What can I replace brandy with in a fruit cake?
Whiskey serves as a great substitute for brandy in a fruitcake. Although whiskey comes from fermented grain mash while brandy is made from fermented grape mash, the process is so similar, that the flavor will be similar as well.
Traditionally Christmas cake has a rich, spicy fruity taste, often associated with brandy but whisky, sherry and fortified wine such as Madeira or port can be used.
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.
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 is the best alcohol to put in a Christmas cake? A reasonably strong spirit (around 40% ABV) with a warm, fiery flavour will compliment the flavour of the cake, and help to preserve the cake, so it will keep for longer. You can use standard rum, whisky or brandy.
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.
Our first non-alcoholic substitution for brandy is white grape juice. The great thing about white grape juice is that it gives a delicious kick of flavor without needing any alcohol. The only issue with using juice is that the level of sugar can drastically change the recipe.
Can You Substitute Brandy For Whiskey In A Recipe? Whiskey. Brandy's close substitute, whiskey, is also an alcoholic beverage. Whiskey has a different texture and flavor than brandy, but it will work well in your recipe.
Commercial fruitcakes don't contain any alcohol, but if you soak yours in rum with a few dashes of bitters, you'll find it far more palatable.
Fruitcakes without any alcohol should be consumed within a few days of baking or tightly wrapped and frozen for up to six months.
How do you store fruitcake without alcohol?
For non-alcoholic fruitcake:
Wrap with aluminum foil and place into an airtight container. Remove excess liquid from the container and place the lid on tightly. Resoak your fruitcake at least once a month with fresh liquor.
Fruit cake is a traditional British Christmas cake that is full of fruits and nuts and laced with alcohol, usually brandy. This gives the fruit cake a subtle brandy flavor and a moist texture, plus it also allows the fruit cake to be stored for a long time.
Often, over-baking a fruit cake is the cause of dry fruit cakes. A fruit cake must be baked at the right temperature. The too-high oven temperature will dry the cake. Follow the recipe closely, including baking times.
Brush on a simple syrup: If you find your cake is a little dry, an easy fix is to brush syrup over the top of the cake. Simple syrup adds moisture and sweetness to any dry cake. You can also add a touch of flavor to this syrup with extracts or a squeeze of juice.
Whether you're making a co*cktail or an adult dessert, whiskey or rum are great alternatives to brandy. Whiskey may taste more of alcohol, and while rum has sweetness, it is not fruity, so either will slightly change the flavor of your creation.
To replace cognac in cooking you can use brandy, sherry, or white wine. For an alcohol-free ingredient, you can use brandy extract, or the juice from peach, apricot, or pears. As a drink, brandy will work fine in co*cktails and it can also be sipped on its own.
Fruit cake is a traditional British Christmas cake that is full of fruits and nuts and laced with alcohol, usually brandy. This gives the fruit cake a subtle brandy flavor and a moist texture, plus it also allows the fruit cake to be stored for a long time.
Port, or fortified wine as we Aussies call it, is a little unusual but a great addition to fruitcake. I normally use rum or brandy, port isn't a spirit I don't usually associate with Christmas cakes. Then there's the chocolate. Not something I usually add to a Christmas cake either.
