It's getting tough out there. Feeling the pinch?

Siebrie

I'm not a fan of silicone molds. I have silicone angel cake molds, but they always mess up the cakes when I take them off, and are a pain to clean. Unless I'm doing something wrong?

Floss

littlemoney said:

I have successfully frozen rich fruit cake but don't know if a Christmas cake can be frozen.

Seeing as I used the same recipe for both I'm not sure what the difference is, unless they have personality & identity issues?  I mean, can I rename a cake baked for a particular purpose from wedding to Christmas or christening? 🤔

Frugalista

Pollycat said:

GaleSF63 said:

-taff said:

You don't need to freeze them, they'll last for months tightly wrapped in the dark. If you ice it, it can last for years. And if you keep feeding it booze, it'll last even longer

And apparently, having googled, yes, you can freze it, sans marziapn and icing though...

Yes, people used to keep a layer of wedding cake for years, didn't they - the traditional ones would have been similar to Christmas cake. 
I love marzipan but home-made is the best of the lot. Radiation cookery book recipe for that and Christmas cake.

I think it may have been tradition to keep the top tier for the christening of the first baby.
Why do we save the top tier of a wedding cake? | Elite Marquees - Marquee Hire Liverpool, Manchester & Cheshire (elite-marquees.co.uk)
Other links say it was saved for the 1st wedding anniversary.

My in-laws were bakers and confectioners and made our three tier wedding cake themselves.

Recently we were clearing out MIL's house as she has gone into a care home, and came across the top tier of our cake, carefully wrapped and preserved.  We had always told her we didn't want children - but she always hoped anyway!

We have been married for 44 years this coming March.  I did wonder what the cake might be like by now?

Toonie

Rosa_Damascena said:

Pollycat said:

That sounds lovely.
All this talk of bundt is getting me twitchy to try it out.
I'm an avid cook but definitely not a baker.
Anyone used silicone moulds?

Again I have plenty but never get the definition promised. Maybe it's just my cake mixture, perhaps it needs to be stiffer?

@Pollycat the only time I've had a problem with a bundt tin was when I used a silicone mould. This was about 10 years ago though, so things may have improved.

@Rosa_Damascena I've never had problems with losing definition and some of my recipes are based on standard Victoria sponges. Different people have different opinions on the best way to grease a tin. Personally, I use melted butter and a pastry brush and then flour (or if I'm making a chocolate cake, flour with a teaspoon of cocoa powder). Other people use oil sprays or oil and a brush before flouring the tin. My Mum always used solid trex and greased the tin.

Katiehound

Lucky me (and friends locally!) because a cut price shop in town has got the Green & Black's sampler box- on sale at Messrs T & S for £10-  here for £3.99. best by early Jan- they won't get there!!
 We shall be stocking up- 24 yummy small-ish bars & one slightly bigger one

YoungBlueEyes

If a recipe calls for trex, is plain lard ok to substitute? 

Katiehound

well, Trex is vegetable fat so not quite the same thing!!

I think it depends on what you are baking but guess it will probably do.......

YoungBlueEyes

Oh beggar, I didn’t know it was veg fat! Thanks katiehound. 

I was reading the “best ever mince pies” thread but I didn’t see trex when I was out shopping so just lifted lard instead. 

I’ll go back out 😆

Where sells it do we know? 

Edit - A quick duckduck gave me this, some lovely looking recipes - 

https://familybaking.co.uk/about-trex/

Katiehound

I always made my pastry with half /half lard & margarine. It's probably fine

looks like Sainsburys, Morrisons & Asda sell it around £1.55

I would have a trial run with lard & margarine before setting out for an expensive item!

sammyjammy

My Nan was great baker, in the days of big family Christmas' she would make a Christmas cake, Dundee cake and a Tunis cake.  Not a fan of any, dried fruit - yucky, marzipan - yucky, nuts -yucky She also made homemade sweets like choc covered peppermint cremes, chocolate brazils, mini bounty bars, and Scottish tablet yummy!