Recipe: Delicious slow cooker fruit cake uses only three ingredients (2024)

FAQs

What makes fruit cake last so long? ›

What typically makes fruitcake last so long is its super dense texture. This texture prevents, let's say, less than appetizing things from setting up camp in the cake's crevices. Additionally, a lot of the ingredients in our fruitcakes are dried or glaceéd, so they don't contain much moisture.

Put the flour, grated nutmeg, mixed spice, butter, sugar, eggs, chopped almonds, black treacle and the citrus zest into a large bowl and beat well to mix thoroughly. Fold in the soaked fruits. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin and spread out evenly with the back of a spoon.

For best quality, a fruit cake that is tightly wrapped with aluminum foil or saran warp can be stored for up to 1 month in a cool, dark pantry, 6 months in the refrigerator, and 12 months in a freezer. Check often for signs of spoilage, and if mold or off-odors develop, discard the cake.

If you can fit one in you can also put a metal cake tin (round or loaf tin) in your slow cooker pot, and bake your cake in that. To stop moisture from the slow cooker lid dripping onto your bake put a tea/dish towel under the lid. A few sheets of kitchen roll folded over will also do the same job.

For the home baker extending shelf life by a few days can be achieved by adding glycerine or golden syrup to the cake batter. If you type in the search box 'lengthening the shelf life of cakes' and 'shelf life' you'll see some answers there. Other preservatives are Sorbic Acid and Potassium Sorbate.

We recommend wrapping your fruitcake in plastic wrap before placing it in an airtight container. Then, place that container in the fridge. Doing this can ensure your fruitcake stays fresh for up to two months.

In an oven that's too hot, the outside of the cake cooks at a much faster rate than the inside. A crust forms early on, but as the inside of the cake continues to cook and rise, this crack crusts.

The ratio of wet to dry ingredients determines a cake's moisture level. If there's simply too much flour and not enough butter, a cake will taste dry. On the other hand, if there's too much milk and not enough flour, a cake will taste too wet.

The primary reasons fruitcakes tend to be hard are the use of dried fruits, which can contribute to a dense texture, and the extended baking time, which helps to develop the flavors.

Other good choices of booze include brandy, rum, or whiskey. Feel free to use one or a mix of these to best complement your fruitcake. Once you've chosen the liquor, bake the cake, poke holes throughout the whole thing, and pour a few tablespoons of the alcohol over it. Or, you can brush the cake with the alcohol.

Can fruitcake go bad? ›

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, these seemingly indestructible pastries typically stay fresh for six months in the pantry and up to a year when refrigerated. But anecdotally we know that they can last for decades; some of the oldest have been preserved for more than a century.

The most common duration to properly age a fruitcake is about three months. Any quicker will limit the development of complex flavors attributed to the maturing process. You can certainly age your cake for much longer than several months if you'd like, but we know how busy everyday life can be.

This means that using a conventional electric oven for one hour can cost around 20 cents while operating a crock pot for 7 hours costs only 10 cents – an energy savings of 50%. Lastly, there are big bucks to be saved by using your slow cooker leftovers for lunch or remixing them into a second family meal.

Fill the crock or baking dish to halfway to avoid scorched desserts. This also allows room for rising. But don't go past two-thirds full even for dishes that don't need expansion room. Keep the lid on the slow cooker for baking, but slightly ajar so condensation can escape.

Like most rich fruit cakes, it benefits from a maturing period and being fed with some extra alcohol, though in the book it is suggested that the keeping time is 6 weeks and generally we suggest if keeping the cake for longer than this then the cake should be frozen as it will keep for a year.

Make sure the cake is completely cool. I cool for three days to ensure there is not hint of warmth which may encourage mould growth. Store cakes wrapped well in a box or tin in a cool place.

The alcohol acts as a preservative that prevents the growth of mold. Fruit cakes that contain alcohol can last for several months and still be edible as long as they have been properly stored.

Like Fine Wine, Fruitcake Get Better With Time

But before you RSVP to bring dessert, you must plan ahead. Like we said, aging a fruitcake will take a little time. The most common duration to properly age a fruitcake is about three months.