The Best Non Alcoholic Swap For Rum In Fruitcake

Fruitcake may be pretty much a seasonal joke in some quarters, but the fact is, there are plenty of people who do like it. After all, one Missouri monastery sells thousands of fruitcakes each year. People may disagree about what makes for a good version as opposed to a bad one. For Alton Brown, the fruit itself is the key to good fruitcake, while others insist that only their secret recipe can change the minds of fruitcake haters. One thing most might agree on, however, is that in order to make a fruitcake moist, it needs to be soaked in some sort of liquid. While rum or another type of booze may be traditional, the liquid need not be alcoholic. 

There are a number of good swaps for alcohol in fruitcake, but overall, orange juice tends to work best. The sweet, fruity flavor fits well with the fruit and cake profile, but its slight sharpness adds a little edge to replace the boozy bitterness. If you want even more tang, though, you could opt for pineapple, or make a cake marinated in sweet-sharp cranberry juice. For the latter, we raisin haters of the world kindly request that you swap the raisins for craisins, as well. For a less obtrusive fruit juice flavor, you could always try apple juice — but orange strikes the perfect balance between "there, but not too there" as far as flavor goes.

Many people believe that the proper time to begin making a fruitcake is at least three months in advance of when you plan to eat it, if not even earlier. Plus, fruit cake can last for many months, which adds some flexibility to your baking schedule. No matter what time of year you're making it, it's worth noting that a variety of non-alcoholic spirits are readily available these days. And many can make a great switch for rum in your cake.

As rum substitutes go, Fluère Spiced Cane is one of Amazon's highest-rated entries, while Lyre and Ritual have numerous fans as well. Lyre also comes in whiskey-ish, amaretto-esque, and orange "liqueur" versions that would all work well with fruitcake, while Ritual does a mock whiskey in addition to rum. If you're brave enough to venture slightly farther off-piste, there's also Seedlip, a botanical spirit that comes in harder-to-classify flavors such as the bitter orange and ginger-flavored Grove 42, and Spice 94 which combines allspice, cardamom, cascarilla, and citrus.