Delicious fruitcakes are versatile and can be served at any occasion. Covered with justify icing, they are a delectable treat at weddings and birthdays whereas a slice of fruitcake without any icing is perfect for a unhurried afternoon tea.
Fruitcakes taste best when kept to mature for at least a minimum of one month. If the storage facilities are dry and cool, fruitcakes can even be kept to mature for three to four months. Keeping this in mind, start your preparations well in develop of the time you are planning to use the cake.
Aluminum Bakeware
The process before verily putting the cake in the oven to bake is a lengthy one, spreading over some days. It is important to use only fresh, good quality ingredients for your fruit cake. Cut fruits and nuts into desired pieces and soak them in liquor or fruit juice for the required estimate of days. Before mixing them into the batter, dredge the fruit and nuts in flour to forestall them from sinking in the batter and shake off the excess flour before using in the recipe.
The fun part about making fruitcakes is that it allows you to be adventurous. Unlike other cakes, you can substitute some ingredients for ones of your choice. If your method calls for wine or brandy and you are a teetotaler, you can substitute it with any fruit juice that you like. If you do not like any particular fruit mentioned in the recipe, substitute it with an additional one similar fruit. The only thing you need to pay heed to is the weight or volume of the ingredients, which should be same or as close to that mentioned in the recipe.
Keep the oven climatic characteristic at no higher than 325 degrees, or even lower when baking your fruitcake. To forestall the cake from getting burnt during the long baking time use greased brown paper lining before pouring the batter into the pan. You can bake your fruitcake in muffin tins or baking pans of any shape and size, any way you'll need to make the primary adjustments in climatic characteristic and baking time if using a pan size that is dissimilar from that mentioned in the recipe. Placing a pan or metal bowl with hot water on the oven floor, will forestall the cake from drying out.
Insert a cake tester in the town of the cake to test for doneness. The cake is done when the tester comes out moist and not doughy. When fully baked, take the cake out of the oven and leave it to cool on a cooling rack in the same pan in which it was baked. When wholly cooled, considered take it out of the pan and peel off the greased paper. Wrap the cake in cheesecloth that has been soaked in the same brandy, wine or any other liquor that you used in the recipe. Wrap the cheesecloth-covered cake in aluminum foil or plastic wrap and store in a cool place. during the maturing time, keep brushing the cake with liquor regularly; at least once a week.
Fruitcakes taste great with age so go ahead and let it mature. It will institute a moist, luscious taste if allowed to 'ripen' for an sufficient period of time. Though fruitcakes ice very well for long-term storage, you should let it age for a minimum of four weeks prior to freezing, as it will not mellow when it is frozen.
Do not frost your fruitcake too much ahead of time. Do it as close to serving time as possible. Because they are so fruity, fruitcakes can crumble if not cut in the right manner. Use a serrated knife or a sharp thin-bladed knife and slice the fruitcake in a sawing motion, then dispose it on a platter and serve.
Fruitcake - Secrets to making the perfect Fruit Cake