I made my xmas fruitcakes last night. The recipe said to soak the cooked fruitcake in brandy and then wrap in cheesecloth, then foil. I've always wondered what purpose the cheesecloth serves. If you don't have cheesecloth, can you just wrap it in any cotton material? Would it work just as well to wrap it in saranwrap?

i love my ginger fruitcake recipe, except for one thing: it has so much butter in it. I know that it's hard to imagine but it actually tastes TOO rich. In addition to the fruit and nuts, the recipe calls for 2 cups butter, 2 cups flour, 2 cups sugar and 6 eggs.

Does this sound like the right amount of butter? (I'm wondering if it was a misprint in the newspaper) Would it be ok to cut back on the butter?

I am not a fruitcake expert (it makes me cringe, it's a childhood thing), so I am not too sure if this is too much butter. I will look into it and see what I can come up with.

Fruitcakes are traditionally very dense, so a lot of recipes contain quite a bit of butter. You could try to decrease the amount of butter (perhaps by 1/2 cup) but keep in mind, the texture will definitely change. In my opinion, if you enjoy the cake, follow the formula in the recipe. After all, you probably only eat it once a year, so splurge and enjoy it!

The reason that fruitcake is swaddled in cheesecloth is that the cheesecloth itself is usually soaked in liquor (usually brandy or rum). This evenly distributes the liquid and penetrates slowly into the cake, which is often why fruitcakes are kept so long to "age". You can control the level of moistness in the cake by adding more liquor to the cloth over and over again to let it soak in gradually. Cotton can also be used because the material will allow the cake to breathe. After being wrapped in cheesecloth, it is then wrapped in foil and kept in an airtight container to age in a cool place.

Thank you Kimberley S for your answer. It helps!