Rum Cake Storage

This seems like some research is needed on this. If you send me 3 rum cakes I will test them daily to keep a careful record about freshness . Ya know, I dont think that 3 will be enough, I really get into research in a big way.

I haven't made rum cake but I used to make multiples of the Joy of Cooking's hardest recipe for fruitcake (I know, waiting for the gasps to subside, I actually like MY fruitcake.)

I would cut cheesecloth to fit around the fruitcake, and do two whole cuts of cheesecloth (usually cheesecloth is layered, so I'd end up with several layers) for each fruitcake. I'd pour Hennessy cognac into a bowl and soak the cheesecloth, squeezed just so the cognac was not all dripping, and then wrap the fruitcake with them.
Then I'd wrap that with a couple of layers of overlapping heavy foil, and put it in a closed tin. That would last for months, though I never had any around for months... but since I made a lot of them, I would sometimes have some around after several weeks.

I don't know if this is a recommended procedure, but it tasted great and nobody got sick.... that I know of.

Theres a ringing endorsement
"My cakes were so great that nobody got sick"

Ill amend that slightly

"My cakes, stored this way were enjoyed by us for weeks, and the cognac added a little something to insure freshness with a special flavor"

Howzat?

That was a good special edit...

Here's what looks like a good blog and a recipe for rumsoaked fruitcake with a process that is similar but not exactly like mine...

http://blogs.salon.com/0001848/2003/12/03.html

Thank you so much for your advice. I think I will try the cheesecloth way. We'll see what happens. I just might try that fruitcake recipe too...it didn't sound too bad.

A friend's grandfather used to make his Christmas-gift fruitcakes in August. Nothing in them but pecans and pineapples, and a few maraschinos for decoration in the pineapple rings on top.

He made twenty or thirty of them, and did something similar to Osso's cheesecloth way, and stored them on a high shelf. Every Sunday after church he'd climb up on a chair, open each tin, and drizzle a shot of rum over the cake.

I loved it when she was my roommate and shared her Grampa's cake with me!

Rum cake storage
this may be a bit simpleminded, but wouldn't any good cookbook that gives a recipe for rum cakes or similar indicate their shelf life?

Rum cake storage
Y'know - people make fun of fruit cake, but I must admit to liking it. I'm fussy though; there should be more cake than fruit; it should be dark and rich; the fruit should be chopped into fairly small bits (but not minced); and there should definitely be a tang of rum or brandy. Preferably no nuts.

Is a liking for fruit cake politically incorrect?

Rum cake storage
A dab of hard sauce on top doesn't hurt, either.

The perfect way to store rum cake is to put it in my tummy tum tum then I will gladly go wherever you wanna ship me to.

Tomkitten, re fruitcake, apparently liking it is fairly rare.

Material Girl, that's a great answer...

I make a stollen version <a light fruitcake> with lots of almonds and fruit soaked in Amaretto. I wrap it in several layers of cheesecloth, and then at least one towel <for sturdiness> and keep marinating the packages with more Amaretto. It definitely improves over time. The years I make stollen, I prepare it about 6 - 8 weeks in advance of when it will be eaten.

Tom kitten, liking fruitcake isnt not PC , its just like liver, some like it , but most are gagged by it.

Rum cake storage
And NO Maraschino cherries.

I used to like them, but once I ordered a piece of cherry pie for dessert, and it turned out to be made with all Maraschino cherries. I haven't been able to face them since. It was the most appalling dish I've ever encountered.

That does sound appalling indeed.

I like fruitcake, too, but it should be the light kind, with more fruit than cake. A couple of RED maraschinos on top are ok, but please leave out the citron and put in more pecans and FRUIT-fruits, like apricot, pineapple, golden raisins...

As I said before, that pecan-and-pineapple one was THE BEST.

I'm so weird I make my own candied orange peel for fruitcake, and for the pannetone I make.

Rum cake storage
Sounds good to me, Osso!

No way weird. I make my own bread and people think that's really weird. But who can eat the stuff they sell at the supermarket?