Preserving Christmas Cake: How Long Can You Keep It?

Christmas cakes are renowned for their longevity—but how long can you keep one for? The answer depends on several factors, including the ingredients used, how it's decorated, and how it's stored.

A traditional Christmas cake, rich in fruit and nuts, benefits from a maturing period and being fed with alcohol. If stored correctly, these cakes can last for several months or even years. One source suggests that Christmas cakes can be kept wrapped in an airtight container for up to three months, or frozen for longer. Another source claims that fruitcakes with alcohol can last for years or even decades.

However, once a Christmas cake is decorated with marzipan and icing, its shelf life decreases. One baker, preparing to sell their cakes at a Christmas market, is advised that their decorated cakes will remain edible for a couple of months when stored in a cool environment.

So, if you're planning to keep a Christmas cake, remember to store it properly and consider adding a little extra brandy to give it a longer life.

Christmas cake storage

Christmas cakes are traditionally made well in advance of the festive season. Storing them correctly is important, and can help your cake last for months or even years!

Storing an Un-Iced Christmas Cake

If you've made a Christmas cake without icing, you're in luck—these cakes can be kept for a long time. The first step is to wrap the cake in a double layer of baking paper, followed by a double layer of foil. The layers can be secured with an elastic band, before the cake is placed inside an airtight container.

Some bakers choose to ''feed' their Christmas cake with alcohol every month. This process involves pricking holes in the cake and dripping alcohol into them. It adds extra flavour and moisture, and helps to preserve the cake. If you choose to do this, make sure you re-wrap the cake after feeding, and put it back in the airtight container.

Storing an Iced Christmas Cake

If your Christmas cake has been covered in marzipan and icing, it won't last as long as an un-iced cake. However, if it's wrapped up appropriately and kept in a cool environment, it should keep for a couple of months.

Christmas cakes can be kept wrapped up in an airtight container for up to three months in advance. If you want to make your cake even earlier, you can freeze it, and defrost it when you want to decorate or eat it. Fruit cakes can be stored in the freezer for up to a year, although the quality will deteriorate over time.

Transporting and Gifting a Christmas Cake

When transporting or gifting a Christmas cake, you can use one of the many decorative cake boxes available. These often come with a window, so you can display your decorated cake.

How long can a Christmas cake be kept?

Christmas cakes can be kept for a surprisingly long time. The alcohol, sugar, and dried fruit in Christmas cakes are all preservatives, and the cake's dense texture prevents mould from forming.

If you've made a Christmas cake in advance, it's a good idea to "feed" it with additional alcohol every month. This will improve the flavour and moisture of the cake, as well as helping to preserve it. If you're planning on freezing your cake, you can feed it with alcohol before or after. Brandy, rum or whisky are good options for a spicy kick, while amaretto or cherry brandy will give the cake an almond flavour. If you prefer more citrus notes, go for an orange liqueur.

To store a Christmas cake before feeding it with alcohol, wrap it in a double layer of baking paper and then a double layer of foil. Place the wrapped cake in an airtight container. If you've already fed the cake with alcohol, you can skip the foil and go straight to the airtight container.

A well-preserved Christmas cake can be kept for up to three months wrapped in an airtight container. If you want to make the cake even earlier, you can freeze it and defrost it when you're ready to feed or decorate it. Fruit cakes can be stored in the freezer for up to a year, although the quality will start to deteriorate after a few months.

If you've decorated your cake with marzipan and icing, it will stay fresh for a couple of months as long as it's wrapped up appropriately and kept in a cool environment.

One festive baker recommends making a Christmas cake around the start of November to give it plenty of time to mature. But if you're running late, don't worry—the rich fruits, nuts and spices will still be flavoursome without the maturing period.

Alcohol's role in preservation

Alcohol is a key ingredient in the long shelf life of Christmas cakes. The science behind alcohol preservation lies in its ability to stop decay by creating an environment where harmful microorganisms cannot grow, thereby preventing spoilage.

Alcohol has been used as a preservative for centuries, with its history as a food preservative dating back thousands of years. The process involves changing sugars into alcohols and other compounds, making it difficult for harmful microbes to survive, thus extending the shelf life of food items. This traditional preservation method is not unique to Christmas cakes; it is a global practice with a long history in Africa, Western Asia, and Eastern Asia.

The type and amount of alcohol used for preservation are crucial. For Christmas cakes, brandy, rum, or whisky are commonly used for "feeding" the cake. The alcohol is added to the cake monthly or every couple of weeks, enhancing the flavour and moisture while also acting as a preservative. The alcohol prevents mould and kills bacteria, ensuring the cake remains edible for an extended period.

