How to infuse your favorite flavors into our world-famous fruitcake (2024)

FAQs

How do you infuse fruitcake? ›

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.

A fruitcake is a cake that contains raisins, currants, and other dried fruit. 2. countable noun. If you refer to someone as a fruitcake, you mean that they are mad or that their behaviour is very strange. [informal, disapproval]

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.

Even older is the fruitcake left behind in Antarctica by the explorer Robert Falcon Scott in 1910. But the honor for the oldest known existing fruitcake goes to one that was baked in 1878 when Rutherford B. Hayes was president of the United States.

Infusing is basically steeping one ingredient—for example herbs, spices, or fruit—in another—for example water, milk, or alcohol—in order to flavor the latter with the former. So when you steep a tea bag in hot water, you're infusing.

Spice it up by adding 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of cardamom or allspice, or even a few cracks of black pepper into the dry mixture. You could also grate a tablespoon of fresh ginger and add it to the butter and sugar mixture.

Over time, fruitcake was slowly attached to the Christmas tradition. It began as a ceremonial type of cake made to celebrate a specific harvest. England passed laws restricting the use of the cake to holidays, which slowly spread the concept in that direction.

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!

Meaning: To be easy. Example: No problem, it should be a piece of cake.

How long can you infuse fruit in alcohol? ›

As a general rule of thumb, 3-5 days is the perfect amount for most infusions. And don't worry - even if you're using fresh fruit, you don't have to worry about anything going bad. The alcohol prevents any mold from growing on the fruit, so even after you strain it, you can keep it for years.

If the cakes have not moistened and become uniformly heavy in two weeks, apply more liquor or fruit juice, wrap in clean cheesecloth and plastic wrap and put back into your airtight container. Repeat this until they are moist and heavy. If the cakes are too moist, remove them from the container and all wrapping.

What typically makes fruitcake last so long is its super dense texture. This texture prevents, let's say, less than appetizing things from setting up camp in the cake's crevices. Additionally, a lot of the ingredients in our fruitcakes are dried or glaceéd, so they don't contain much moisture.

We recommend wrapping your fruitcake in plastic wrap before placing your cake in an airtight container. Then, place that container in the fridge. Doing this can ensure your fruitcake says fresh for up to two months.

Runaway Cake – $75 million

This cake has 4000 diamonds in pink, black, yellow, and white worth $45 million, and the ramp is made with Chocolate Ganache and Triple Belgian Chocolate. This cake, priced at $75 million, holds the record of being the costliest cake in the world.

Infusion refers to flavour that is extracted by steeping an ingredient into a hot or acidic liquid such as water, oil, milk, or vinegar, for a period of time. Ingredients used for infusions must be solid and fragrant or aromatic, for example, dried leaves, herbs, or fruits.

For fresh bay leaves and other herbs, simply roll them around in your hands to bruise and break them; for cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, fennel seeds, and coffee beans, grab a mortar and pestle. Once you've crushed them, add them to the butter or milk, heat them over medium-high for a minute or two.

Vanilla and almond are two of the most commonly used either as the main flavor or a supportive flavor. Extracts are most used in cakes, cookies, yeast products, pastries, fillings, and buttercreams.

What country eats fruitcake for Christmas? ›

The fruitcake is commonly eaten during the Christmas season in Canada. Rarely is it seen during other times of the year. The Canadian fruitcake is similar in style to the UK version, as it is in most Commonwealth countries.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says that fruitcake will last two to three months in the refrigerator without spoiling, and will maintain its quality if stored up to a year in the freezer.

If you're baking an alcohol-free Christmas cake you can use a few tablespoons of orange, cherry, cranberry or apple juice; something sweet to keep the moisture in the cake. You can also soak the fruit in tea if you prefer a less sweet flavour.

Candied cherries are usually pretty easy to find. If you can use part red ones and part green ones it's prettier. Pitted dates are what makes this cake sweet and sticky.

Fruitcake has been around since ancient Roman times. You may know that fruitcake has roots in England, but that's not where it originated. It has been around since ancient Roman times, where it was made of a mix of pine nuts, barley mash, pomegranate seeds, raisins, and honeyed wine.

We might like to pretend, based on its name, that fruitcake is a reasonably healthy sweet option, however this is not the case. Fruitcake tends to have high butter, sugar and syrup content, making it high in both fat and calorie content. The same goes for Panettone- the Italian bread that has become a holiday favorite.

ˈkāk. plural cakes. : a breadlike food made from a dough or batter that is usually fried or baked in small flat shapes and is often unleavened. : a sweet baked food made from a dough or thick batter usually containing flour and sugar and often shortening, eggs, and a raising agent (such as baking powder)

The word itself is of Viking origin, from the Old Norse word "kaka". The ancient Greeks called cake πλακοῦς (plakous), which was derived from the word for "flat", πλακόεις (plakoeis). It was baked using flour mixed with eggs, milk, nuts, and honey. They also had a cake called "satura", which was a flat heavy cake.

