Baking with freeze-dried fruit: cakes, creams and chocolate

Freeze-dried fruit is our little baking trick for getting real fruit flavour into cakes, creams and chocolate without making the batter soggy. Because it contains hardly any water, it adds colour, aroma and tartness without changing the texture. Here's how we use it at home, both in pieces and as a powder, and which mistakes are worth avoiding.

Why freeze-dried fruit works so well in the oven and the fridge

Fresh fruit is wonderful, but in baking it can be a pain: it releases juice, makes the batter wet, sinks to the bottom of the cake and can split a whipped cream. Freeze-dried fruit plays by different rules. During freeze-drying, the fruit is frozen and, under a vacuum, the water turns straight from ice to vapour without melting, so there's no heat to "cook" it. Our raspberry powder, for example, ends up with less than 4% moisture.

What does that mean in your kitchen?

• Concentrated flavour: a spoonful has far more character than the same amount of fresh fruit.
• No extra liquid: no need to adjust the recipe or add flour to compensate.
• Natural colour: the pink of raspberry or the orange of citrus comes from the fruit itself.
• Long-lasting pantry staple: it doesn't depend on the season. Raspberries in December, no drama.

There is one golden rule, though: freeze-dried fruit absorbs moisture easily. Close the pack tightly after opening and keep it somewhere cool, dry and away from light, not in the fridge.

Pieces or powder: which to use in each recipe

In our collection of whole and diced freeze-dried fruit and our range of freeze-dried fruit powders you'll find both formats, and each one shines in a different place.

• Pieces: for when you want to see and feel the fruit. Great in biscuits, cakes, chocolate coatings and as a final decoration. They add a crunch that melts in the mouth.
• Powder: for when you want the fruit to blend in completely. The ideal format for creams, icings, meringues, coloured batters and for dusting through a fine sieve.

If in doubt, think about the final texture: if you want little bursts of fruit, go for pieces; if you're after an even colour and a flavour that runs through everything, go for powder.

Cakes, muffins and biscuits with freeze-dried fruit

In baked batters, freeze-dried fruit saves us from the classic problem of fruit sinking to the bottom of the tin. A few ways to use it:

1. Yoghurt cake with orange: add a good handful of freeze-dried orange pieces to the batter just before pouring it into the tin. They're just orange, with no added sugars, and bring that citrus note that brightens any cake.
2. Pink muffins: swap one or two tablespoons of the flour for raspberry powder. The batter takes on colour and a lovely tart aroma.
3. Butter biscuits with fruit: fold the pieces into the dough at the end, gently, so they don't break up completely.
4. Marble cake: split the batter in two, colour one half with fruit powder and the other with cocoa, and alternate spoonfuls in the tin.

A practical tip: the heat of the oven can dull the colour a little. If you want a really vivid finish, save some of the powder for the topping or dust it on at the end, once everything has cooled.

Creams, icings and fillings with no extra liquid

This is where fruit powder really comes into its own. Since it adds no water, you can give a whipped cream or an icing a fruity flavour without it splitting or losing body.

• Raspberry whipped cream: whip the cream and, at the end, gradually fold in sifted freeze-dried raspberry powder. It's 100% raspberry, with nothing else on the ingredient list, so the flavour is direct and tart.
• Quick icing: icing sugar, a few drops of water or juice and a teaspoon of fruit powder. Ideal for homemade doughnuts or for drizzling over a lemon cake.
• Cream cheese filling: mix cream cheese with a little fruit powder and sweeten to taste. Perfect between two layers of sponge.
• Coloured meringue: add the powder at the very end, folding it in with a spatula so you don't knock out the volume.

A detail we love: the raspberry powder is high in fibre, with 26.2 g per 100 g, and has no added sugar. How sweet the cream ends up is up to you.

Chocolate and freeze-dried fruit: the easiest pairing

If you only try one idea from this article, make it this one. Chocolate and freeze-dried fruit get on brilliantly, and the contrast between bitter cocoa and tart fruit always works.

• Homemade bar: melt chocolate, spread it on a tray lined with baking paper and, before it sets, scatter over orange pieces and dust with a little raspberry powder.
• Orange brownie: the orange-and-chocolate classic with added crunch. Stir the pieces into the batter and keep a few back for the top.
• Two-tone truffles: roll half in organic cocoa powder and the other half in fruit powder. Our cocoa is 100% organic, with no added sugar and alkalised, so it has a rounded flavour and replaces regular cocoa in the same quantity.

Mistakes we've already made (so you don't have to)

• Leaving it open: in a humid kitchen, the powder clumps and the pieces lose their crunch. Close the pack as soon as you've finished.
• Tipping the powder in all at once: it forms lumps. Always sift it or mix it with the sugar first.
• Decorating too early: if you put pieces on a moist cream many hours before serving, they soften. Better to add them just before the dessert goes to the table.
• Overdoing it: the flavour is very concentrated. Start small, taste and adjust.

Frequently asked questions

How much fruit powder should I add to a cream?

It depends on how intense you like it. We start with a teaspoon per 200 ml of cream, taste and work our way up little by little.

Can I bake freeze-dried fruit?

Yes. It holds up well in cakes, biscuits and brownies. The only thing is that the colour can fade a little with the heat, so for an eye-catching finish it's best to add some once it's cool.

Can it be rehydrated?

It can, but in baking it's usually not worth it: the whole point is that it adds no water. If you need it juicy for a filling, mix it with a little yoghurt or cream and leave it to sit for a few minutes.

How do I store it once opened?

Tightly closed or in an airtight jar, somewhere cool and dry at room temperature. It doesn't need the fridge. To enjoy it at its best, use it within the weeks after opening.

Time to get baking

Festive baking calls for colour, and freeze-dried fruit brings it without making life complicated. Start with an orange chocolate bar or a raspberry whipped cream and, once you get the hang of it, you won't want to bake without it. If you give it a go, tell us what you made: we love seeing your versions.