How to Mature a Rich Fruit Cake
As I was soaking the fruit cakes for my friend’s wedding cake, I thought I share a little more insight into maturing a fruit cake following on from the recipe for Rich Fruit Cake.
As mentioned in the recipe, after the cake has cooled completely, keeping the greaseproof paper around the sides and the bottom of the cake, soak the top with half the amount of alcohol (sherry, rum or brandy are suitable) that you used for soaking the fruit (i.e. 30g if 60g were used). After soaking, wrap in a layer of greaseproof paper and then losely wrap in kitchen foil and keep in a coolish (if possible) and dry place.
After a week, soak again with the same amount of alcohol, wrap and this time stand the cake upside down to keep the top nice and flat. Repeat the soaking after a further four weeks and again four weeks later (depending on how long in advance you made the cake). The last soaking can be immediately before coating.
Ideally the cake should mature for about three months, however, anything from one to three months will be ok.
So then, only the small task of decorating the cake left… more about that later 