How to Soak Dry Fruits for Christmas Cake

How to Soak Dry Fruits for Christmas Cake | with step by step photos, description and video. Christmas is just a few weeks away and are you planning to make some fruit cake for Christmas? Then first preparation work is soaking the different dry fruits required for making the fruit cake.

Fruits can be soaked in alcohol or non alcoholic base. Soak dry fruits in alcohol up to 1 year for more intense and rich flavor. Soaking dried fruit for Christmas is a tradition that flows through every single year. Ideally we start the process a year in advance with the soaking. This enables a full bodied and juicy fruit later. 

You don’t need a lot to make the base of your mixed fruit. An assortment of fruit is a must for sure but you also need alcohol to hydrate the fruit and some spices to add the necessary warmth and flavor. This recipe is an easy one to say the least as you mix everything and time does the trick. So let’s answer some of those questions before we get to the recipe. 

What kind of dry fruits and nuts do you need?

The combination of fruit is endless and you can use any dried fruit you prefer as you will taste it in the cake later. This is the mixture I use and I personally love it. 

• Assorted Raisins –(Black raisins or sultanas and golden raisins)
• Dates
• Dried Cranberries
• Dried Prunes
• Red Glazed Cherries
• Tutti Frutti (Mix of 3 colors)
• Candied Ginger
• Cashewnuts
• Almonds

Along with these dried fruits, I added some honey and homemade orange marmalade, to make them more moist.

What alcohol should be used to soak the fruit?

Alcohol or Fruit juice(orange or grape) – Now this is subjective to your liking. People prefer brandy, dark rum or a mix of these. I personally prefer sweet red wine. Instead of wine you can use other alcohol or non alcoholic drinks of your choice.

Can you soak fruit with non alcoholic liquid?

Yes, you can use dark grape juice, pomegranate juice, orange juice or a mix of these. You need to soak the fruit in this liquid to help them hydrate. If you are using fruit juice, the soaked fruit needs to be stored in the fridge as it will ferment with time so I would recommend using it soon. So you do not need to soak this mixture a year or even months in advance. A week ahead of time should suffice. 

How long should you soak your fruit?

People soak their fruit for a year (like myself) but the point is to ensure the fruit has enough time to soak up all the liquid and gets plump. So you can soak them even for a month, 15 days, 5 days or even the night before you bake. I would recommend, if you don’t have much time and want to soak the fruit asap, you can warm the alcohol, ever so gently as you don’t want to evaporate the alcohol in the liquid – before adding it to the dried fruit. The heat will allow the fruit to soak it up faster. Same goes with fruit juice. I have already shared an instant plum cake recipe. Hope it helps you.

What spices can you add for plum cake?

Always a mix of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg powder works best for me. I grind them and keep it in an air tight container at the start of December season.

How to Soak Dry Fruits for Christmas Cake?

How to Soak Dry Fruits for Christmas Cake | with step by step photos, description and video. All those fruit cake lover will be starting to soak their dry fruits a year before christmas. The longer the fruits steep in wine or rum the more flavourful it will get. You can use any dried fruits and any quantity you like. But make sure you add lots of black raisins or prunes, since it makes your cake dark and yummy.

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How to Soak Dry Fruits for Christmas Cake

Course: DessertCuisine: InternationalDifficulty: Medium

Servings

2

kg

Prep time

10

minutes

How to Soak Dry Fruits for Christmas Cake | with step by step photos, description and video. All those fruit cake lover will be starting to soak their dry fruits a year before christmas.

Ingredients

• 400 gm Dried Prunes

• 300gm Black Raisins

• 100gm Dates (cut into pieces)

• 300gm Golden Raisins

• 200gm Cranberries

• 500 gm Tutti Frutti ( mix of all colors)

• 100 gm Ginger Candy

• 2 tbsp Orange Marmalade/ orange zest / orange jam

• 1 to 2 tbsp Honey

• 1/4 cup Glazed red cherry

• 1 tbsp Spice Powder( clove+ cinnamon + nutmeg – powdered)

• 11/2 to 2 cup Red Wine / Rum /Whiskey/Brandy/Fruit Juices

• 350 gm Dried Nuts (Mix of Cashew & Almonds)

Directions

• Take a big, well cleaned and dried bowl.
• Add the dried fruits one by one: 400 gm Dried Prunes, 300gm Black Raisins, 100gm Dates (cut into pieces), 300gm Golden Raisins, 200gm Cranberries, 500 gm Tutti Frutti ( mix of all colors) and 100 gm Ginger Candy.
• Mix them well using a dry spoon.
• Add in 2 tbsp Orange Marmalade , 1 to 2 tbsp Honey and 1/4 cup Glazed red cherry.
• Give a nice mix, makes the fruits looks moist.
• Now add 11/2 cup wine or any fruit juice of your preference and give a nice mix.
• Now it is time to add some spices. For that in a small mixie jar, add approximately 40 cloves, 2 long cinnamon sticks and 2 nutmeg. Ground them to a fine powder. Store in an air tight container for further use.
• Add 1 tbsp ground spices to the fruits and mix them well. Check and add 1 more if you need more spice smell.
• Take a glass air-tight container. Make sure it is clean and well dried.
• Transfer all the contents into the jar.
• Followed by 350 gm dried nuts and mix them in.
• Finally, close the container and place in a cool, dark place.
• Mix it every 3 days using a dry spoon.
• You can start using it from the next day itself.

Recipe Video

Notes

• If you are using fruit juice, the soaked fruit needs to be stored in the fridge as it will ferment with time so I would recommend using it soon.
• Keep the soaked fruits in a dark cool place.
• Give a nice mix on alternate days using a dried wooden spoon.