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One of the ways that bakers are able to keep fruitcake from spoiling for years is by using different glazes and frostings. Glazes and frostings are also used to decorate fruitcakes for different occasions, like weddings or religious holidays. During the Victorian era it was very fashionable for brides to serve heavily frosted and decorated fruitcakes at their weddings. Frosted fruitcake was also served at teas. Frostings and glazes are idea for preserving fruitcake because they form a type of preservative seal around the cake which keeps the cake from being exposed to the air. Some of the most popular types of frosting and glazes for fruitcakes are:
Marzipan - Marzipan is one of the oldest known sweets. Before chocolate was readily available or even very well known outside of South America Marzipan was the most commonly made sweet. marzipan is a mixture of almond paste, confection sugar, and either egg whites and water. For fruitcakes marzipan can be made with the same alcohol used in the fruitcake. Marzipan has a heavy consistency, similar to fondant that is used for cake decorating. A layer of marzipan over a fruitcake will preserve the fruitcake for a very long time.
Frostings - Typically frosting for a fruitcake are made from simple ingredients like Creme Fraiche, vanilla, cream cheese, or sugar and a thickening agent. If you are going to use a frosting on your fruitcake make sure you use some type of alcohol based glaze over the frosting in order to preserve the frosting and the cake. Frostings by themselves are usually not enough to preserve a fruitcake.
Glazes- Glazes for fruitcake can be made with alcohol and sugar or fruit juice and sugar. Always use confection sugar, or powdered sugar, when making a glaze. If you use granulated sugar the glaze will be lumpy and could be too sticky. Glazes provide a light, sweet taste to finish off the fruitcake and alcohol glazes are ideal preservatives for fruitcake. Since the creation of fruitcake people have been using alcohol glazes to preserve the fruitcakes and make them last without spoiling for years. Always leave a little of the alcohol that you used in the cake on the side so that you'll have enough alcohol left over to make a glaze for the cake. Once it's been glazed a fruitcake can be wrapped and stored in a cool, dry place for many years. Fruit juice glazed fruitcakes should be wrapped and kept in the refrigerator.
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