November 15, 2021
How to Mature a Fruitcake Quickly
How to Mature a Fruitcake Quickly
We know you don’t really need a reason to order fruitcake from the Collin Street Bakery. Our cakes are so dang tasty, they’re practically perfect for any occasion. But, if you’re looking for an excuse, we’re happy to help. How about because it’s a day ending in ‘Y’ --satisfied? Phew, glad we got that out of the way. So, as we said, our cakes are super tasty as is. In fact, most of our customers have a hard time NOT tearing into their cake the second it arrives. BUT, if you want to have a fruitcake eating experience that’s unlike any other, you may want to approach your fruitcake with a bit of patience.
Yes, we said patience. Just like a fine wine, the flavors of your Collin Street fruitcake only get better with time. Luckily for you, unlike wine, maturing your fruitcake doesn’t have to take decades or even years. It can actually be a relatively quick process if you know what to do. That’s why the fruitcake experts here at Collin Street Bakery are here to show you how to mature a fruitcake quickly.
Like Fine Wine, Fruitcake Get Better With Time
Learning how to age a fruitcake quickly can turn you into a superstar guest at any holiday party. But before you RSVP to bring dessert, you must plan ahead. Like we said, aging a fruitcake will take a little time. 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. So, we’re here to show you how to mature a fruitcake quickly.
Step 1: Soaking
In terms of flavor development, the first step in how to age a fruitcake quickly is arguably the most important. The soaking step is where you will soak (go figure) your fruitcake in your favorite boozy substance. Options to consider include bourbon, rum, or cognac. However, we’ve also heard of our customers using port, vodka, scotch, and even wine with success! The simplest way of soaking the entire cake is to use a skewer or fork to poke holes across the cake’s surface before carefully pouring onto it your spirit of choice. If you know yourself to be a heavy-handed pourer, then try this. Pre-measure your desired amount of liquor into a bowl and then taking a clean basting brush, evenly brush your cake till all the liquor has been used. This second approach will take a little longer but is more exact.
Step 2: Wrapping
After you soak your fruitcake, the next step of how to mature a fruitcake quickly is the wrapping process. The wrapping process is critical for aging as it encourages the liquor to stay inside the cake while limiting its exposure to the air. The first wrapping layer should be cheesecloth, followed by a layer of plastic wrap, and finished with a layer of foil. At this point, your cake is fully covered, but we also recommend returning the cake to an airtight container for an extra layer of protection.
Step 3: Time & Temperature
Timing and temperature are crucial steps in how to age a fruitcake quickly. After your cake has been soaked and wrapped, let it sit undisturbed at room temperature for at least one week. On its one week soaking-anniversary, go ahead and carefully unwrap your cake, and repeat steps one and two. Go ahead and set a reminder because this will be the weekly routine for the entire duration of the maturing process. This soaking and sitting process allows the flavors to build, creating complexity and depth inside your cake. In terms of temperature, maturing a fruitcake is best done at room temperature out of direct sunlight. If your cake gets too warm, it has a high likelihood of spoiling. The same can occur if you place your fruitcake in the refrigerator. The notion being, we don’t want the alcohol in the cake to turn and we don’t want the cake to remain too wet. It’s this delicate dance that when done well, turns your fruitcake into a flavorful feast.
Order Delicious Fruitcake at Collin Street Bakery
Now that you’ve learned all about how to mature a fruitcake quickly, you probably want to get to it, right? Trust us, we do too! At Collin Street Bakery, we provide customers the chance to taste our world-famous DeLuxe® Fruitcake. Packed full of delicious ingredients, our renowned fruitcake recipe has been adorned for over 125 years! In addition to our Regular DeLuxe® Fruitcake, we also carry a variety of other amazing fruitcake products, too, including our DeLuxe® Fruitcake Petites, Milk Chocolate DeLuxe® Fruitcake Petites, Sliced DeLuxe® Fruitcake, and more!
Order online today to try a slice of tradition!
FAQs
For a swift and sultry maturation, consider a steamy affair with your fruitcake. Place the cake in a covered container and steam it for a short duration. The steam helps open the cake's pores, allowing it to absorb flavors rapidly. This method is perfect for those who crave a moist and mature fruitcake in record time.
How long does it take to age fruitcake? ›
Fruitcake aficionados will tell you that the best fruit cakes are matured – or “seasoned” in fruitcake lingo – for at least three months before they are cut. Seasoning not only improves the flavor of the fruitcake, but it makes it easier to slice.
What two ingredients help fruitcake last longer? ›
Sugar and alcohol create a hostile environment for microorganisms.
What is the best liquor to soak fruitcake in? ›
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.
Will fruitcake age in the fridge? ›
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.
How to ripen fruitcake? ›
“Seasoning,” also known as ripening or ageing, a fruitcake involves letting it mature in a cool, dark place for several weeks. While the process sounds strange, it's a traditional technique meant to improve the flavour and texture of fruitcake.
Can you eat 10 year old fruitcake? ›
“Low water activity is important because many microorganisms, including foodborne illness-causing bacteria, need moisture in order to reproduce. “In practical terms, this makes most fruitcakes extremely shelf stable, so they would be safe to eat for a long time – a really long time,” Chapman says.
Can you overcook a fruit cake? ›
Usually the bottom and/or edges tend to get hard if a cake is overbaked. You can also try using simple syrup to soak the cake layers or top of the cake to make it little soft.
How to keep fruitcake moist? ›
You can either soak cheesecloth in brandy, bourbon, whiskey, rum or other liquor and then wrap it around the cooked, cooled fruitcake before wrapping in plastic wrap and storing, or simply brush the cake with an alcohol of your choice and wrap tightly.
When to add brandy to fruit cake? ›
Remove the cake from the oven, poke holes in it with a skewer and spoon over 2 tbsp of your chosen alcohol. Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin. To store, peel off the baking parchment, and store in a cake tin. Feed the cake with 1-2 tbsp alcohol every fortnight, until you ice it.
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.
How long will fruitcake keep without alcohol? ›
Rich fruit cakes without alcohol can be stored to mature for months in an airtight container. Your decorating timeline will not interfere with the shelf life of the cake. After baking, wrap the cake up in parchment paper and a few layers of either foil or cling film and pop it in an airtight container to mature.
How long to soak fruit in alcohol for fruit cake? ›
You can soak the fruit for days (or weeks) by adding alcohol and mixing as you go, allowing the dried fruit to soak up all the liquid. We do this by adding alcohol (or fruit juice or even a mix) bit by bit until the fruit is plump, or you can just soak overnight and add the rest of the alcohol after the cake is baked.
What is a substitute for brandy in fruit cake? ›
But if you really want to substitute the brandy, you can happily use freshly squeezed orange juice. Once the cake has been baked it will need cool to the point where you can remove it from the cake tin and you can place it on top of a large sheet of foil.
How long to leave fruit cake in tin after baking? ›
I upturn the tin, it helps to squash down any stickyup bits of fruit and keep the moisture in. Because of their density fruit cakes take a long time to cool down, especially the size you're making so best leave it to completely cool for a few days.
Why has my fruit cake not risen? ›
Why do cakes not rise? A: No or insufficient raising agent, mixture too stiff, mixture overbeaten or air knocked out, or insufficient whisking (whisked sponge). Too cool an oven.
How do you rescue a dry fruit cake? ›
Here are five tips for how to moisten a dry cake once it's already been baked.
- Brush with simple syrup glaze. Velez recommends adding a simple syrup glaze to your cake layers if they end up coming out too dry. ...
- Soak your cake in milk. ...
- Fill the cake with mousse or jam. ...
- Frost the cake. ...
- Stick it in the fridge.
