Feeding the cake - non alcoholic options

[Oldpossumsbook]

I have to make a completely non alcoholic Christmas cake.

I’ve seen various recipes using tea, apple juice etc. for soaking the fruit and then feeding the cake, but not had any personal recommendations.

Has anyone got a tried and tested non alcoholic drink that they use?

Thank you.

I would leave it to the last minute and make something with the fruit soaked in tea

I would have thought that "feeding" a cake anything other than alcohol would just encourage it to get damp and fousty

I think Delia has a few last minute type recipes.

I have had fruit cake where the fruit had been soaked in tea and it was good. I have also been known to squeeze half a dozen oranges and reduce it by half to soak both fruit and trifle sponge.

Just some ideas, pear juice reduced, apricot nectar would give it a lift as would pineapple. Or the juice out of a tin of plums? Put the plums themselves into a dish and cover with meringue 'cos that's really nice. Poach raspberries and use the liquor? Some old recipes I have suggest milk. Probably because a) it was freely available and b) it's sweet and rich, especially unhomogenised.

It probably depends upon your fruit mix and the flavour result you want but I am sure it will be lovely, whatever you use.

I was just looking for the oterh thread to ask this exact question - I need a non-alcoholic version for DMIL (I've never made a Christmas cake myself, but I have made fruit cakes for immediate consumption and this needs to wait at least 2 weeks as we won't see her closer to the date in advance, and afterwards, well, then it's too late really!).

I agree - don't feed it! Make it a month before and keep it wrapped. My mum used to soak in a mixture of tea and orange juice.

The alcohol preserves the cake. Feeding it with something else will just make it soggy and mouldy.

Tea and apple are last minute things - without the alcohol as a preservative, the cake would go mouldy if made months in advance.