Christmas & Wedding Cakes, how long do they keep??

Jo4

How long does a Christmas cake last, when should it be thrown out? I always heard that you are supposed to keep a tier of your wedding cake as a Christening cake for your first child, does anyone do this anymore and how long would you keep a wedding cake before you would throw it out?

Fen_2

A properly boozy fruit cake will last a year, well wrapped in clingfilm then foil. It helps to remove the marzipan and icing first, as these will deteriorate in time. Basically, the better the quality of the cake (and the cooking!) the longer it will last.
Good Housekeeping recommend freezing the cake, but I've not tried this. Check out their website for all domestic Q&As. They have a very good 'ask the expert' email system so you can personalise the question.

Jo4

Fen wrote: »

Check out their website for all domestic Q&As. They have a very good 'ask the expert' email system so you can personalise the question.

Have you a direct link to their website as I cannot find what you are referring to?

linzibean

I generally make Christmas cakes late September to get them nicely matured, and sometimes a spare one is kept for easter, so They last a good 6 months for definate I'm going to make my wedding cake in June so it will have a good 3 months to mature, though mine aren't as boozy as a lot out there.

LJM

we normally get one for xmas from my inlaws and it lasts us till beginning march norm,i always thought as long as icing was removed it lasted for ages

Queenie

Fen wrote: »

A properly boozy fruit cake will last a year, well wrapped in clingfilm then foil...

Alcohol is a preservative and I can tell you (from experience!) that a rich fruit cake, regularly *fed* with alcohol will keep for much, much longer than just one year

I agree, remove any marzipan/icing; wrap well in greaseproof paper and foil (in the olden days, it would have been waxed paper and newspaper) and it will last for several years. You need to *feed* it regularly with a spoonful or two of spirit (usually brandy/whisky/sherry) approx every 6-12mths.

I have eaten Christmas cake, well stored and preserved that had "matured" for 10+ years and truthfully, it was the best I've ever tasted up to that point.

Just remember, Nelson's body was preserved in brandy until it reached Gibraltar - if it can keep a body from decomposing, it speaks volume's for it's preservative powers

Jo4 - a Christmas cake/wedding cake are extremely similar in the context that they are both rich fruit cakes

morganb

I froze the top tier of my wedding cake, well wrapped in greaseproof paper and then tin foil; I defrosted it five years later for my son's christening and it was perfect, just needed a new layer of icing.
Tasted just as good as on the first day ... and it had defrosted a few times due to house moves, etc., too! It was a fruit cake with a bit of alcohol. didn't have marzipan as my cousin has a nut allergy; HTH.

spiddy100

My MIL froze our wedding cake top tier too and served it at DS1's christening, which was ....... hang on ........... four years later. She took all the icing and marzipan off first, then re-iced it when it came out of the freezer.

It was lovely

jcr16

this year i am going to make my own xmas cake and pudding and both recipes say they can be made up to 6 months beforehand and as long as wrapped properly they will store. but i'm surr i read they need to be wrapped in greaseproof or kitchen foil. but could be wrong. then then stored in a container.

Jo4

Queenie wrote: »

Jo4 - a Christmas cake/wedding cake are extremely similar in the context that they are both rich fruit cakes

I was wondering if anyone had kept their wedding cake for a few years unfrozen for their first childs christening.

Queenie

Jo4 wrote: »

I was wondering if anyone had kept their wedding cake for a few years unfrozen for their first childs christening.

Ok, fair point, which I did take on board in my reply - and my answer remains the same - YES! :laugh:

Actually, from a moneysaving point of view, whenever you see a cake on the reduced counter at the supermarket (say after Christmas?) you can remove the icing and marzipan and it will keep; just so long as you remember to *feed* it at regular intervals. If it is a sponge cake then it will need freezing and won't keep as long ... bearing in mind that these days and with food allergies and various health considerations, not *all* wedding cakes are of the rich fruit variety!!

I have known several people who have saved their top tier for the christening; it keeps if it is *fed* regularly and well wrapped

PS: Just to add, one of the people who kept their top tier (rich fruit cake!) from their wedding cake for the christening of their first child, we unable to conceive for many years and only had a child as a result of IVF. The cake was well looked after and was fine