Come December and the air is alive with Christmas vibes! This post comes just in time to help you to make soaked fruits and peels for your Christmas cake.
I promise you it is not as complicated as you thought and there are no strict rules really as to what or how much of fruits to soak or even what the soaking liquid medium should be: just a few basic guidelines.
Read on to see the variety of fruits you can soak and the choice of liquid you can use.
I used Dark Rum my fruits and I really usually use whatever fruits I have on hand without fretting about it.
Here is what you can use:
This list of ingredients is a general guideline and what I used:
- 250 gm of raisins (preferably black raisins)
- 300 gm of dark sultanas
- 200 gm of mixed candied fruits
- 150 gm of roasted nuts (walnuts, cashews)
- 1 to 2 tbsp of orange zest
- ¼ cup of orange juice
- 150 ml of dark rum
Other than the raisins and sultanas, the most traditional fruits to soak are:
- Dried cranberries
- Dried currants
- Mixed dried citrus peels
- Dried candied oranges
- Glace cherries
- Dried candied pineapples
- Dried papaya
And here are the many substitutes for the rum. I am listing down the alcoholic and non-alcoholic substitutes for you:
| Alcoholic | Non-Alcoholic |
|---|---|
| 1. Bourbon | 1. Apple juice |
| 2. Whiskey | 2. Orange juice |
| 3. Cherry Brandy | 3. Ginger ale |
| 4. Brandy | 4. Sparkling apple cider |
| 5. Kahlua | 5. Chocolate extract + Instant coffee powder |
| 6. Rich syrup | 6. Sparkling white grape juice |
| 7. Coffee liqueur | 7. Any fruit flavoured liqueur |
| 8. Orange liqueur |
Note: This list by no means in exhaustive but its surely very extensive to give you an idea as to how simple the process of making soaked fruits can be, and fun of course!
The process:
- To soak, just layer or mix all the fruits in a large bowl or container and pour your soaking liquid over it.
- Shake or mix it up well and keep giving them a good shake or mixing once a day till you are ready to bake your cake.
The quantity:
Now the traditional Christmas fruit cake would call for a LOT of soaked fruits so don’t be surprised if I ask you to soak at least 700 to 800 gm of fruits in all. This excludes nuts like cashews, walnuts, and about 100 to 150 ml of liquid for a standard 8 to 9 inch cake.
Of course you can reduce or alter these quantities depending on your preference.
Another important thing to remember is that if you plan to use a fruit juice as your soaking liquid, soak your fruits as close to the baking day as possible.
So what are you waiting for? Go and get those little babies soaking!
If you loved this recipe, don’t forget to comment below and tell me! Also, if you try it out, do share your experiences and pictures with me on Instagram (@anjalisbakeaffair)
Shop on Amazon: Here are some products that can help you in the kitchen while making this recipe
- Black raisins: https://amzn.to/2KfvGCk
- Walnuts: https://amzn.to/2Ltrtvw
- Cashews: https://amzn.to/37cWAE6
- Dried cranberries: https://amzn.to/2W7eXUv
- Dried currants: https://amzn.to/3ni6fyQ
- Mixed candied fruits: https://amzn.to/3gDrbNY
- Dried candied oranges: https://amzn.to/2W4oHig
- Dried candied pineapples: https://amzn.to/3gGsXxY
- Sparkling white grape juice: https://amzn.to/3ngRvA4
- Dried papaya: https://amzn.to/2IFWtY2
- Apple juice: https://amzn.to/2W9OK7D
- Orange juice: https://amzn.to/2W6J0LV
- Ginger ale: https://amzn.to/37THkel
- Chocolate extract: https://amzn.to/3mjVURH
- Instant coffee powder: https://amzn.to/3gF5Ofb
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