Old Fashioned Fruitcake Recipe | De's Home Style Food Crafting (2024)

FAQs

What two ingredients help fruitcake last longer? ›

The trifecta of sugar, low moisture ingredients and some high-proof spirits make fruitcakes some of the longest-lasting foods in the world.

Put the flour, grated nutmeg, mixed spice, butter, sugar, eggs, chopped almonds, black treacle and the citrus zest into a large bowl and beat well to mix thoroughly. Fold in the soaked fruits. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin and spread out evenly with the back of a spoon.

Other good choices of booze include brandy, rum, or whiskey. Feel free to use one or a mix of these to best complement your fruitcake. Once you've chosen the liquor, bake the cake, poke holes throughout the whole thing, and pour a few tablespoons of the alcohol over it. Or, you can brush the cake with the alcohol.

Like most rich fruit cakes, it benefits from a maturing period and being fed with some extra alcohol, though in the book it is suggested that the keeping time is 6 weeks and generally we suggest if keeping the cake for longer than this then the cake should be frozen as it will keep for a year.

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.

Eilenberger's Bakery World Famous Fruitcake

Its nationally renowned fruitcake is said to be the same recipe that the founder, Fred H. Eilenberger, brought to the states from Germany—and it's still working for them after more than 120 years in business.

Why is my cake dry? Cakes crumble because they've dried out too much. From years of baking, I know that dry cakes happen for one of two reasons; using too much of your dry ingredients or over-baking your cake.

Most recipes call for dried fruit to be soaked overnight. I take a speedy approach: just microwave the dried fruit with juice and/or brandy, then stand for 1 hour to soak up the liquid. So much faster – and just as effective! Other than that, there's nothing unusual about how this fruit cake is made.

If you add too much air to the batter, it will rise nice and tall in the pan, then deflate—and crack—as it cools. Beat the batter on medium speed just until it is smooth and all the ingredients are incorporated. Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature, which will help them combine better.

In industry all sorts of chemical preservatives are used. For the home baker extending shelf life by a few days can be achieved by adding glycerine or golden syrup to the cake batter.

How to store fruitcake long term? ›

For best quality, a fruit cake that is tightly wrapped with aluminum foil or saran warp can be stored for up to 1 month in a cool, dark pantry, 6 months in the refrigerator, and 12 months in a freezer. Check often for signs of spoilage, and if mold or off-odors develop, discard the cake.

Just mix 1 part white vinegar with 3 parts water, dip your fruits and vegetables, and then wash them gently but thoroughly. Vinegar not only prevents mold buildup and rotting, but also helps get rid of pesticides on conventionally grown produce and fruit, and kills bacteria that could be clinging on your vegetables.

Place your cake on a cake stand or plate with a cover, or upturned bowl, to protect it from the dust in the air. You can also leave the cake in a cake box. Individual sponges should be wrapped tightly with cling film. If you have a cake with slices cut out or cut slices, wrap the cut edges with cling film.