Fruitcake for Competition

[lorinda]

I have spent the last several days in the kitchen making fruitcakes for entering in the local show in April. It is a dark English style fruitcake rather than the American version. This is my first time entering anything and I am doing it more for the feedback and practice rather than the glory, although that would be nice too. I know that there aren't supposed to be any cracks on the surface, so after yesterday's attempt had heaps of cracks, I modified the recipe to reduce the baking powder by half, and reduced the baking soda slightly, and made it again. Still cracks. I'm kicking myself as I now think I should have omitted both the baking powder and soda altogether - the cake would have been more dense (and hence probably less nice to eat texturally) but at least no cracks.

I am sick of making the d&*m things and my question to those who have some experience with cake competitions and shows is, how damaging is it to have some (shallow but pretty numerous) cracks on the surface? Will it make or break? Do they put some weight on the actual taste and texture too? I would be most grateful for any help.

[lorinda]

Have found this judging criteria for fruitcakes on the net. Doesn't mention cracks, my fruitcake meets the other general appearance criteria. Think I"ll just submit it, and remember never to enter any more competitions!

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General Appearance - (30 points)Shape: evenly risen

Size: depth of an average fruitcake tin. Crust: even baking and colour throughout; tender, no burnt crust or fruit.

Internal Appearance - (30 points)

Sufficient batter to hold fruit together. Light fruitcakes may have less fruit. Fruit evenly distributed, nuts neatly cut, moist but not sticky. Clean, firm slice, should not crumble. No excess moisture in top crust or in the centre of the cake.

Flavour and Odour- (40 points)

Blended fruited odour rather than spicy; aroma is pleasing, no detection of rancidity.

Taste: mellow flavour throughout cake

[chefette]

Good luck with the competition - I hope that it goes well for you

Regarding the cracks - is the recipe you are using new or altered from previous uses? Do you always get cracks?

I think that meeting the criteria they set forth is good, but I do feel that the cracks may be a weakness. My thoughts on cause of cracking would be possibly that the cake is forming a light skin then is raising too quickly in the oven possibly due to heat being too high or possibly due to a bit too much leavener

I am assuming it is a central crack down the length of the cake?

I have had very little personal experience with fruitcake so I cannot be too much help, but as a judge in competitions - I know that any element (such as a crack) can be considered a technical weakness and will affect your score so that where you may have that critical point or two to make a world of difference - the presence of the cracking could give your win to someone else.

It appears to me that in the loaf style fruitcake most examples are not cracked.

[lorinda]

Thank you for your reply chefette.

I first made the recipe same as from previous uses, got some big cracks, then modified it to have less baking powder (but same soda). So I have only made it once with the modified version.

I can't remember if my cakes had cracks before - I think they might have - because I had always baked them for eating or decorating and usually levelled the top anyway so didn't care about cracks. But then I read an interview with some show competitors who said cracks are "a big no-no".

My first cake had quite a big central crack, about a third of the cake's diameter. The second is better, but has several smaller cracks - mostly around where the fruit protrudes. Fortunately, on cooling, the cake subsided a little and the cracks closed a bit.

I agree it might be too much leavener. I've since found that many fruitcake recipes don't have any leavener.

I had visions of all the judges pointing at my (cracked) cake and laughing, saying "I don't believe this!"

[srhcb]

Add a nice honey glaze and pretend the cracks are intentional!

SB (expert at cover-ups)

[lorinda]

Good idea! I would do that if they were for a gift, but the rules of the competition state that the fruitcakes are not to be iced, so I assume no covering at all. I'll just have to cross my fingers and hope the other qualities redeem it somewhat. I couldn't even stick a cake tester so I hope it is cooked!

[srhcb]

Good idea! I would do that if they were for a gift, but the rules of the competition state that the fruitcakes are not to be iced, so I assume no covering at all.  I'll just have to cross my fingers and hope the other qualities redeem it somewhat. I couldn't even stick a cake tester so I hope it is cooked!

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Competitions have rules. Rules are subject to interpretation. A glaze is not icing .... so maybe brush the loaves with honey?

If you don't want to push the envelope, at least take a close look at the other entries and see if they may have resorted to such trickery.

SB (also good at uncovering cover-ups)

[lorinda]

I had a look at last year's lineup

Fruitcake winning entries

Unfortunately I was not there in person and it's not a great photo so can't see close up but they do seem to be naked.

[chefette]

Well, competition being what it is - it is never a good idea (if you want to win) to allow any variable that could be construed as a mistake - its not like they ask you to talk it all over for them and how exactly you intended to create this network of cracks for visual excitement.

Think about it from a total passing stranger's perspective - they look at your cake and the first thing they see are cracks - what do you think they will think? - So what, it tastes really good and look how neatly she chopped the nuts? No, they will think the worst and points will be not materialize. If you can stick with it - keep working and produce a cake that does not crack

I was wondering if you moistened the top when you put it in the oven and then brushed it with some glaze or moistener periodically, that may help alleviate cracking.

[chefette]

Looking at the photo you posted - those cakes are definitely naked - and I did not see that any were cracked

If its worth doing this - keep trying and go for the gold! Good luck

[lorinda]

I was wondering if you moistened the top when you put it in the oven and then brushed it with some glaze or moistener periodically, that may help alleviate cracking.

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That sounds good - like giving it a misting of water as it goes in the oven, and perhaps again every hour or so (it is in slow oven for 3 hrs). It's just that I had never read that in a recipe before, but I don't think it would hurt. I will definitely try this next time.

[srhcb]

Here's a story about a fruit cake competition:

http://www.abc.net.au/stateline/sa/content/2005/s1453430.htm

It's not much help. but it does mention cracking.

SB (still suspects there are "tricks of the trade")

[srhcb]

Here are more "secrets":

http://whatscookingamerica.net/Q-A/fruitcakesec.htm

I really think most pros and/or competitors use a glaze during baking, or a wash afterwards, to seal the top. The tip about putting foil over the loaves so the don't dry out too fast would also help in this regard.

SB

[alligande]

When I bake tradtional fruit cakes, I wrap the outside of the cake pan with Newspaper, and cover the top of the cake with a disk of parchment paper, with a hole cut in it both these techniques help prevent cracking.

Hope the following link helps. My fruit cake is a variation of the one Delia uses although it came to me from grandmother.

http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/the-cla...ke,1293,RC.html

[lorinda]

Here's a story about a fruit cake competition:

http://www.abc.net.au/stateline/sa/content/2005/s1453430.htm

It's not much help. but it does mention cracking.

SB (still suspects there are "tricks of the trade")

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Thanks Steve. You know, that is the very story which got me paranoid about cracking!

(Those ladies scare me, with the cutting of the sultanas. I can just imagine them cutting it one by one. I didn't cut my sultanas ... some things even I wouldn't do for a competition.)

[lorinda]

When I bake tradtional fruit cakes, I wrap the outside of the cake pan with Newspaper, and cover the top of the cake with a disk of parchment paper, with a hole cut in it both these techniques help prevent cracking.

Hope the following link helps. My fruit cake is a variation of the one Delia uses although it came to me from grandmother.

http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/the-cla...ke,1293,RC.html

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Thanks alligande. I think the tip about covering with parchment is great. I also noticed that Delia's recipe doesn't have any leavening either. I wonder how that affects the texture of the cake - is it overly dense?

[alligande]

Edited February 7, 2006 by alligande (log)