What can I put in Christmas cake instead of brandy?
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.
What is the best alcohol to put in Christmas cake?
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.
What can I replace brandy with?
To replace brandy in cooking, you can use sherry or white wine. You can use brandy extract or the juice from peach, apricot, or pears for an alcohol-free ingredient.
What is an alternative to brandy?
The best alcoholic substitute for brandy is whiskey due to the similarity in flavor profile and alcohol content. The best non-alcoholic substitute is fruit extract due to brandy’s fruity flavor, with apple, grape, apricot, and peach flavors yielding the best results.
How long will non alcoholic fruit cake keep?
A virgin fruitcake (no alcohol) will last up to 1 month at room temperature, 6 months in the fridge, and 12 months in the freezer. If alcohol is added to the recipe, fruitcake can last much longer. However, the dried or candied fruit and nuts may start turning rancid after a couple of years.
Can you open the oven when baking a Christmas cake?
As fruit cakes take a long time to cook, it is very important that the edges and the bottom don’t cook before the centre of the cake. It this happens, the outside of the cake will be hard and tasteless. Don’t open the oven door until the cake is cooked!
Does alcohol preserve cake?
Alcohol: Before baking, add booze to your cake and be sure of its longevity. Alcohol not only enhances the flavor of the cake but also help to keep it moist. Even without refrigerating, the cake can last for a day or two. The British are familiar with storing their cakes and cheese in a dome for preservation.
Can I use whiskey instead of brandy in a Christmas cake?
A reasonably strong spirit (around 40% ABV) with a warm, fiery flavour will compliment the flavour of the cake, and help to preserve the cake, so it will keep for longer. You can use standard rum, whisky or brandy.
Can you make a non alcoholic Christmas cake?
This non-alcoholic Christmas cake meets all my requirements. It has a much lighter crumb, it contains no alcohol at all, only a fair amount of sugar, less dried fruit than the original and due to the lack of alcohol and the use of less dried fruit, it is not as expensive anymore either.
How to make cherry brandy with dried fruit?
No creaming, beating or soaking of fruit required! Take a large saucepan pan and add the butter, sugar, dried mixed fruit, glacé cherries, cranberries, orange & lemon zest and juice and all but 4 tbsp of the cherry brandy.
What does a Christmas cake look like without frosting?
A plain Christmas Cake does look like a big, dark brown block so it is nice to decorate it! Here are some ideas – but remember, it’s purely decorative. This fruit cake is full flavoured and very moist so unlike other cakes, you don’t need a frosting to make it ultra delish to eat!
Can you use dried fruit in Christmas cake?
Use any dried fruit you want – as long as it weighs 855g / 30 oz in total. You could even use a store bought mix of pre chopped dried fruit – but just know that chopping your own will yield a more moist cake (pre chopped is not as moist), but having said that, this cake is ULTRA moist so has the flex to use pre chopped!