To not have soaked the fruit

[Shadeelane]

I made Delia's traditional Christmas cake earlier this eve. I've made it before but didn't bother soaking the fruit as I always feed it and it always seems a bit moist and falls to bits when cut. Dunno if it's overfed or undercooked.
Anyway I think it's too dry now 🙈🙈 and wondering if it will be shite cos I didn't soak the fruit. Do I need to start again or can I just feed it til it leaks? Thank you in advance 🙂

It's made now so don't stress. Just keep feeding it and it will be lush.

Just feed it, it'll be fine

Dotn start over!

Thanks, I like these answers 😊😊

If mines dry I slice it in half like a Victoria sponge cake and I feed mine Amaretto, it's gorgeous. Yours will soak it up really well.

If you can afford it feed it Wood' s navy rum.

I'd do what new name quickly says.

Thanks everyone. Will get it fed 😁

It’ll be fine, just drown it in brandy between now and Christmas - just remember not to give any to anyone driving!

I don't soak fruit overnight - I'm never that organised. Instead I boil it up in the alcohol for a few minutes, then leave it to soak for half an hour or so, while I get everything else sorted. Works beautifully.

Might be useful for next year :)

Soak it well & it’ll be lovely (I bet it’s lovely already)!

My fruit for my son’s cake is still soaking in the fridge (in a tea/mandarin concoction, he can’t have alcohol) & has been for a week; the fruit is now so plump I have a feeling when I bake his cake today the swollen fruit won’t fit in the tin 😂

I’ll be honest, I bought a Costco candied fruit topped Christmas cake for my 50th earlier this month (£12.99!) and for the first time in 30 years I’m not making our own cake this year! It was gorgeous, rich & moist. I’d need to buy brandy this year as I’ve run out, a bottle of the good stuff is more expensive than that!

Nigel Slater says you don't have to soak fruit as dried fruit is better than it was years ago or something along those lines. I soaked mine just because it's part of the ritual for me.

It's done now, I'd just feed it.

I didn’t soak the night before once and the fruit was a bit dry and crunchy I’m afraid. Feed it brandy until Christmas!

I don’t soak fruit now, I boil it with a little water, butter and sugar for a few minutes, let it cool and add brandy or whatever booze I have in. Then add the rest of the ingredients. It’s not Christmas cake recipe as such, it works well and never lets me down.
Its from a recipe book I inherited from my mother. Dorothy Sleightholme’s “The Farmhouse Kitchen”, it was a cookery programme in the 1970’s shown on ITV .

Also if you are worried your cake is dry (also works if overcooked) is to make a sugar solution and sprinkle over cake as well as adding the booze. Rescued a cake I made one year!

These tips are great. Thanks everyone ☺️