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!

[trufflesnout]

Be careful with the oven, it might just reduce it to warm mush. Maybe put it in a low one and then turn it off for a bit and let the cake and oven cool completely together? Like a meringue .

[slug]

I second the ice cream option. I've done that with left over Christmas cake and it is lush not to mention weather appropriate.

[redpinkblue]

Put a match to it and burn off some of the alcohol

[stealthsquiggle]

I think I would try leaving it unwrapped in front of a fan for a while before I resorted to the oven.

[MilicentKing]

Definitely just burn it off!

We throw brandy over our (already steeped) warm Xmas pud every year and have never had a bad incident.

nb. I am a scientist!

[DailyMailEthicalFail]

We had the top tier of our wedding cake as a christening cake.
For both children, 1st 4 years after wedding, 2nd 3 year after that.
We decorated it (still iced) and displayed it, and had a fresh 'cutting cake'.

It was still 'present'. It looked lovely and I could proudly say what it was.
And we had fresh cake to enjoy with no threat of food / alcohol poisoning.
M&S does a lovely plain fruit cake with marzipan and icing (pre order though?). That was our Wedding Cake. 4 tiers. Bargain.

[Elephantslovetofly]

So many options! Thanks for all your ideas. It's actually looking better already now I've drained about 200ml of brandy from it

I've tried a bit that had fallen off and I can confirm that it is very boozy

[Puzzledandpissedoff]

200ml of brandy?? Good grief, what did he do - upturn the entire bottle over it??

[Elephantslovetofly]

I think he might have done! He used a 500ml bottle for this and the Christmas cake apparently, so probably about 250ml. I had no idea he'd put so much on until today!

[Farmmummy]

As you've drained some of the excess off let it sit another day then put a plate over the top in the box and gently turn out place in very low oven (about 110) for about 40 minutes or so should help firm up and reduce some of the booziness still leaving a nice alcoholic flavour then when cooled you can go ahead and marzipan or ice as planned (spot the person who hates marzipan lol) Enjoy!

[OnTheTurningAway]

I'm wondering if some thin fabric - perhaps muslin squares - might be useful? If you could put cake and wrapping onto it and then slide out the old wrapping, then put it on a wire rack, it might drain better? Then some oven time on a very low heat with the door slightly open.

[Puzzledandpissedoff]

Well, look on the bright side ... if he's done the same to the Christmas cake, at least you've got more time to rescue it

[Toddlerteaplease]

I did this to a Christmas cake the other year. It was very soggy and the taste of sherry was over powering. My sister has never let me live it down.

[Ellenrobillard]

Cake and brandy? What's not to like?Send it to me!

[NicknameUsed]

Any drivers at the christening?

[Elephantslovetofly]

We have plenty of muslin squares - good thought, thank you

Yes plenty of drivers. They will have to just have a small piece!

[Rugbycomet]

Nigella's advice is....

. If they have not absorbed the alcohol from a previous feeding then you could leave them unwrapped for a couple of days in a cool place (cover loosely with a clean tea towel) and some of the excess alcohol should evaporate. Once they feel drier then you can re-wrap them and then maybe only feed them very sparingly.

[NicknameUsed]

We kept the top tier for a christening. After 10 years I threw it away. DD arrived 3 days after our 19th wedding anniversary☺

We had a sponge cake for the christening as not many people I know like fruit cake.