fruit cake that will keep

and I should add yes booze of course is a preservative that's why they pickled Nelson in Brandy.

I was taught by my Domestic Science teacher many moons ago that a fruit cake made with butter will last much longer than one made with any other fat.. ..celebration cakes are made with butter for this reason.

Booze is the secret

Mine keeps fine - but I do soak the fruit in hot water and booze the night before I make it. I think it's the booze that does it!

The apple tip is a good one Aurelia I'll try it at the end of the month when we're away.

Also, once you have cut into it and eaten some and made a bit of space in the tin, put a whole apple in the tin which will help to keep the cake moist.

Any decent 'Dundee' or 'Christmas cake' recipe will keep for several weeks if well wrapped.

Its all about proportion of moist fruit (steeped over night in fruit juice or booze) to flour that makes the difference. also 'boiled' fruit cakes keep well.....have a look on The BBc food web site and there will be several good old fashioned style 'keepers'