Forum menu
So, my Xmas cake is pretty nice-tasting and the top two-thirds are moist but its bottom-third is dry & crumbly. I fed it every couple of weeks for about 2 months with whisky but only from the top. Also, my oven is bottom-heating - which may be the culprit. Any ideas on how to prevent it happening next time?
I'm not sure if this might sound stupid but can you turn it half way through cooking by using a similar/same round tin base on the top or does the cake need to rise?
cook longer at a lower heat I reckon.
Did you prick the cake using a skewer right down to the bottom before feeding? This should work as will get the alcohol right down.
Also take it out of the oven 5 to 10 mins sooner? No-one minds a slightly less done bit of fruit cake, nice and squidgy (as long as it's generally not raw!)
What recipe did you use? cook it longer lower as Oddjob said and also flip it over and feed it from the bottom too, alternate which end you feed from. Did you then make the bottom the top for when you marizpaned and iced it? MMM just having a slice of mine now! Love it.
also, my oven is bottom-heating - which may be the culprit.
Sounds like the bottom overcooked compared to the rest. Once its overcooked and the texture is damaged it got no strength to stay together.
I find the same if I sit stuff on my oven floor, the conduction through the metal overheats the bottom compared to conduction on sides from the hot air.
Reduce the conduction - always put in wire shelf etc raised up a bit. Do you have a fan oven?
In oven for too long and your oven's too hot.
sometimes, I just love this place... 🙂
Rachel
It's lush isn't it 
Yup too long on too high a heat. If you still have trouble you can wrap a wet terry cloth around the base. You will need to periodically soak it though so it doesn't burn!
Sugdenr- I think you're spot on; the challenge is finding the best way to even out the oven temp. Have had no probs for the last 3 years with fan oven but now I have one which is gas-heated from the bottom. Thick-bottomed roasting tin full of water to diffuse some heat and keep it all moist perhaps.
Not sure I agree tbh
I think that heat rises so it would be hotter at the top than the bottom of the oven [ no matter where heat starts - I assume it was not placed on the bottom but in the middle of the over and if you overcooked it the top would dry out [ you may have done this and the booze moistened it but you would still have a crust ish affect when you first took it out
I have never has a cake overcooked from the bottom.
Pierce with a skewer to make sure the booze gets to the bottom as well