Christmas bells are ringing, and the most wonderful time of the year has arrived! The spirit of Christmas has inspired me to try out new cake recipes. So, I started this month with the traditional fruit soaking for Christmas fruit cakes.
A classic plum cake or Christmas fruit cake requires soaking dried fruits and nuts weeks or even months in advance. If you love a rich and moist fruit cake, this recipe is perfect for you!
The Tradition of Fruit Soaking
This fruit mix is incredibly easy to prepare. The only effort involved is shopping for different dried fruits and nuts, then chopping them into fine pieces. Christmas cakes are popular worldwide, but the soaking timeline varies by region. Some soak their fruits a year in advance, while others prefer a shorter period—three months, one month, two weeks, or even just two days before baking.
Choosing the Right Fruits and Nuts
The most commonly used dried fruits include:
- Raisins (black and golden)
- Prunes
- Cranberries
- Dried cherries
- Candied oranges
- Candied ginger
- Dried pineapple
- Dried apricots
For nuts, you can use:
- Almonds
- Walnuts
- Cashew nuts
You can select these ingredients based on availability and personal taste.
Soaking Medium – Alcohol or Juice?
Soaking can be done using rum, wine, or fruit juices. The most commonly used juices are:
- Grape juice
- Orange juice
- Apple juice
I always prefer soaking in homemade wine. If you don’t have wine at home, you can use store-bought juices. However, keep in mind that if you soak the fruits in juice, they must be refrigerated. If soaked in wine or rum, they can be stored outside in a cool place.
Even though the process is simple, from shopping for dry fruits to chopping and finally soaking them, it fills me with the festive spirit, making it a truly wonderful experience. Wishing you all a happy and blessed season!
Ingredients
- Black raisins – 250 g
- Golden raisins – 250 g
- Chopped dates – 300 g
- Tutti-frutti (red, green, yellow) – 250 g each
- Chopped cashew nuts – 200 g
- Homemade grape wine – 2 cups
Method of Soaking
- Clean the dry fruits as required and remove stems from raisins, if any. Use only seedless raisins.
- Deseed the dates and chop them into fine pieces.
- Add all the chopped dry fruits and cashew nuts to a large glass or ceramic jar. Do not use metal containers.
- Pour the homemade wine over the mixture and mix well using a spatula.
- Cover the jar with a lid.
- Store in a cool, dark place in your kitchen.
- Stir the fruits daily to ensure they are evenly coated with wine.
- Use as required in your cake recipe.
Notes:
- If you prefer crunchy nuts in your cake, avoid soaking them. Instead, add them directly while baking.
- Some recipes call for adding spice powders (cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg) to the soaked fruits, but I prefer adding them during baking, depending on the recipe.
- The amount of alcohol or juice should be just enough to immerse the dry fruits.
Happy baking and Merry Christmas!
