Buzz
Every week feels like a significant moment when preparing a Christmas pud. Welcome back to my Christmas Pudding Chronicles. This is week three of documenting my quest to create one of the most iconic holiday cakes in the United Kingdom. While this might not seem all that intriguing if I were living in the King’s court, as an American, it’s certainly a fresh and unique Christmas experience.
If you're new to my fruitcake journey, catch up on what exactly a Christmas pudding is and how to soak the fruit here in week one, as well as how I steamed the cake here. Traditionally, a Christmas pudding is made five Sundays before Christmas and 'fed' weekly on Sundays. Every installment of this chronicle is released on Saturdays, giving you time to prepare and attend to your pudding the following day. However, feel free to join at any time—there’s no need to follow my schedule exactly, and your pudding doesn’t need to mature for as long as mine.
I'm now entering the 'curing the cake' phase, which involves an optional soak with brandy or another strong spirit like rum or whiskey. You can skip this step, but if you choose to, wrapping the pudding and storing it in a dark spot until Christmas will still work. However, adding this step imparts extra flavor and moisture. I admit, 'feeding' the pudding is one of the parts I’ve been most excited about. While I’m not particularly fond of alcohol, I do enjoy a good culinary ritual. Plus, I look forward to checking in on my prune-baby weekly to monitor its aging. If that’s when I decide to add alcohol, so be it.
As I mentioned in previous posts, I followed Nigella Lawson’s recipe as a base, making a few tweaks here and there. Her website also offers some helpful tips on how to 'feed' the pudding. After cross-referencing with other blogs, it seems the usual method is to poke a few holes in the pudding with a toothpick or skewer, then spoon one or two tablespoons of liquor onto the cake each week. Simple enough.
Choosing the right brandy
Before I could start soaking, I needed to find the perfect brandy. This week, I made it a priority to visit a charming liquor store in Manhattan. Apologies, a wine and spirits store. I wasn’t well-prepared the first week when I needed to steep my dried fruit in sherry, and ended up using a $6 bottle from a local liquor store in Brooklyn. No disrespect to them, but they don’t specialize in sherry. Or have many options.
I initially thought that a lower-quality sherry would do the trick to plump up the sugary fruits, but when it comes to soaking the cake, a good-quality brandy is essential. The brandy should be of a caliber high enough to enjoy sipping it alongside your Christmas pudding. I consulted the staff at Flatiron Wines and Spirits for a brandy that would pair nicely with spiced cakes or dark dried fruits. They introduced me to a stunning bottle of Neversink Spirits, Orchard Brandy, a blend of pear and apple brandies. Since this is an American Christmas pudding, this New York-made brandy seemed just right.
How to feed your pudding
To feed your cake, take a toothpick, skewer, or even the sharp end of a probe meat thermometer. Uncover the Christmas pudding and poke holes into it. I spaced the holes about an inch apart and made a circular pattern about an inch and a half inside the edge of the cake. Then, I created another concentric ring of holes about an inch and a half inside the first ring. There's no need for exact precision—this is more of a guideline based on the bowl you used to steam your pudding.
Typically, about two tablespoons of brandy or another high-proof alcohol is the maximum amount. The key here is to avoid over-soaking. While you can’t soak the pudding too little, too much alcohol can make the pudding gummy or even muddy in texture. There’s ample opportunity to add alcohol throughout the life of the dessert, so I opted for just one tablespoon. Pour the brandy into a small bowl, and using a pastry brush, gently spread the brandy over the surface and around the edges of the cake. Then, cover the bowl with its lid or plastic wrap and return it to its storage spot.
What to look out for
Now that the pudding is in its curing phase, I’ll be monitoring changes in its color, aroma, and moisture levels. After feeding it today, the cake still had a pleasant spicy fragrance, though it was much milder than when it was freshly steamed. The pudding seems well-moisturized, though perhaps slightly drier than on the day it was steamed. I believe regular brandy treatments and keeping it tightly sealed will help retain its moisture. Other sources suggest it’s normal for the cake to darken a bit as time goes on, and I’ll certainly share what I observe next week. Until then, enjoy your brandy soaking, pudding family.
