Vivian Marlowe
Christmas cake is a traditional fruit cake with a rich, velvety texture that is moist and full of flavour. The cake is usually prepared a day in advance, with dried fruit soaked overnight in alcohol to rehydrate and become plump and soft. However, for those who prefer their cakes without alcohol, there are alternative methods to achieve a similar result. One suggestion is to soak the fruit in orange juice, tea, or grape juice instead of alcohol, and to store the cake in the refrigerator to prevent it from going stale. Additionally, it is recommended to use mincemeat instead of dried fruit to create a moist cake that does not require ageing or feeding.
Characteristics of a moist Christmas cake without alcohol
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Soaking fruits | Dark tea, grape juice, apple juice, orange juice, tea, or water |
| Batter | Chia seeds, coconut oil, black treacle, or dark molasses |
| Refrigeration | Yes, to prevent staleness |
| Feeding | No feeding required, but can be fed apple juice instead of brandy |
| Storage | Freeze if made more than a month in advance, double-wrapped in cling film and foil |
| Texture | Dense yet moist, not brick-like |
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What You'll Learn
Soak dried fruits in juice before baking
Soaking dried fruits in juice before baking is a great way to keep a Christmas cake moist without using alcohol. This method not only adds flavour to the cake but also helps to plump up the dried fruits, ensuring a moist and soft texture.
To start, choose your favourite dried fruits. You can use a store-bought mix or chop your own for a more moist cake. Then, decide on the type of juice you want to use. Apple juice is a popular choice due to its neutral flavour, but you can also use orange juice, pineapple juice, or any other juice of your preference.
Once you have your dried fruits and juice, simply combine them and let the fruits soak in the juice. Some recipes recommend soaking for a week, while others suggest a faster method of heating the mixture in the microwave and then soaking for just one hour. You can even warm the fruits in the juice and then leave them to soak overnight in the fridge. This process ensures that the dried fruits absorb the juice and become plump and soft, infusing your cake with flavour and moisture.
After soaking, you can prepare the rest of your cake batter. Remember to omit the alcohol from the recipe and consider adding spices or other flavourings to enhance the taste of your cake.
By soaking your dried fruits in juice before baking, you can create a delicious and moist Christmas cake that everyone can enjoy, regardless of their preference for alcohol.
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Refrigerate the cake
If you're planning to make a Christmas cake without alcohol, it's important to know that it won't keep as long as an alcoholic cake. Alcohol acts as a preservative, so without it, your cake is more likely to go stale or mouldy.
One way to combat this is to refrigerate your cake. Keeping your cake in the fridge will help to extend its shelf life. It is recommended to consume non-alcoholic Christmas cakes within a couple of weeks if kept in the fridge. However, one source suggests that a Christmas cake can be kept for up to three months in the fridge.
If you want to make your cake further in advance, it is best to freeze it. Wrap the cake tightly in two layers of cling film and a layer of foil. Then, thaw it overnight at room temperature when you're ready to eat it.
It's worth noting that some sources suggest that you should not feed a non-alcoholic cake with fruit juice, as it can cause the cake to go mouldy. Instead, you can soak the dried fruits in juice before baking, or use an alternative liquid such as tea.
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Use mincemeat instead of dried fruits
Christmas cakes are traditionally dense, moist, and a little chewy, with warm spice notes. The alcohol in a Christmas cake is a preservative and adds flavour, but it is not strictly necessary.
One way to keep a Christmas cake moist without alcohol is to use mincemeat instead of dried fruits. Mincemeat is a mixture of dried fruits, sugar, and spices, sometimes with suet or butter, and often soaked in brandy. Using mincemeat is a great shortcut to making a quick and easy Christmas cake. It is a good way to use up leftover mincemeat from Christmas.
