Christmas Cake - Soak fruit in alcohol if feeding the cake anyway?

[Gimpymoo]

If you are making the cake now for example with time to feed it, any gains from soaking the fruit in booze before baking?

Thanks.

 

[arknor]

wont the alcohol evaporate when it cooks? or at-least I'd have thought so.

I guess you would still get the taste however, I need to start buying alcohol to cook with again, veges cooked in white wine taste so good

 

[montymint]

If you are making the cake now for example with time to feed it, any gains from soaking the fruit in booze before baking?

Thanks.

When I did mine last year I soaked the fruit overnight.

followed this recipe:

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/buttered-rum-christmas-cake

and the rum I used (which is delicious) was red leg - the vanilla and ginger one!

iirc the soak is to stop the dried fruit absobing moisture from the cake mix itself during baking, could be wrong!

 

[Maundie]

I always soak my fruit in alcohol for 24 hours before baking, never had anything but good comments from friends and family I've given the cakes to.

This years tipple is a bottle of Powers Irish Whiskey, last year I used Glengoyne 10 year single malt.

May have to try some spiced rum and see how that is, there's a Dead Man's Fingers on Amazon offer so may be an option.

 

[chroniclard]

Dont bother, nobody likes Christmas Cake and/or Christmas Pudding.

 

[Somnambulist]

My mum has always soaked the fruit in brandy the day before, then once baked it’s given regular brandy feedings over several weeks before the marzipan and icing goes on.