Wedding/ fruit cake question?

[Scarlet]

I've just been asked to make a wedding cake. I'm super excited as I've been doing a sugar paste flower course for a a couple of months and would love a little project. Anyway, the bride would like two tiers, a fruit cake for the bottom and a sponge on top. Now I normally start off my fruit cakes 12 weeks before I intend to eat it. The big day is seven weeks today! Does that give it enough time to mature?

[WendyC]

It's about as long as I give my Christmas cakes and they are fine by the big day. Let's face it, you can only do what you can do, given the time allowed.

[Hazel at the Hill]

What Wendy said.

Get in the kitchen and get baking!

[Scarlet]

Back from the shop! Fruit into soak and I'm off!

[Nicos]

Out of interest...something I've often wondered about...how much in advance can you make the sponge cake?

[Scarlet]

Well, the serious bakers in my sugar paste class work on a week to decorate and a week to eat. They have several tricks up their sleeves, ( they don't like sharing!) painting the cake with flavoured sugar syrup etc to keep them moist but they make sure that the cake is sealed as soon possible after it's baked with a coating of buttercream, ganache etc to keep them fresh.
I made a 21st birthday cake last week and made it 3 days before it was eaten and that seemed long enough to me.
Perhaps there are some bakers on here that will give us some top tips?!?!!

[Alison]

I'd have thought that you want to leave it as near that date as possible with a sponge cake as they don't keep anywhere near as well as fruit cakes which could explain some very dry celebration cakes I've had in the past. I'd also agree that sealing it as soon as possible is definitely the best plan.

[Creemteez]

It depends on what sort of "sponge" we're talking about. A Genoese-type or Victoria would, indeed dry up pretty quickly. I have a recipe for a Madeira incorporating yogurt (or sour cream) which actually IMPROVES with keeping. The same can be said of the Chocolate cake I make which uses vegetable oil and black treacle. Sealing a cake under a good layer of icing/buttercream/marzipan will halt the drying process for most cakes, though.
Looking forward to seeing the finished cake!!!!

[Scarlet]

oh, could I trouble you for the madeira recipe...or is it top secret??

[Creemteez]

Scarlet, here's the Carved cake I mentioned.

[Scarlet]

Oh that's just fantastic! I'm so jealous....i may post a pic of my camper van on Saturday if it's any good!

[Linzy]

i made my Christmas cakes start of December. a weekly top-up off brandy and they where very nice.

[Scarlet]

Well, not quite on par with yours creemteez but even so I'm really quite proud of my first carved cake!

[Creemteez]

so you blumming well should be, Scarlet?! That is ABSOLUTELY FAB!! Big fat tick and GOLD STAR! Were you top of the class??

[Scarlet]

Ha! Thank you, I was so chuffed I didn't want to cut it! Only half left now ...