Seasoning and Storing Fruitcake

Did you know you have to season your homemade fruitcake before it is ready to eat? Seasoning helps to improve the flavour and texture. Follow our easy steps to make your fruitcake holiday ready.

“Seasoning,” also known as ripening or ageing, a fruitcake involves letting it mature in a cool, dark place for several weeks. While the process sounds strange, it’s a traditional technique meant to improve the flavour and texture of fruitcake.  

Unseasoned fruitcake tends to be dry and crumbly, while seasoned fruitcake is easier to slice and has a more developed flavour and texture. 

Some fruitcake recipes call for seasoning, while others do not. If you want to season a fruitcake that doesn’t call for it, be extra careful to watch for mould, as the fruitcake may not survive the room-temperature ageing period. 

If your recipe says to season your fruitcake, here’s how to do it: 

1. Allow cakes to cool in pans on racks. When cooled, remove cakes from pans and remove parchment paper. 
2. Brush cakes generously with sweet sherry, brandy, rum, port, liqueur or fruit juice; do not use wine. Using fruit juice can increase the chances of your fruitcake going mouldy.  
3. Wrap each cake in several layers of cheesecloth and then in plastic wrap. Store the cakes in airtight containers in a cool dry place, but not in the refrigerator or freezer. 
4. Check carefully at least once a week, as rich, moist cakes mould very easily. If you see any mould, throw out the cake. Cutting off the mould and eating the rest of the cake is not a food-safe solution.  
5. If the cakes have not moistened and become uniformly heavy in two weeks, apply more liquor or fruit juice, wrap in clean cheesecloth and plastic wrap and put back into your airtight container. Repeat this until they are moist and heavy. 
6. If the cakes are too moist, remove them from the container and all wrapping. Allow them to stand at room temperature for 24 hours, then rewrap in plastic wrap and freeze. Do not continue seasoning. 
7. Dark cakes usually take 4 to 6 weeks to season; light cakes usually take 3 to 4 weeks to season. Do not freeze fruitcake before seasoning is complete. 
8. Once seasoned, store fruitcakes in the refrigerator or freezer.