipe books online, spoke to people who had been preparing Christmas Cake for years, and conducted some web research. This page contains my “learnings” thus far. Additionally, my Christmas fruit cake was incredibly excellent, soft, moist, and flavorful! The nicest part is that it didn’t collapse when I cut it!
When to Soak The Fruits for Christmas Fruit Cake?
There are 4 possible broad timelines you can follow to soak fruits for Christmas fruit cake. Of course there are many variations to this, and you can find your own comfort timeline as you get into the regular practice of making the Christmas cake each year.
a. Some people, start right in February or March, and bake the cake in the last week of November, or 5-6 weeks before Christmas, keeping it moist by drip feeding the cake with alcohol every week till Christmas.
b. The most popular method is to soak the fruits 3 months ahead of December, that is, in early September. The cake is then baked in the last week of November, and kept moist by adding a little alcohol every week till Christmas.
c. In the third of the popular time lines, the fruits are soaked about 5-6 weeks before Christmas, ie in the last fortnight of November, and baked a week before Christmas. This cake needs alcohol to be added just once, mid week before Christmas Day.
d. The short cut method if you need to make the cake without too much time for the soaking? Soak fruits for Christmas fruit cake about a month before Christmas – in the last week of November, but this time the soaking is just overnight. The next day, bake the cake, and touch up with alcohol once a week. Some people prefer this method, as the fruits are soaked but not overwhelmingly so.
e. Orange juice or dark tea or other non-alcoholic liquid? Soak the fruits about 15 days before Christmas, and store in a covered air tight container in the fridge till you bake the cake a week before Christmas.
So why do we need to soak the fruits at all? And why feed the cake after it is baked?
The classic Christmas fruit cake is delicious, rich, and dark. Dry fruits that have been soaked take the moisture in and swell up. When the cake is baked, some of the liquid seeps into the cake mix, making it moist. Christmas fruit cake is preferable when the fruits are soaked since it is more flavorful and moist.
After baking, the fruit cake or plum cake also gets tastier as it ages. The cake can be kept moist by adding a little liquid roughly once a week after baking (often through tiny holes made at the top).
What fruits are best for a Christmas cake?
Of course, the main ingredient in a Christmas fruit cake is the fruit; the flour and butter merely serve to keep the fruits and nuts together and give them structure. Pick fruit that is of the highest quality with a variety of hues, textures, and flavors. Choose dry fruits devoid of preservatives.
Here are my suggestions on what fruits to add when you soak fruits for Christmas cake:
- Black Raisins and sultanas – raisins are the dark dried grapes, while sultanas are the golden ones.
- Currants -black or red
- Cranberries
- Orange and Lemon peel – candied or plain (see kitchen hints, below)
- Dried Dates – seedless, soft
- Dried Figs
- Dried Apricots
- Other dried fruits – Prunes, Glazed cherries, Mango, Papaya, Apple, Pineapple , Blueberries, Plum etc.
Can fresh fruits/ berries be used for a Christmas Fruit Cake?
You need to use dry fruits when you soak fruits for the traditional Christmas cake. Fresh fruits may turn the cake soggy and can change the character/ texture of the cake. Dry fruits absorb alcohol or other soaking liquid better than fresh fruits would.
Preparing the Fruits For A Christmas Cake:
i. The fruits should be sliced small, about 1cm or so. The dates could be a little larger and chunkier as they soften and break up during baking. All the other fruits should best be sliced to an even size. Slicing the fruits means there is more fruit in the cake and its tastier when you bite into small pieces of fruit rather than a few large chunks.
ii. Larger proportion of light coloured dry fruits such as apricots, mango and papaya would make for a lighter cake. More of figs, dates and prunes would give a richer, heavier one.
iii. The overall quantity of dried fruits and nuts should be according to the recipe you plan to use, and within this quantity you could mix and match to your preference.Don’t overload on the citrus peel though, they are just meant to enhance the flavours of the other fruits and should not overpower them and make the cake bitter to taste.
The Soaking liquid – using Alcohol
I’ve chosen dark rum for my alcoholic soaks. Whisky or sherry may be alternate possibilities if you think rum may be excessively sweet. Rum could be substituted with wine, however I haven’t tried it that way.
The recipe below calls for 2 cups of rum. However, when soaking the fruits, only use enough liquid to completely cover their tops. Typically, you would require half the amount of fruit. The remaining alcohol should be topped off as directed in the instructions that follow.
Soaking Fruits for a Christmas Cake without alcohol
A tiny plum cake that I created. I used freshly squeezed orange juice combined with a tablespoon of honey as the soaking liquid, following the guidelines above for the types of fruits and the quantities in the recipe below. In order to avoid the cake being overly tart, I also cut back on the zest and citrus peels.
Apple juice or an orange-cranberry juice mixture would also be beneficial. Pre-soaking black tea, like a Darjeeling tea, in a cup of extremely hot water, could work well as an alcohol alternative.
Health Benefits Of Dried Fruits
Dried fruits are an excellent source of vitamins and nutrients. They are also very affordable. The bodies of people with a deficiency of iron or vitamins can greatly benefit from eating these dried fruits. Below is a list of the benefits dried fruits can offer your body. Drying fruits is a great way to preserve fruits for winter and to make them more portable. Dried fruits are also a fantastic way to add to your daily health because they are non-perishable and travel-ready.
- Helps to lose weight
Dry fruits and nuts are excellent for weight loss if you eat them moderately. They are low in fat, carbohydrates, sugar, and more in proteins and essential oils.
- Keeps your skin healthy and wrinkle-free
Who doesn’t want to look gorgeous and young? Dry fruits can help you with that and keep your skin radiant and glowing. They are rich in essential oils and antioxidants that help your skin to regenerate healthy skin and prevent aging.
- Fight against constipation
Dry fruits contain a huge number of dietary fibers that help to fight against constipation and keep your gut system healthy.
- Helps to prevent cancer
Almonds and cashew nuts are known to prevent breast cancer. They are rich in antioxidants and phytonutrients which prevents the activity of cancer-causing cells.
- Maintain a healthy heart
Dry fruits can control cholesterol levels and normalize blood pressure especially raisins. They also reduce the risk of heart diseases, stroke, etc.
- Healthy bones
Dry fruits are rich in proteins, calcium, and other micronutrients which help to maintain healthy bones and strengthen them.
- Fight against stress and depression
Dry fruits are very effective in the battle against depression and stress. They also improve brain health and memory.
- Fight anaemia and boost haemoglobin
Raisins and prunes are rich in iron, which in turn aids those who are suffering from anaemia. There are essential nutrients in dry fruits like Vitamin A, B and K; minerals like copper, magnesium and iron; and unsaturated fat that helps in regenerating red blood cells and haemoglobin in the body.