Christchurch baker reveals the secret of baking a truly moist fruit cake

Christchurch baker Andrew Clarke has discovered the elusive secret so many cooks have been searching for in vain - how to bake a truly moist fruit cake.

Mr Clarke's designer cake and dessert company, Just Desserts, has just won top prize in the Canterbury A & P Association's inaugural Kiwi Christmas Cake Competition.
His cake won the Gold Medal in the commercial section and was also judged Best Overall among more than 30 entries, by both commercial and domestic bakers, in the competition.

The judges' comments were exactly what every baker would like to be said about their Christmas cake: "very nice and moist", "moist with excellent texture", and "nice and high, good colour".

So what is Mr Clarke's secret?

First, he stresses, quality ingredients are essential if you want to produce a truly moist cake. This means you should choose the best quality dried fruit, flour, butter and eggs.

And a dash of brandy, just the right amount, is also vital.

Having the right recipe, of course, is absolutely crucial but Mr Clarke is not giving too much away here.

"It's our secret recipe," he says.

Just Desserts uses the same winning recipe not only for Christmas cakes but also for wedding cakes.

"We've always had really good feedback from the brides," Mr Clarke says.

One big advantage Just Desserts has over home cooks is a new high-tech programmable oven imported from Germany, which allows the humidity inside the oven to be controlled during cooking.

Mr Clarke explains because fruit cakes need long, slow cooking, this tends to make them dry out.

"But if you can add moisture during the baking, as we can do with this new oven, the cake never gets dry," he says.

The four judges in the Kiwi Christmas Cake Competition 2005 included Crowne Plaza chef Richard Hingston and Mike Meaclem from the New Zealand Baking Society.

The competition was held as a preliminary to the Canterbury A&P Show.

Mr Clarke founded Just Desserts 11 years ago and the company now employs 12 full-time staff at its premises on Gasson Street, Sydenham.

It is gearing up for its busiest time of year, prior to Christmas, when it makes Christmas cakes to order - for both individual and corporate customers.

"We only do a limited number of Christmas cakes, we don't mass produce them, because we want to ensure we keep the quality high," Mr Clarke says.

Phone: (03) 379 3754
Email: cakes@justdesserts.co.nz