Cool in the tin or not? (Fruit Cake) - CakeFlix (2024)

Hi all,
I’m due to make a 12″ square fruit cake this week and I’ve heard conflicting advice about cooling the cake. Some say leave it in the tin and some not? Has anyone done either ?

Thanks
Donna

Hello donnascakes

Cooling in the tin helps to keep the moisture in the cake. Some folk keep it up as it comes out of the oven, others upturn the tin and let the cake cool underneathe. I upturn the tin, it helps to squash down any stickyup bits of fruit and keep the moisture in.
Because of their density fruit cakes take a long time to cool down, especially the size you’re making so best leave it to completely cool for a few days.

Thanks for that madeitwithlove, you’re an absolute gem.
Does that advice work with sponge cakes as well, the leaving it in the tin I mean?

Cheers
Donna

No not always, I leave madeira and all chocolate mud cakes in the tin. Light sponge tends to go either heavy or soggy. Going back to the fruit cake, you can nip the tin off if you want to give the cake a feed from the underside.
Once fed pop the tin back on.
Thought you might like to see this as well on why it’s important to cool fruit cake right down. The slimy bit happened to me.
http://www.cakeflix.com/questions/help-with-fruit-cake-please

EDIT

Chiffon and Angel cake have their own rules!

Yes definitely cool in the tin, then wrap in 2 layers of greaseproof paper then foil and store until you use. That’s what I learned! 🙂

Thanks very much to both of you.
Very much appreciated.

Donna

Cool in the tin or not? (Fruit Cake) - CakeFlix (2024)

FAQs

Cool in the tin or not? (Fruit Cake) - CakeFlix? ›

Cooling in the tin helps to keep the moisture in the cake. Some folk keep it up as it comes out of the oven, others upturn the tin and let the cake cool underneathe. I upturn the tin, it helps to squash down any stickyup bits of fruit and keep the moisture in.

Should I let a fruit cake cool in the tin? ›

15. Cooling cakes. Recipes will usually give instructions for cooling but as a general rule, most sponge cakes are best left for a few minutes and then turned onto a cooling rack to avoid soggy edges. Rich fruit cakes are better cooled in the tin.

How long should you leave a cake to cool in the tin? ›

Wait until your cake is fully cooled before removing it, this may take 2-3 hours. Run a butter knife or a palette knife around the inside edges of the cake tin. Get a cooling rack. Pop a clean tea towel over the tin, put your hand on top of the cake and turn it upside down onto the cooling rack.

What happens if you leave cake in tin? ›

After five to 10 minutes the fat is also still liquid and lubricates the cake out of the baking tin. After that, the fat begins to solidify and can actually hinder the cake from sliding out from the tin. Do as the recipe says.

How long do you leave fruit cake in tin to cool? ›

I upturn the tin, it helps to squash down any stickyup bits of fruit and keep the moisture in. Because of their density fruit cakes take a long time to cool down, especially the size you're making so best leave it to completely cool for a few days.

How do you make fruit cake moist again? ›

1. Brush with simple syrup glaze. Velez recommends adding a simple syrup glaze to your cake layers if they end up coming out too dry. Made by cooking together equal parts water and sugar, it's a traditional workaround that pastry chefs commonly use.

How to stop fruit cake burning on top? ›

If a cake is browning too quickly then it is best to try and shield the top of the cake by laying a piece of foil or baking parchment (parchment paper) over the top of the tin, as this will deflect some of the heat from the oven. Sometimes this is recommended towards the end of the cooking time in a recipe.

Can you leave a Christmas cake to cool overnight? ›

Demould the cake from the tin, and place onto a cooling rack. Leave to cool for 8-10 hours or overnight without removing the base of the tin that the cake is still resting on. Once completely cold, remove the base of the tin and the lining paper and place cake centrally on cake board covered with foil.

Why wont my cake come out of the tin? ›

If you are using metal pans, sometimes warming the pan up can release the cake. If you wet a dish towel with hot water, and wrap the bottom and sides of the pan with it for around 10-15 minutes it will cause the metal to expand a tiny amount and release the cake.

What happens if you don't correctly cool cakes? ›

Cool Cakes Are Easier to Decorate

The other reason to wait is that if the cake is too hot, your icing won't stay put, and will melt into the cake. And no one likes a runny cake!

Why has my cake sunk in the middle? ›

Your cake is often subject to sinking in the middle due to various factors, including inaccurate oven temperature, excessive or insufficient leavening agent, overmixing of the batter, or premature opening of the oven door. Moisture loss or incorrect ingredient ratios may also play a role.

What is the proper way to cool a cake? ›

It's important to allow the moisture and heat to evaporate into the air so the cake can cool properly. Leave it on the counter first, then place it in the refrigerator for the rest of the cooling time.

Can you overcook fruit cake? ›

Usually the bottom and/or edges tend to get hard if a cake is overbaked. You can also try using simple syrup to soak the cake layers or top of the cake to make it little soft. warming the fruitcake or slices can make them softer and soaking in some brandy or rum will help.

Can a fruit cake be too moist? ›

Rich fruit cake can be cut and eaten as soon as it's absolutely cold. It is a moist cake. However, it shouldn't be wet or sticky, if it is it is probably undercooked.

How do you cool a cake in a tin? ›

Remove the cake from the baking pan.

As soon as your warm cake has cooled at room temperature for ten minutes, gently remove it from the bottom of the cake pan. This allows the bottom and sides of the cake to stop drawing in the warmth of the pan itself.

Is my fruit cake moist or undercooked? ›

When you insert a thin skewer in the cake, it should come out clean (or with a few dry crumbs). If you pull it out and wet cake mixture has stuck to the skewer, it means the cake has not finished baking completely.

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