What alcohol in a Christmas fruit cake?

[Bloom]

Hi all,

I am a first time Christmas fruit cake baker (though an experienced cake baker) and I was wondering what alcohol you reccomend to use to soak the fruit in? The recipe I have uses rum, but I forgot to get any at the shops and can't be stuffed going out again. I have sherry and barcardi at home. I could probably scrounge some brandy from my ILs when we visit this arvo. Are any of these good? Can I use a combination?

Does anyone even know what barcardi tastes like? We aren't big drinkers but we bought it duty free on our last overseas trip to use up our foreign currency! LOL - it is still unopened.

[~Kim~]

sorry not a drinker of any of those....

I made one the other night using Nigella's Chocolate Christmas Cake recipe and it uses Tia Maria.....It is fair dinkum the best christmas cake I have ever eaten...I will have to make another before Christmas rolls around as this one won't last that long (and I'm the only fruit cake eater in this house lol). The benefit of that one was that it uses heat rather than time to infuse the fruit with the alcohol.

[allycat06]

I think traditionally brandy is used.
Bacardi is rum but I don't think it would have the substance that dark rum has to use in the cake.

[Life is Good]

Brandy, brandy, brandy! Scrounge from the in-laws I say! Where I come from we only use brandy, but I now realise that rum is an accepted substitute here. I will always use brandy - to soak the fruit in and then to feed the cake afterwards. If you do it my way, the feeding is what takes up the volume - I used more than a half a bottle of brandy when I made a big cake 2 years ago. I am a quarter way through another bottle for this year's cake and still have another two weeks to go (I wonder if I will even be able to eat a slice given that I am pregnant!). So perhaps you can hijack a whole bottle from the inlaws?! haha

If you want any tips on feeding and storage, I am happy to share x

[xXHopeXx]

My mum and grandma have been making Xmas cakes for years and use either brandy or sherry. My grandma uses sherry nearly all the time, and my mum mixes it up between sherry and brandy - depends what's in the cupboard lol

I hate Xmas cakes though so I can't tell u what tastes better!

[LimeSlice]

Brandy, Sherry, Pernod is noce too, if you use rum, has to be dark rum (not Bacardi)...

ETA: With your Bacardi, you want fresh limes, crushed in the glass and soda water and loads of ice, sitting in the sun or the warm night during summer.... Heaven!

[Bloom]

Thanks everyone!

Limeslice - come next summer I'll be cracking out that drink for sure!

Will be using what sherry I have and then topping up with brandy as well. Now just to get the energy to make it!

[allycat06]

ETA: With your Bacardi, you want fresh limes, crushed in the glass and soda water and loads of ice, sitting in the sun or the warm night during summer.... Heaven!

or you could make a Barcardi infused watermelon....yummmmm

[LimeSlice]

mmmm Rumelon! lol
Top choice Ally!

[AJC]

I use Baileys, soooooo yum!!! I've used tia maria before too which was also nice but not as nice as baileys

Hmm, probably should add that my Christmas fruit cake isn't the traditional style. It has all the dried fruit etc but is also made with white choc and vienna almonds.