I made a fruit cake and forgot to wrap it up, it was cooling and I went to bed. Can I revive it to make it nice and moist. I have seen I can wrap it in cheese cloth soaked in Brandy. Any ideas.

Prick it all over with a skewer and pour teaspoonfuls of brandy in each hole, then brush the entire outside with brandy, wrap in waxed paper then plastic wrap and let it mature for as long as you can. I make all my fruit cakes at least 6 weeks ahead using this method and they are fabulous (IMHO!). Hope that helps!

Thanks, I did that, do you know why fruit cakes go moldy. Thanks for the rapid response. I have wrapped it in greaseproof paper and foil , it is a wedding cake for June. Never rejected one before, but once and only once a cake went moldy. I use dessert wine and not brandy.

I myself have only made fruit cake twice. My sis-in-law tells me if any water accidentally gets into the batter or if water has touched the baked cake, it will make it mouldy.

I'm also very interested to know!!

My Grandma used to make fruitcakes, and said it was the alcohol in the brandy that kept them from going bad.

Dessert wine has a much lower alcohol content, and probably a higher sugar content as well, so that may not be a good substitute!

Laura.

I have made fruit cake that sat for 6 months . they have never molded, the secret indeed is the brandy. Mine does not go in to the recipe(rum does) but goes on a cheese cloth wrapped around the cake. I also check to make sure the cloth does not dry and I store my cake is a cool dry place. Dessert wines are high in sugar, using a grain alcohol will reduce the chances of it molding.

I use Alton Brown's recipe for fruit cake and love it! It uses non traditional fruit like dried blueberries, apricots and cherries.

Claire

Just looked up the receipe and printed it off \\. Does this one keep for a long time. Better with age.

It should be fine, just be sure the wrapping does not go dry and that you store it in a cool dry place. If you ever try the recipe let me know what you think. I like a lot of Alton's recipes.

Claire

Fruit cakes well steeped in high percentage alcohol (like brandy, rum, whiskey or any 40%+ proof liquor), will keep for a long time and will get better with age. I recommend 6 weeks maturing as a minimum with the optimum being about 3 months. They should be fine up tp a year if kept well wrapped and occasionaly 'fed'with alcohol.