Why do we eat cake at Christmas?
Christmas cake is an English tradition that began as plum porridge. People ate the porridge on Christmas Eve, using it to line their stomachs after a day of fasting. For Christmas, they made a similar cake using seasonal dried fruit and spices. The spices represented the exotic eastern spices brought by the Wise Men.
What is the story behind fruitcake?
The ancient Romans made a mishmash of barley, pomegranate seeds, nuts and raisins as a sort of energy bar; however the modern fruitcake can be traced back to the Middle Ages as dried fruits became more widely available and fruited breads entered Western European cuisine.
Why is my fruit cake so heavy?
A cake that is overly dense typically has too much liquid, too much sugar or too little leavening (not excess flour, as is commonly thought). A cake that bakes too slowly takes longer to set and may fall, causing a dense texture.
What is the best fruitcake to buy?
- Best Overall: Eilenberger’s Bakery World Famous Fruitcake.
- Runner-Up, Best Overall: The Nuns of New Skete Brandied Fruitcake.
- Best Small Bites: Collin Street Bakery DeLuxe Petites.
- Best Splurge Gift: Harry & David Christmas Gift Basket with Wine.
- Best Loaf: Gladys’ Bakery Czech Pecan Fruitcake Loaf, 2 Pounds.
Can a fruit cake be too moist?
You may find that the cake is damp but still edible. If you feel it is too underdone to eat then you can cut the properly cooked outside pieces off and just discard the very wet centre.
Do you leave fruit cake in tin to cool?
Cooling in the tin helps to keep the moisture in the cake. Because of their density fruit cakes take a long time to cool down, especially the size you’re making so best leave it to completely cool for a few days.
Do you leave Christmas cake in the tin to cool?
Leave the cake to cool in the tin. When cool, pierce the cake at intervals with a fine skewer and feed with a little extra brandy. Wrap the completely cold cake in a double layer of greaseproof paper and again in foil and store in a cool place for up to three months, feeding at intervals with more brandy.