The concentration of alcohol is essential for effective preservation. A concentration of around 14% alcohol, as found in wine, can delay bacterial growth for years. For long-term preservation of scientific specimens, a higher concentration of 70% alcohol mixed with 30% water is often used. This balance prevents decay while maintaining the specimen's shape and flexibility.

However, using too much or too little alcohol can be detrimental. High concentrations of alcohol, such as 95% ethanol, can dehydrate and harden the preserved item, making it brittle. On the other hand, too little alcohol may not effectively inhibit microbial growth, leading to spoilage. Therefore, finding the right concentration of alcohol is vital for preserving Christmas cakes and ensuring they remain tasty and safe to consume.

Freezing Christmas cake

Christmas cake is a type of heavy fruit cake flavoured with Christmas spices. Its dense nature makes it perfect for freezing. Freezing a Christmas cake can save you time in the busy run-up to Christmas.

How to Freeze a Whole Christmas Cake

Firstly, make and bake your cake as you normally would. You can either freeze the baked Christmas cake with no decorations or you can marzipan and ice it and then freeze it. If you do decide to freeze a decorated cake, it is best to stick to plain icing and marzipan and leave off any detailed decorations.

Next, wrap your cake in parchment paper to protect it. Then, add a layer or two of cling film. Finally, add a freezer bag as a final layer and squeeze out any excess air. The reason for adding so many layers is to ensure the cake doesn’t get freezer burn and have its taste deteriorate.

How to Freeze Portions of Christmas Cake

This method is brilliant if you have lots of leftover Christmas cake. Freezing it into portions means that you can just take out a slice or two at a time and enjoy them whenever you fancy a sweet treat or a lovely dessert.

Cut up your baked cake into portions. You can freeze it iced and with marzipan too. Wrap each portion individually in cling film, adding a second layer to be safe. Pop the individually wrapped portions into a freezer bag, label the bag with the date and contents, squeeze out all the air from the bag, seal it tightly, and pop it into the freezer.

Tips for Freezing Christmas Cake

• Try to avoid icing. Although it’s possible to freeze Christmas cake with the icing, if you’re making a cake specifically for the freezer then try to avoid icing it.
• Consider portions. If you’re having a small gathering for Christmas, you may want to freeze the cake in smaller portions.
• Keep it airtight. As is often the case when freezing anything, you need to do all you can to ensure it remains airtight. If air can get in, the cake will dry out.

You can keep Christmas cake in the freezer for around three to four months. Fruit cakes can generally be stored for up to a year in the freezer. But they could last even longer—the alcohol prevents mould and kills bacteria, and the sugar helps to preserve the cake. However, the quality of the fruit cake will lower the longer it is left in the freezer.

Selling Christmas cake

Christmas cakes are a traditional part of the festive season, and they can be stored for quite a long time. This makes them perfect for selling, as you can prepare them well in advance and they will still be good to go for the Christmas period.

Storing and Feeding Your Cake

Christmas cakes are traditionally made ahead of time, and the cake mixture is often "fed" with alcohol in the run-up to Christmas to improve the flavour and preserve the ingredients. This process can be done every couple of weeks, for 3-4 feeds in total. The type of alcohol you use is up to you, but brandy, rum, whisky, and orange liqueur are all popular choices.

To store your cake, you will need to place it on a cake board and wrap it in a double layer of baking paper and then foil. Secure the layers with an elastic band and put the wrapped cake in an airtight container.

A Christmas cake can be kept wrapped up in an airtight container for up to three months in advance. If you want to make it even earlier, you can freeze it and then defrost it when you want to decorate or feed it with alcohol. Fruit cakes can be stored in the freezer for up to a year, but the quality will start to decrease after a few months.

Selling Your Christmas Cake

When selling your Christmas cakes, it is important to consider how you will package and present them. You can wrap them in cellophane with a ribbon, or place them in a cake box with a window so that customers can see the decorated cake. You will also need to think about the best-before dates. An un-iced cake will last much longer than one that has been covered in marzipan and icing. The icing and marzipan will stay fresh for a couple of months if the cake is wrapped up appropriately and kept in a cool environment.

A Popular Tradition

Christmas cakes are a popular tradition, and many people enjoy the rich, boozy flavours and the festive spirit they evoke. By following the correct storage and feeding processes, you can ensure your cakes are of the best quality for your customers.

Frequently asked questions