18 November 2018 1 Min Read
Sunday Times Food Awards 2018
Which supermarket makes the yummiest Genoa festive fruit cake?
Our taste testers have spoken: here's where to head to buy the best Christmas cake
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HOW WE CONDUCTED OUR TASTE TEST
IT'S FREE AND FAIR!
To make it a fair tasting, we purchased Christmas cakes from five leading retailers and gathered a group of home bakers for a blind tasting.
All the cakes were stripped of their packaging and numbered before being served to the tasters, who rated them on appearance, aroma, taste, and whether they would buy them.
Auditor Jade Craig checked the scores and collated the results.
THE RESULTS
FIRST PLACE: PICK N PAY
Luxury Cherry & Almond Cake
Price: 800g R169.99
What the judges said:
- Penny: Yum! Citrus- flavoured fruit, good aroma and real brandy. Lightly spiced, I want another piece!
- Gino: Good-looking topping, aromatic but a bit dense.
- Pam: Decent fruit mix with decent fruit on top and fruit cake quite good.
From top to bottom: fruit cakes from Pick n Pay, Woolworths, Checkers. SPAR and Food Lover's Market.
Image: Christoph Hoffmann
Image: Christoph Hoffmann
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SECOND PLACE: WOOLWORTHS
Cherry Genoa
Price: R149.99 for 700g
What the judges said:
- Kathy: Nice texture, looks good, loved the cherries and nice taste.
- Ann: Luxurious. Tastes good but dry.
- Penny: Light in colour, a tad too sweet with pleasant caramel taste.
- Pam: Looks lovely, great amount of cherries.
THIRD PLACE: CHECKERS
Christmas Genoa
Price: R99.99 for 800g
What the judges said:
- Helen: Good texture, slices well and I taste dates, which makes a nice change.
- Penny: Very dark, looks burnt but delicious date flavour. Could have more nuts.
- Ann: Dry- looking but moist and tastes good.
FOURTH PLACE: SPAR
Freshline Genoa Christmas Fruit Cake
Price: 850g R119.99
What the judges said:
- Kathy: No aroma, love the fruit and nuts of the topping.
- Pam: Disappointed, too crumbly and not enough fruit.
- Marguerite : Looks are deceiving it looks good but the taste lets it down.
FIFTH PLACE: FOOD LOVER'S MARKET
Christmas Fruit Cake
Price: R149.99 for 1kg
What the judges said:
- Penny: Citrusy taste which is strong . The cake is stodgy with strange aftertaste. Essence of clove?
- Ann: Very dark and dense. Tastes as disappointing as it looks. Bitter taste.