Christmas cake soaking fruit

[foodie53]

How long do you soak your dried fruit for Christmas cake. I have read a few hours to a few days - has anyone experimented and come up with their favourite? I fancy doing a Darina Allen cake this year as can’t get to Ireland so thought an Irish cake with some Jameson’s will be good!

[diby5]

I follow Nigella's cake recipe so my fruit is soaked in Bourbon. Bring it to the boil, remove from the heat and let it soak overnight
When I'm doing my Christmas pudding I leave it for a week, but that is in Sherry and no heating
Both of those work great for my liking and I've had plenty of compliments (and a few converts to Christmas Pudding) but I'm afraid I don't know if what you are soaking them in or if the heating makes any difference. Results were so good from the start I haven't done any experimenting

HTH

David

[Disney Bear]

I usually take a week - but that is mainly because I do things at weekends. I also mix it every day so the liquid that settles at the bottom soaks in too. I also like quite a boozy cake

[Tetrarch]

I've made the Delia Smith Christmas cake for years and that one says soak the fruit overnight in brandy so that's what I always do. I have a feeling there won't be a definitive 'right' answer to this question.

Debra

[Gill H]

We do Delia’s Creole Cake - fruit soaked in multiple kinds of booze for a week. Don’t drive after opening the fridge!

[diby5]

Do people have a preferred brand of fruit? Over the last couple of years I've used Whitworths, DW and I definitely prefer it to shop own brands for snacking but I don't know if it really makes much difference once soaked and baked plus this year I am probably making four 8 inch cakes and Whitworths can get a bit pricy when buying those sort of quantities

[foodie53]

Thank you all - I’m just going to follow Darina Allen’s recipe this year but soak fruit overnight at least - I think this year we will need a bit extra booze!

[JAF]

I soak my fruit overnight before use as per Delia but then tend to 'feed' it with further food of brandy periodically until I cover it in marzipan and icing.

[Gryff]

I’ve just sampled the fruit in my rumtof before adding apples and pears it’s amazing the two golden oldies who are here because of Covid said it needed a bit mor rum and cinnamon sugar They must have the constitution of an ox it blow your head off

[borntoshop]

Our dried fruits soaking in sherry, started it in February or march.