soapdragon Posted November 10, 2018 Share Posted November 10, 2018 We needed to move a huge cupboard in our sitting room this afternoon and so had to empty it. Amongst the myriad bits and bobs squirelled away over the years (ahgggh!) we found a box with the top tier of our wedding cake in it. It is looking very sad tho not mouldy as was fed with much brandy! Our first thought was to bin it as the icing and marzipan are showing the cake through. However, it's FIL's 80th in a few weeks time and I wonder if the underlying fruit cake will be edible? MIL made it 30 years ago and died 20 years ago so, to have this at FIL's 80th would be really special. Has anyone experience of this? I know it's traditional to keep the top tier for a christening cake?! Really unsure as to what to do so, if anyone has used their wedding cake as a christening cake years after, I'd be keen to know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted November 10, 2018 Share Posted November 10, 2018 Just wondering if you could cut a little bit out of the middle and give it a try ? Then if it is OK you could take off all the icing and marzipan, give it a few glugs of brandy and then cover it with fresh marzipan and icing. Once the cake is cut into pieces no one will notice the bit is missing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted November 10, 2018 Share Posted November 10, 2018 4 minutes ago, Luvachicken said: Just wondering if you could cut a little bit out of the middle and give it a try ? You could use an apple corer. (Not sure if that is a word though...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted November 10, 2018 Author Share Posted November 10, 2018 Thank you - I may yet take it to the next Antiques Roadshow! I'm not too confident about taking the icing and marzipan off but guess I could just cut it off? What I can't do is just to bin it.....never thought I'd get so emotional over a cake! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted November 10, 2018 Share Posted November 10, 2018 You should be able to peel / break off the icing and marzipan together although they will be quite hard. Any bits of cake that come off you can patch up with fresh marzipan to plug the holes. If you have a crank handled palette knife that might help break bits off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 The things you learn on this forum, I had no idea it was called a crank handled palette knife! And yes, corer is a word CT! I hope you find a solution Soapdragon. If you are going to serve it, then I think the ideas here are good ones, otherwise you are never going to know. Or you could bring it into the room as the birthday cake with the candles on it, but then serve something else, if you are unsure. Even if it is safe to eat, then I'm not sure it will be that tasty, so your FIL might get all the pleasure of sharing the memories of your wedding cake and your MIL but eating a new birthday cake, if you made another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 Sorry - what is a crank handled palette knife?! (I know what a palette knife is). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 Its one of those with a sort of kink in the handle, a bit like a trowel for plastering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted November 11, 2018 Author Share Posted November 11, 2018 I've decided that the best way to tackle this will be to turn the cake upside down so that I can get a knife (of whatever description ) between the marzipan and cake and hopefully prise it all off. The cake was well soaked in brandy before icing so I am hoping it has stayed moist; probably pickled! I think MIL used a whole bottle between the three tiers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursula123 Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 Only one bottle, I soak my fruit in one bottle and then inject another litre into the cake, I do provide a eat and drive disclaimer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted November 11, 2018 Author Share Posted November 11, 2018 Well, yes, the fruit was pre soaked too (as, probably, was the cook!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia W Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 Yes. Take the icing and marzipan off. Soak it in more booze. Then re-marzipan and ice. It will be wonderful! ( you can always make that boiled fruitcake as well, just in case...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted November 15, 2018 Share Posted November 15, 2018 On 11/11/2018 at 1:06 PM, Daphne said: Its one of those with a sort of kink in the handle, a bit like a trowel for plastering. Yep, that's correct. It makes decorating a cake much easier. I did 3 years of cake decorating at evening classes a long time ago, although my skills are no longer needed once we all found the yummy chocolate birthday cake from Marks and Spencer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted November 15, 2018 Author Share Posted November 15, 2018 I've just bought some more brandy (only 1/4 bottle - honest!) and my task this weekend is to peel off the icing and marzipan, test and refeed. Not sure if I will ice and marzipan again though.......I'd prefer to leave as is, if poss, as that would then be closest I could get to MIL's original handiwork. I'm hoping that FIL won't get too emotional about it (also that I don't offend/upset step MIL!) Good God...it's only cake but fraught with politics nonetheless! I need to get cracking on our Christmas cake soon too....for some reason my boys have requested a fruit cake, iced and marzipaned, this year. I've not covered a round one before so will be a learning curve (quite literally!) the square was easy peasy but the round presents a challenge. Not sure when 'Stir Up' Sunday is. Or is that just the deadline for puddings? Does anyone know? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted November 18, 2018 Author Share Posted November 18, 2018 Sadly it didn't work out! It smelled a little musty anyway but, when I took off the icing and marzipan, there was even more of a whiff although the bottom of it looked OK it was too niffy to even want to try bit! I'll go back to the boiled fruit cake receipt (thanks to the techie savvy Cat Tails!) and posh that up a bit! Also using the same for a Christmas cake! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted November 18, 2018 Share Posted November 18, 2018 Too bad, but at least you gave it a try! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted November 20, 2018 Share Posted November 20, 2018 The thought was there Shame it didn't work out though, although 30 years was quite a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
