Here comes a detailed post on how to soak dry fruits for Christmas fruit cake (plum cake) either in alcohol or juice and how long to soak and how to store the prepared fruit mix. Here the post speaks in detail about both alcohol rich and non- alcoholic (juice based) fruit soaking methods and its shelf life and more. I will update the post with better pictures later since I waited a week to click them in good sunlight but no luck
before Christmas :-). I am working on the fruit cake recipes (both alcoholic and non alcoholic versions soon, so stay tuned I will add the recipe link HERE).
What all I am using this year as shown in above picture
Almonds
Cashew Nuts
Walnuts
Black and Gold Raisins
Organic Figs
Organic Cherries
Dates
Tutti Frutti
Organic Cranberries
Organic Prunes and
Pistachios
Yields Fruits for 2 – 8 inch cakes or 1 – 10 inch bundt cake pan and 6 inch cake pan.
Ingredients For Rum soaked Fruits
Dried Cranberry – 200gms
Dates – 300 grams
Tutti Frutti – 200 grams (I used Green alone since cherries and cranberries are red)
Dried Cherries – 100gms
Gold Sultans – 100 grams
Raisins – 150 grams
Finely chopped Nuts (Optional you can add this two nuts in the cake batter preparation) –> Almond – 75 Grams
Walnuts -75 Grams
1 Orange Zest (If you are soaking for months or year then skip this)
Dark Unflavored Rum or Any Alcohol – 700ml (A mark more over then all the ingredients)
After several days the fruits absorbs the liquid and you need to add more…
Also every alternate day mix them gently using wooden spatula.
For Alcohol Free Fruit Soaking
Dried Cranberry – 200gms
Dates – 300 grams
Tutti Frutti – 200 grams (I used Green alone since cherries and cranberries are red)
Dried Cherries – 100gms
Gold Sultans – 100 grams
Raisins – 150 grams
Finely chopped Nuts (Optional you can add this two nuts in the cake batter preparation for crunchy bites in your cake) –>
Almond – 75 Grams + Walnuts -75 Grams
1 Orange Zest (If you are soaking for months or year then skip this)
Orange Juice From 4-5 Big Oranges – 2 Cups to 2.5 Cups or Apple Juice Approx (A mark more over then all the ingredients)
Caramel Syrup – made from 1/2 cup of sugar –> yields 3 to 3.5 Tbsp syrup (for that add sugar in heavy hot pan, on and off stir them with a tbsp of water. At one stage they turn super dark in color, before removing from flame add 3 tbsp of boiling water.
How long to soak
- If using Rum or any alcohol then minimum 2 weeks to maximum year. If they are going to be for a year then skip orange zest and nuts in soaking.
- If you prefer a short period of time like 2 to 3 weeks in alcohol then orange zest and nuts are absolutely fine with other ingredients.
- You can soak overnight(just 8 hours) or 2 days before preparing the cake as well, just reduce a bit quantity of alcohol in this case.
- I prefer finely chopped fruits and nuts always, since my kids doesn’t like big chunks in their mouth…
Pic 1 :- Got a new measurement cup to showcase the fruits and nuts 🙂
Pic 2 :- All the finely chopped stuffs
Pic 3 :- Since I used large quantity of dates (it needed a special pic :-), this is the picture of chopped ones
Pic 4 :- soaking done with fresh Orange juice
Overnight Soaking
- For a quick soak and bake, gather all ingredients and either in alcohol or orange juice do soak them at least 8 hours before the bake and not more than 10 hours in room temperature.
- I used fresh foamy homemade juice and result of the cake is awesome as shown below 🙂
- Also if you soaked the fruits in fresh Orange juice and cant bake within that time then do store it in refrigerator and make sure you use it within 24 hours (here sugar syrup/caramelized sugar is a must).
- Here you can very well add orange zests and chopped nuts to soak.
- The very first picture is fruit juice based soaking and no alcohol in that.
- I too have no soak and fruit boiling method (Instant Version), do check that version of Christmas fruit cake HERE.
- Also for the people who live in warm places, don’t forget the caramelized sugar along with the juices, it acts well as a good preservative in the soaking process.
This year I planned to make both alcohol version and non alcohol version for kids and here is the picture of it.
How to store
- What you all need is a big glass jar with air tight lid .
- Also a dark and cool place to store the fruits in rum or fruit juice.
What to remember
- On alternate days do stir with clean wooden spatula and again continue storing.
- When the liquids are absorbed by the fruits add more alcohol or juice accordingly.
- Also do remember to add caramel syrup with the juices you like to soak the fruits.
My Christmas Fruit Cake Collections
Here is the fruit cake recipe I made using these rum based and the cake recipe has details on alcohol free cake as well.
Avriq
Avriq India