We are well into winters now and the holiday season isn’t too far. Speaking if which, the time around Christmas and New Year’s is my personal favourite. The vibe and festive spirit warm the soul perfectly, but it is the addition of a celebratory feast which makes it even more special. The traditional Christmas cake is one of my most favourite parts about the holiday season. The markets are obviously full of different varieties but the homemade one has a unique charm. And if you are someone who starts prepping for it a month in advance, you’ve arrived at the right place at the right time.
We are just a month away from Christmas and it’s about time you soak those dried fruits. A Christmas cake must be fresh and nicely baked in order to make it stand out. And let’s just agree that the joy of having a perfectly baked fruit cake is unmatched. Now we know that you know the recipe, you may have made it many times before but don’t we all face certain hiccups in the process. So, if you are planning to make a stellar of a fruit cake at home this Christmas too, we’ve got certain tips and tricks to follow.
1. The classic fruit cake recipe uses soaked dried fruits. It’s always better to soak them well in advance. In most cases people soak them 2-3 weeks in advance to the D-day. Now when you use soaked fruits, they tend to be wet and this would mean they may stick to the bottom of the cake. To avoid this, you can coat the fruits with flour once before putting them in the batter.
2. The key to a perfect cake is to always use a measuring cup and spoon to put in ingredients. If you don’t add the ingredients in the recommended quantity, your cake won’t be soft and delicious the way you want it to be.
3. Fruit cake tends to take a long time to bake, which means there is double the possibility of its burning. To make sure it does not, double line the baking tray and wrap it with two layers of brown paper.
4. As per many baking experts, a little hack to make you cake moist and soft lies in the baking tray. All you need to do is, pour the batter in a tin, fill your baking tray with warm water and put the tin with the batter over the baking tray. Now, put it inside the oven and let it bake it. The water bath method will make your cake moist and soft