Feeding Your Christmas Cake

With Halloween and Bonfire night out of the way, it’s time to start thinking about your Christmas cake to allow plenty of time for feeding.

Why Should I feed A Christmas Cake?

Feeding a fruitcake will help keep it moist, give it extra flavour, and (if you're generous with the alcohol) give it a great warming kick.
An essential part of Christmas cake making and decorating feeding your Christmas cakes, even store bought cakes, will transform the flavour and texture and makes it easier to store.

When Should I Feed My Christmas Cake?

Here at Craft Company, (inspired by our grandmas!) many believe the best time to start making a traditional fruit-based Christmas cake as early as October half term to allow time for maturing before decoration. This allows time for the fruit to soak, the juices to blend and the finished bake to be fed with alcohol. However, whilst our grandmas were great at making the family Christmas cake during October, feeding it at regular intervals and keeping it covered it well in advance of Christmas Day, not everyone is that organised.

Sound like you? Don’t worry, there’s still time, or simply opt for a ready-made fruit cake that you can just feed and decorate without the baking.

How Do I Feed My Christmas Cake?

Make or buy a ready-made fruit cake. Choose the liquid you want to use to feed your cake. Brandy or sherry are traditional favourites for feeding a Christmas Cake and the high alcohol content helps preserve the shelf life when you make your cake in advance. Rum or whiskey work well too, it just depends on your preference.

Use a skewer or a fork to poke some holes into the top of your cake. Use a spoon or a small jug to pour 1-2 tablespoons of liquid over the cake so it seeps into the holes. Alternatively, use a syringe to direct the liquid into the holes to help it soak deeper into the cake.

Re-wrap your fruit cake in greaseproof paper and foil and keep in a tin, or an airtight container. A good fruit cake will keep well for up to three months like this.

How Often Do I Need To Feed My Christmas Cake?

Feed your cake every couple of weeks in the countdown to Christmas. Take care not to overfeed your cake as this can make it wet and soggy.

How Do I Know When The Fruit Cake Is Fed Enough?

The truth is, there’s no specific answer and one size doesn’t fit all. But that’s all part of the fun! It largely depends on the size of your cake, the other ingredients used, and of course how boozy you want it to be. There are a couple of techniques you can try though: Use a skewer at various intervals in the run up to Christmas to see how moist it is, adding a couple of teaspoons at a time.

If you leave the cake in baking paper and can feel the bottom, you should be able to gauge how dense and moist it feels at various intervals. Some people are happy to cut into the bottom - remember, you’re likely to be icing the cake anyway so you can get creative with the decorating to cover any holes! You’re aiming for moist, not soggy.

Bear in mind that your boozy Christmas cake will develop in flavour over time, so stop feeding the fruit cake at least a week before you plan to serve it.

Non-Alcoholic Christmas Cake Feeding

It is possible to feed your Christmas Cake with Orange Juice, Apple Juice, or Tea if you’re going Alcohol Free this Christmas however this can only be done just before decorating. Without the alcohol as a preservative your cake will only last a week at the most once it’s been fed.

Decorating Your Christmas Cake

Don’t forget to factor in decorating time! If using Sugar Paste (also know as Fondant Icing or Ready-to-Roll Icing) it’s best to ice within 3 weeks of the big day so your cake looks and tastes it’s best! First cover the cake in a thin layer of apricot jam and ice with Marzipan to ensure a perfectly smooth finish. After leaving the Marzipan for 24 hours to dry roll out your sugar paste to approximately 5mm and cover the cake.

You can explore our range of Christmas cake decorations here. Keep it simple or go all out nostalgic Christmas crazy, you’ll find toppers, decorating sets, and edible decorations galore in our seasonal section.

Remember your cake board for the best Christmas cake presentation!

Whether you opt for a traditional fruit cake or a family favourite chocolate yule log at Christmas, make sure you show your bake off in joyful style with a festive cake board. Some of them even come with decorations if you’re looking for a quick and simple solution.