Festive films, the whole family around the dinner table and a host of festive cheer; all the things we love about Christmas.
Christmas cake though - love it or loathe it, it's omnipresent every festive season. If you're tasking yourself with making it, the longer you give yourself to create this traditional treat, the better. So if you're in the love it camp, read on. And if you're in the loathe it camp, scroll to the bottom.
What is Christmas cake?
Traditional Christmas cakes vary around the world. In the UK, it's a rich, dense, fruit cake, crammed with dried fruit like raisins, currants and sultanas steeped in alcohol, either brandy, rum, whisky or sherry. It can be covered with a layer of marzipan or left as it is.
From cooking and storing tips, to feeding and fermenting, here’s all you need to know about creating the perfect Christmas cake.
How to store your Christmas cake?
Once you’ve baked and cooled your Christmas cake, you’ll need to store it in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. It’s best to wrap your cake in parchment or greaseproof paper and then in foil twice. After wrapping, pop the cake in an airtight container. Do make sure you rewrap your cake properly after you feed it.
Do remember that Christmas cakes can be frozen for up to a year. So, if you’re really organised, make up two batches at once and freeze one for the year to come.
What should you feed your Christmas cake?
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. It’s best to choose a liquor with a high percentage of alcohol (ABV) as these tend to have a longer shelf life, which will help keep the Christmas cake from spoiling. The feeding liquor is all down to personal preference, just make sure you're complementing the rich flavours of the fruit.
Speaking of personal tastes...if you prefer your Christmas cake rich, then leaving the cake to mature for longer will enhance the flavours of the dried fruit.
Traditional Christmas cake recipes suggest that three months is enough time to perfect this fruity masterpiece.
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.
As alcohol helps stop the cake from going mouldy over time, if you’re teetotal, bake and store a couple of days before you plan on tucking in as it won’t keep for as long. It’s best to follow a traditional fruitcake recipe, rather than just subtracting the alcoholic elements from a Christmas cake recipe as it should give you the correct storing advice.
How to feed a Christmas cake
Poke holes in your cake using a thin skewer to help the liquid seep through the sponge. You only need to use about one or two tablespoons of your chosen liquor or fruit juice. Before you soak it in liquid each week, do check the texture of the sponge. If it feels damp or if it leaves a residue, it’s well fed and you can skip that week.
Why should you feed your Christmas cake?
It’s important to keep your cake soaked in liquor to stop it from drying out. Alcohol also acts as a preservative and is one of the reasons you can store it for months without it spoiling.
How often should you feed a Christmas cake?
This can be tricky as you don’t want to be left with a soggy cake, but you don’t want a stale one either. The frequency will also depend on how far in advance you want to make your cake. For a richer flavour, mature the fruitcake over 12 weeks. Feeding your Christmas cake once a week during this period should be more than enough time for it to reach its full fruity potential. And remember, check the cake each time before you feed it!
There you have it - all the information on how to feed a Christmas cake to help you stay organised ahead of the festive period.
Now, if like me you absolutely DETEST Christmas cake, don't feel like you have to comply. Yule logs are perfectly acceptable, as is any cake from our Christmas cake collection - have a browse!
