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Making a fruitcake with some type of alcohol is the traditional way to bake a fruitcake. Many different types of alcohol have been used over the centuries to add flavor to fruitcake and to preserve it. Some of the most popular types of alcohol used in fruitcakes are brandy, rum, spiced wine, and whiskey. In Europe rum or brandy is typically used in fruitcakes. In the US whiskey is a popular choice for fruitcake flavoring, especially in the South. In the Caribbean and in Latin America rum is the alcohol of choice to make a fruitcake. There are several ways that you can use alcohol in the fruitcake like:
Soak the fruit- Before you cook the fruitcake soak the dried fruit or candied fruit that you want to use in the fruitcake in an alcohol bath. Soaking the fruit in the alcohol you choose for three or four hours before baking will give the fruit a chance to really soak up the alcohol. This gives the fruit a really spicy, rich taste and it also helps add alcohol to the cake because as the fruit cooks it will release the warm alcohol into the cake, which will flavor the cake and make it moist.
Replace the water in the cake recipe with alcohol - You don't want to replace all of the water that the recipe calls for with alcohol, but usually replacing half of the water with alcohol is sufficient to give the cake the taste of the alcohol without making it too dry. Since fruitcake tends to be a little dry anyway it's important not to use too much alcohol in the cake batter or the cake will be unpleasantly dry.
Alcohol as a glaze - Many people will mix the alcohol with a little powdered confection sugar and make a rich glaze that is poured over the top of the cake when it's still warm from the over. The alcohol glaze will seal in the moisture and seep into the cake, adding to the flavor. An alcohol glaze is also a great preservative for a fruitcake.
When the fruitcake is completely cool take a cheesecloth and soak it thoroughly in the alcohol. Wrap the fruitcake in the cloth and then cover the whole thing with tin foil or plastic wrap. The cheesecloth will preserve the cake for up to three years or longer if you store the cake in a cool, dry place.
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