Help! Fruit cake drowned in alcohol, christening in 6 days....

[Elephantslovetofly]

I know not strictly AIBU but posting for traffic

We saved the top tier of our wedding cake for our first child's christening. My husband defrosted and 'fed' the cake with brandy a few days ago. I've just unwrapped it to discover he has flooded it, the cake is now so soft it's almost falling apart!!

Is there any way I can rescue this? Shall I just leave it open to air for a couple of days and hope it dries out? I need to start the marzipan layer by Wednesday at the latest I would say, to give me time to then put the Royal icing on perhaps Friday. Christening is on Sunday

Any advice greatly received!

[Stillunexpected]

How much alcohol did he put on it?!

[branofthemist]

Maybe you would best just getting another fruit cake?

[Dailymailbastards]

I would give the cake a good poke with a skewer, leave it out of the tin to let the alcohol evaporate or roll the cake in icing sugar to help draw the moisture out.

[Elephantslovetofly]

I don't really know how much he put on, far too much I guess! I think he thought of it as a Christmas pudding. He wrapped the whole box in foil so I couldn't see the cake, I only unwrapped it to get on with the marzipan today

Good idea re skewer and icing sugar - it's too soft to even pick up at the moment, but perhaps I should sprinkle some on for now...?

I don't really want to get another as we saved this specially, but if it's not looking good in a couple of days I guess I'll have to

[adagio]

Disclaimer - not tried this!!
iPhones allegedly dry out if you put them in a jar of rice. Will putting cake in a tub with rice possibly have a similar effect?

[Stillunexpected]

If it's too soft to even pick up, I don't think it will dry out sufficiently. It will also just taste of whatever alcohol he put onto the cake, people may like a boozy fruit cake but but it still needs to taste of cake, rather than neat brandy.

[acasualobserver]

That would certainly add a novel texture.

[origamiwarrior]

Not sure the icing sugar is a good idea - might just get slimy.

Unwrap and leave to the air. Alcohol does evaporate and since it is so sloshed in it, it's unlikely to go mouldy (or stale!).

[eggpoacher]

Could you tip it onto a baking tray and put it in the oven on very low for a bit?

[trufflesnout]

I've saved drenched cakes before by airing them, but I've never done that's so soft it's falling apart on its own. Ideally you need to get it out of the box and onto a rack so that any juices it seeps end up draining away - rather than sitting under the cake and making it worse.

[Slave2thecat]

Disclaimer no idea of this would work but: I'd put a match to it (having transferred the cake to the ebd if the garden) A La christnas pud.

[eggpoacher]

Nice one Slave2thecat - we want pictures though!

[AndNowItsSeven]

Why did he put any alcohol on it? Totally unnecessary.

[SoupDragon]

I would air it for a few days and, if that didn't work, look for recipes for left over Christmas cake such as these cake pops

[SoupDragon]

I would be wary of putting a match to it as I did once have a particularly booze Christmas pud go up in a blue fireball with an audible whoomph. Still taste fabulous though !

[ApocalypseSlough]

Adagio are you a sitcom writer? I can just pictur Martin Clune doing that with hilarious consequences

[Slave2thecat]

Soup dragon - sounds good to me :)

[P1nkP0ppy]

It's beyond saving I would imagine, it will taste only of alcohol and probably put anyone eating it over the limit for driving 😋 , probably not very nice either.
Give up and buy another one op.

[SoupDragon]

Can you get it in a cake tin and put it in the oven for a bit?

Don't put a match to it whilst it's hot though as it was the warm alcohol fumes that sent my pud up in ball of flame...

[Puzzledandpissedoff]

Personally I'd try putting it in a very low oven for a while ... the volatile alcohol will be drawn off, although the taste will still be there, and maybe it would help to dry it out?

Got to be worth a try, anyway - if you'll have to chuck it away otherwise, what's to lose?

[Elephantslovetofly]

The oven might help, that sounds a good idea - although I would be nervous to try and lift it out of the box yet....

I've stuffed kitchen roll around the bottom to try and draw out any excess - seems to be helping

I think he wanted to moisten it up a bit, I don't he think realised that it would go quite so soft!

[VioletBam]

Need a scientist on this thread! OP I hope you can save it!

[ChazsBrilliantAttitude]

As it is summer turn it into ice cream instead

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/christmas-pudding-ice-cream

The soft texture and lashings of alcohol will be a positive.

[2nds]

I'd just chuck it and get a new cake

[Imnotaslimjim]

If you want to move it to a tray of some sort to get it into the oven, you need a second pair of hands if you don't have a cake lifter.

Fold a sheet of greaseproof paper in half so you end up with a piece bigger than the cake and a couple of inches wider either side, then with the help of someone else lifting the cake, slide the greaseproof under the cake so you have "handles". Use these to lift it onto an oven tray. Pop it into the oven at about 120 for a couple of hours, checking every half hour.

I have saved a fruit cake using that method, similar reason as you - DH stripped the cake and was feeding it once a week for about 2 months. IT wasn't soggy but was too soft to lift.