What does Brandy do for a Xmas cake?

It preserves the fruit as well as making for a nice taste. I have made 5 christmas cakes this year (I make them for other people too, not 5 for myself, lol). I add brandy or whisky to the cake mixture and they come out lovely, they last for months and months with the alcohol in there.

I never add brandy during the cooking stage of the cake.. instead, when I take it out of the oven i remove all greaseproof paper, add some brandy then invert the tin over the cake to cool completely. Instead of evaporating during the cooking the brandy is released along with the steam from the cake, forms condensation and drips back into the cake, making it lovely and moist. I also add a couple of tablespoons weekly for about two more weeks after the cake is made... hic :)

I think you will find it makes the cake moist and preserves it.

I make holes with a fine skewer bottom and top of the cake and then,feed it with Brandy once a week. I got the idea from a Deila Smith recipe

Acts as a preservative, helps the cake "mature" and gives added taste. Eat enough of a well soaked cake and you get well soaked too ! ! !

Helps preserve it for longer and makes it taste much better.

Makes the family a lot more tolerable.

it preserves the fruit so that it can last longer.