Use “cake” in a sentence

Take the cake out of the oven. He gave me an orange in exchange for a piece of cake. Do you want some birthday cake? This cake contains flour, milk, eggs and sugar.

Bicarbonate of soda gives off carbon dioxide, which expands in a mixture. Once the mixture is cooked, the carbon dioxide is replaced by air, leaving a light cake or bread.

Does fruit cake get better with age? ›

Like Fine Wine, Fruitcake Get Better With Time

But before you RSVP to bring dessert, you must plan ahead. Like we said, aging a fruitcake will take a little time. The most common duration to properly age a fruitcake is about three months.

The ratio of wet to dry ingredients determines a cake's moisture level. If there's simply too much flour and not enough butter, a cake will taste dry. On the other hand, if there's too much milk and not enough flour, a cake will taste too wet.

If it's not refrigerated, then it shouldn't be kept longer than a day. For optimal flavour, the fruit should be removed after a maximum of twelve-hours or so – longer and the water begins to turn bitter.

Refrigerate leftover infused water within 2 hours. Fresh infused water should be stored in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for about six days. Prior to drinking, be sure to inspect the water for any spoilage.

Add good quality rum into the glass container, I roughly used about 500ml. The liquor should be enough to cover the dry fruits and nuts. Mix it together and keep it tightly closed. Leave it at room temperature in a cool dry place.

Ingredients for making Aged Fruitcake:

Alcohol: The alcohol is key to the flavor, texture and preserving for this cake. I prefer a high abv slightly sweet alcohol like brandy or rum. You can also use whiskey or bourbon. Don't use lower abv liquid like wine for aging, you need the higher alcohol as a preservative.

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.

Glycerol is a simple sugar alcohol that acts as a humectant. Humectants helps to keep things moist by attracting water allowing for nearby structures to absorb it. So basically it helps to keep your cake moist for longer periods of time.

The chemical composition of the cake makes it possible to keep it for a 100 years. Indeed, its density prevents bacteria and mold to proliferate and its alcohol content makes it more sanitized, which also has an impact on its conservation.

Paradise Green Candied Cherries–also known as Glace Green Cherries–have been a part of candied fruit recipes for generations.

How often should you feed a Christmas cake? ›

#4: If you want your fruitcake to last even longer, preserve it with alcohol. That's right, adding alcohol to your fruitcake will not only make it taste like your favorite adult beverage, but it will greatly increase the shelf life. Alcohol acts as a food stabilizer to help delay the growth of bacteria.

Fruits That Should Not Be Stored in the Refrigerator

Apricots, Asian pears, avocado, bananas, guava, kiwis, mangoes, melons, nectarines, papayas, passion fruit, pawpaw, peaches, pears, persimmons, pineapples, plantain, plums, starfruit, soursop, and quince will continue to ripen if left out on the counter.

Fruitcakes without any alcohol should be consumed within a few days of baking or tightly wrapped and frozen for up to six months.

Let mixture infuse for at least 2 hours or overnight for full flavor. You can also try muddling the berries for even more flavor.

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.

The one and only trick is to keep the fruits moist and juicy before baking. For that fruits need to be soaked in alcohol (preferable brandy; rum. sherry also works well) properly for 1 month or upto a year.

When using any method, be sure to keep the temperature between 180-245°F to make sure the cannabinoids are not destroyed. Remember, less heat for a longer period of time will produce a better infusion than a higher temperature for a short period of time.

What temperature should I infuse? ›

Cannabinoid Infusion Basics

The ideal heat for infusing cannabis into coconut oil is around 185 degrees Fahrenheit (this is also the best temperature to hit when making cannabutter). Having a cooking thermometer can be helpful when making a cannabis infusion, but it's not strictly necessary.

The most common duration to properly age a fruitcake is about three months. Any quicker will limit the development of complex flavors attributed to the maturing process. You can certainly age your cake for much longer than several months if you'd like, but we know how busy everyday life can be.

You can soak in Rum, brandy or whisky for alcoholic options and orange juice, apple juice, grape juice or tea extract for non alcoholic option. You can add spices like clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom and prepare tea extract and use it for soaking the dry fruits.

Making a vinegar fruit wash is very simple and requires only a few ingredients and tools. To start, combine 1 cup of either distilled white vinegar or apple cider vinegar with 4 cups of water. To add a bit of citrus flavor, add one tablespoon of lemon juice, too.

Soak the fruit overnight so it can absorb the alcohol and plump up. If you're short on time, warm everything briefly in a microwave so the fruit will absorb the alcohol more quickly. Let the fruit cool completely before making the cake.

As a general rule of thumb, 3-5 days is the perfect amount for most infusions. And don't worry - even if you're using fresh fruit, you don't have to worry about anything going bad. The alcohol prevents any mold from growing on the fruit, so even after you strain it, you can keep it for years.

For example, rum and bourbon give off nutty and vanilla tasting notes that work well with pie filling, cake mix and cookie dough (much like a vanilla extract). Red wine, port and brandy, on the other hand, add a sweetness that pairs nicely with glazes, chocolate cake and gingerbread.