Hi there...Fruitcakes are a LOT of work and require several ingredients that I don't usually have on hands (especially Brandy or any other Alcohol as my hubby and I don't drink) so I am wondering about pricing...Usually, I get 40.00 bucks for a 9 inch round cake. I have a request for a Fruitcake decorated in Royal Icing for a Wedding...How would you wonderful folk go about pricing a fruitcake? I have to babysit the darned thing and brush it with brandy for like 10 days!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol...
I guess I'm not the only one who doesn't know huh?? lol 
Typically I brush it with brandy for about 2 months 
But I don't try to marzipan/RI over that.
But between the fruit, the almond paste for the marzipan layer, and the other extra ingredients, you're going to spend a LOT more on stuff to put in than just flour, sugar, eggs, chocolate, etc. that you would in a normal cake. You probably should cost out what the ingredients are going to cost you and go from there. Realistically, the $40 for a 9 inch cake is barely going to cover your costs.
While it's non-traditional, I don't put any of the glace fruit into my fruitcake - the green citron and the green cherries have always made me gag. Instead, I use all dried fruit - cherries, raisins, currents, apricots, apples, etc. and make my own candied citrus peel to add.
My mother, the fruit cake traditionalist, has even started re-making her fruit cake in this manner, although she still adds some glace fruit.
Heck, I make fruit cake all the time and have never spent 10 days brushing a cake and never had a dry fruit cake!!!
Simply prick holes in the top of the cake, pour a capful or so over the top of the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven, place foil over it and flip it upside down on a board and leave for 24 hours to cool.
hth
Heck, I make fruit cake all the time and have never spent 10 days brushing a cake and never had a dry fruit cake!!!
Simply prick holes in the top of the cake, pour a capful or so over the top of the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven, place foil over it and flip it upside down on a board and leave for 24 hours to cool.
hth
Well I am no Fruitcake baker but don't most people give them away for free...usually after Christmas??? LOL. JK. I have actually tried a fellow decorators Frut cake and it was very yummy. I know what she charges for it usually but I know its a LOT of work. Definatly price out your ingredients first. If you and Hubby don't drink at all, ask the bride if she would like to furnish the alcolol and you can leave the bottles with whatever is left when you deliver the cake. Just a thought.
for me, i would just prepare the fruits and store in an airtight container for about 3 weeks, stirring once a week with a wooden spoon...that is, if you are soaking the fruits in alcohol.
when the cake comes out of the oven, just poke some holes into the cake whilst it is still in the pan, pour the alcohol over the cake, and cover with foil for about 3 days...no babysitting necessary.
in terms of costing, my fruitcake (aka black cake) is based on a modified 1234 yellow cake recipe with fruits and alcohol added.
I may be in the minority here but I love fruitcake! I soak all the fruit ( sultanas, raisins, cranberries, prunes, apricots, cherries but absolutely NO PEEL) in Rum or brandy in an airtight plastic container for up to three months which makes the fruit plump up nicely.
Once the cake is done I prick holes on the surface of the cake and pour a generous amount of alcohol on it. I then double wrap the cake in greaseproof paper and then in foil and forget about it till I need to decorate it.
I charge at least twice as much for fruitcake as I do for other cakes.
Fruit cake, made with great quality fruit and with plenty of booze is very pricey! I've never sold fruitcake, but I make them every year for Christmas as gifts (and have just made 2 for my parents silver anniversary in September). Last year I spent $125 on the fruit, nuts and alcohol alone! From that I made 4x6in squares, 1x4in & 1x5in round, and 1x8 in square. I make mine 3 months ahead and 1 750ml bottle of whisky & 1 750ml bottle of Drambuie went into those cakes! Then there's marzipan and fondant for them all! I reckon I spent $200 easily on those cakes in ingredients alone!
Hi
Fruit cake is still popular here in the UK, I know our pricing isn't much use to you but what might be helpfuul is that all the websites I looked at charge approximately 50% more for a fruit cake compared to a sponge, for example an identically decorated cake could be £50 for sponge or £75 fpr fruit cake.
Not sure if that helps
Sara
I charge double my normal cake price for aged fruitcake iced with royal icing. I don't know if you've ever iced a fruitcake in royal icing, but you have to do it in several stages to get a perfectly squared surface. So, beyond all the expensive ingredients, you have to charge for the extra work of aging the cake, covering it with marzipan and icing it with royal icing.
I charge double my normal cake price for aged fruitcake iced with royal icing. I don't know if you've ever iced a fruitcake in royal icing, but you have to do it in several stages to get a perfectly squared surface. So, beyond all the expensive ingredients, you have to charge for the extra work of aging the cake, covering it with marzipan and icing it with royal icing.
That's sorta exactly what I was thinking!! I know I have to charge WAY more than the 40.00 bucks (which is actually for a 9 inch Frosted UNDECORATED cake)!! So the 40.00 was never an option for this cake. I just know there is SO much work that goes into it. I will look into pricing the BOOZE and fruit and up it from there! Thanks for all your comments and suggestions!
This past Christmas I had to come up with an English - style fruit cake quickly. A wonderful neighbor suggested that I soak the fruit in the alcohol for 12-24 hours before mixing the batter. This alleviated the need for me to brush/soak the cake after it was baked. It was also the best fruit cake I've had in the 5 years I've lived in England!
This past Christmas I had to come up with an English - style fruit cake quickly. A wonderful neighbor suggested that I soak the fruit in the alcohol for 12-24 hours before mixing the batter. This alleviated the need for me to brush/soak the cake after it was baked. It was also the best fruit cake I've had in the 5 years I've lived in England!
When you get the time, try soaking the fruits for about a week, and then also adding 1/2 cup alcohol over the baked cake and let it mature for at least 4 weeks - it will surpass anything made last minute - I promise!!!
When you get the time, try soaking the fruits for about a week, and then also adding 1/2 cup alcohol over the baked cake and let it mature for at least 4 weeks - it will surpass anything made last minute - I promise!!!
I agree...My husband says that my fruitcake isn't ready until his mouth tingles after taking a bite
i know that fruitcake is a pretty rich cake (and some people may think that i am gross), but has anyone had any success pairing the fruitcake with any kind of frosting? any experiments?
oh...i just had a lightbulb moment!
has anyone ever tried adjusting their fruitcake recipe to make a rum & raisin cake. i mean, you could try replacing all of the fruits in the recipe with the raisins and replacing all of the alcohol with brown rum
OR...
replacing all of the fruits with maraschino cherries and all of the alcohol with brandy for a cherry brandy cake
OR...
replacing all of the fruits with candied pineapple and all of the alchocol with coconut rum for a pina colada cake
OMG...i have to experiment (and taste of course) 
Stacyboots- That's sounds delish!!! I'd love to know how your experiments come out.
I've only made fruitcake once (this last X-mas) and remember spending over $100 on dried fruit and the alcohol. It will be a yearly tradition as it is my hubby's favorite.
Good Luck
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