To make a mincemeat Christmas cake, use a jar of mincemeat instead of the dried fruit in a standard Christmas cake recipe. You can also add mixed peel, glacé cherries, and spices like mixed spice and cinnamon. The result will be a little lighter than a standard Christmas cake but just as delicious.
- Preheat your oven to 160C / 140C fan / gas mark 3 / 325F.
- Grease and line a 20cm / 8-inch round cake tin with baking paper.
- Add the jar of mincemeat and the glacé cherries. Stir gently until the fruit is evenly distributed.
- Gently fold in the flour, mixed spice, and cinnamon until fully incorporated.
- Next, add the cream sherry and stir gently until mixed in.
- Tip the cake mixture into your prepared cake tin and get it straight into the oven.
- Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until a skewer, inserted into the middle of the cake, comes out clean.
- Leave to cool for 20 minutes in the tin, then remove the cake from the tin and allow to fully cool on a wire cooling rack. The cake should take approximately 2 hours to cool fully.
- Do not decorate until completely cool! Dust your work surface with icing sugar and roll out your marzipan.
This mincemeat Christmas cake is ridiculously easy to make and takes just 1 hour 15 minutes to bake (plus 15 minutes to decorate). It is the perfect solution when you need a Christmas cake in a hurry!
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Wrap and freeze the cake
If you're planning to make a Christmas cake without alcohol, it's best not to make it more than a month in advance. To make it further ahead, wrap and freeze the cake until needed.
To freeze your Christmas cake, wrap it tightly in two layers of cling film, followed by a layer of foil. This will ensure your cake stays moist and fresh.
When you're ready to enjoy your cake, simply thaw it overnight at room temperature. It's best not to feed a non-alcoholic cake with fruit juice as it can become mouldy quickly. Instead, soak the fruits in juice before baking or use an alternative liquid such as tea or water.
A well-wrapped Christmas cake can last for a year in the freezer, so it's a great option if you're looking to make your cake ahead of time.
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Use coconut oil
Coconut oil is a great ingredient to use to keep your Christmas cake moist without alcohol. It adds a great background flavour and will keep the cake moist.
Firstly, you will need to prepare your dried fruit. If you are using orange juice instead of alcohol, heat the juice until hot and pour it over the dried fruit. Leave the fruit to soak for at least three hours and up to eight hours. If you are not using orange juice, you can use apple juice, or pineapple juice, or simply microwave the dried fruit with juice for one and a half minutes, then leave to stand for an hour.
Next, you can prepare the batter. Using an electric beater, beat butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add oil and molasses, and beat until combined. Add salt, spices and baking powder, and beat until incorporated. You can use a variety of spices, including all-spice, cardamom powder, cinnamon powder, grated nutmeg, ginger powder, ground cloves, apple pie spice, or pumpkin pie spice mix.
When adding the oil, you can use melted coconut oil. You can also use any flavourless oil, except avocado oil. The oil is what will give the cake its superb moistness, so don't worry about using butter instead. You won't be able to taste the oil in the cake, and it will stay moist even on days two and three.
Finally, add the dry ingredients in batches and whisk until it forms a thick batter. You can use a spatula to fold the batter well. Grease and line a cake pan with baking paper and pour in the batter.
Your Christmas cake will keep well at room temperature for three to four days. It will stay fresh in the fridge for up to a week. For an extended shelf life, freeze individual pieces wrapped in plastic wrap and foil and store them in an airtight container.
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Frequently asked questions
Soak the dried fruits in orange juice and leave them overnight in the fridge. You can also use apple juice or tea.
If you're not using alcohol, it's best not to make the cake more than a month in advance. You can also freeze the cake until needed, wrapped tightly in cling film and foil.
You can baste your cake with fruit juice, tea, or even water. However, do not feed the cake with juice after it has been cooked, as it may turn mouldy.
Yes, you can try adding coconut oil to your cake batter, which adds flavour and keeps the cake moist. You can also try soaking the dried fruits in juice before baking, and then baking the cake without any additional liquid.
