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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To give FIL a year old Christmas cake?

56 replies

Dontfeellikeamillenial · 05/10/2018 21:16

Hear me out.

Last year I made 2 Christmas cakes, one for me and one for FIL. Gave FIL his. He ate it within a week.

I realised I was getting fat so didn't bother cutting into ours. I had a slice of FIL's and that was enough. DH isn't fussed for Christmas cake, so it stayed in the cupboard.

Now it got to April and I though, shall I chuck it. But never did.

Aibu to give FIL the one from last year? It smells OK. Will it be rancid? Or do I crack on and make him a fresh one? (will not make 2 this year, we're going abroad and I'm still plump )

OP posts:
Sitranced · 05/10/2018 22:00

I'm sure there is some sort law against throwing away Christmas cake.

joanslegs · 05/10/2018 22:00

It'll be fine, we had a 2 year old one last year. No one died. It was tasty.

ICouldBeSomebodyYouKnow · 05/10/2018 22:01

Just 25? Damn. We still have the top tier of our wedding cake, so it's over 30 years old. Had 2 children but 0 christenings.

Argonauts · 05/10/2018 22:03

We ate a Christmas cake made by my SIL which we forgot at the back of a cupboard for two years, and it was delicious and in perfectly good order.

TheBigFatMermaid · 05/10/2018 22:03

No, don't give it to him, send it to me!!

It will be all the better for the year in storage!

WoollyMollyMonkey · 05/10/2018 22:03

We used our wedding cake top tier at our son’s christening 5 years later and it was fine.

tillytrotter1 · 05/10/2018 22:06

As long as there's no milk used in it it should keep for years if wrapped and stored properly. My mother used to make amazing wedding cakes and the top tier was always intended as a christening cake.
My recipe for Christmas pudding makes two, one for that year and one for the next, safely wrapped and kept at the back of the old drinks fridge in the garage.
I have a plastic box at the back of the fridge, found out today it contains mincemeat from last year, smells amazing.

Butterflycookie · 05/10/2018 22:10

Just taste it and you will seeBlush

EdisonLightBulb · 05/10/2018 22:13

I buy a Christmas pudding every year for the following Christmas, usually in the sales. I rarely eat them, but last Easter I ate a 3 year old pudding. It was delicious 🤷‍♀️ Last week I ate a mini pudding from last Christmas, it was probably made in summer 2017.

He'll be fine 😀

marmaladecats · 05/10/2018 22:17

Sorry...but I can't get past your restraint in 'realising you were getting fat' and ONLY HAVING ONE PIECE.

yorkshireyummymummy · 05/10/2018 22:20

It’s ridiculous to say to freeze it. That would bugger it up completely.

As you have it well wrapped and in a tin it will be fine.
Do people think that Christmas puddings which say ‘ matured for a year’ on them are kept in a giant freezer somewhere??

The cake will be delicious.
I used top tier of wedding cake three years later.
Kate and William used their kept tiers for their children’s christenings - if it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for me -and your FIL!

Funnily enough my mum was telling me today how she and DDAD bought five Christmas cakes from Aldi after Christmas at £2 each ( reduced , obs) . They put each of them in a biscuit tin at the bottom of the pantry. They have just come back from a holiday and they took one with them - said it was gorgeous. I think if eating old Christmas cake was going to kill us then some families would be decimated each year!

Nursekins · 05/10/2018 22:27

Strange this has come up this week. We realised we have half of last year’s Christmas cake left this week as it was hidden on top of a kitchen cupboard. Me and DH have been eating it and we’re fine. Maybe give FIL the full picture though so he can decide for himself.

MumW · 05/10/2018 22:31

So long as it is a proper traditional rich fruit cake it'll be fine but start feeding now. 😉

I made cakes for Xmas, feed them etc and never got around to icing them. Feed them the following Xmas and didn't get around to icing them.
Feed them again the next year, managed to ice them and they were the best cakes ever.

Rudgie47 · 05/10/2018 22:34

I'd tell him nothing. knowledge is dangerous!.

I'd cut a sliver off the bottom and try it to make sure its o.k. If you don't end up in A and E, then I'd give it to him for xmas and say its fresh this year.

RiverTam · 05/10/2018 22:34

How are you all making your Christmas cakes?? I’ve had year-old Christmas cake, delicious!

cookingteaforsix · 05/10/2018 22:39

It will be fine. The risk is it might be a little dry.

You might want to re-ice it using a generous layer of moist marzipan, you could always inject more alcohol to ensure it isn't dry.

It's most likely unchanged from last year.

My dad prizes his 'lay away' Christmas puddings. They are truly spectacular. We ate a four year old one last Christmas. The get better and better with age.

Magicstar1 · 05/10/2018 22:48

We always have a Christmas pudding that’s a year or two old...they’re so much nicer. I have two in the cupboard that my Mam made last November just waiting for Christmas Grin

Fillybuster · 05/10/2018 22:55

Gosh, you’re worried about one year? My DPs used to pull the remainder of their wedding cake out of a cupboard in the garage on special anniversaries and give everyone a slice. I was born 3.5 years after they got married and can remember eating some on their 10 & 15th anniversaries, along with my DGPs and younger sibling.

As far as I can tell, fruitcake is pretty much bomb-proof...

MsVestibule · 05/10/2018 22:58

I always think the 'health and safety' type websites err ridiculously on the side of caution.

emilyrosiel I know cooked eggs and meat will go off, but as the eggs in the cake have been cooked with sugar and normally plenty of alcohol, they should preserve them?

I'm no food expert but with Christmas cakes, I'm happy to go from my previous experience and with other food, check the smell and texture if I'm at all unsure. WRT expiry dates, I definitely ignore most of those and I've never had food poisoning from food consumed at home. Maybe I just have an exceptionally strong stomach Grin.

SpoonBlender · 05/10/2018 23:08

Should be fine, unless it's gone mouldy - do check!

And thank you for reminding me that I need to get our fruit in to soak. In booze, obviously.

yorkshireyummymummy · 05/10/2018 23:11

Just been flicking through my M&S Christmas food brochure ( for about the 20th time today , not that that’s relevant!)

They have a matured for a year Christmas pudding and a matured for 6 months Christmas cake.

Your cake will be better than fine. It will be bloody delicious.
In fact, it’s made me decide to make a cake in November for Xmas 2019. I might make two.........

Who wants to come to my house next year for Christmas cake, cups of tea and a lovely piece of Wensleydale cheese with the cake.........YUM!

Original poster
Dontfeellikeamillenial · 05/10/2018 23:35

God now I'm torn. I'm sure he'd be fine but what if he's not?

I might have to eat the damn thing instead.

OP posts:
Original poster
Dontfeellikeamillenial · 05/10/2018 23:38

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2607642/make-and-mature-christmas-cake

Here's the recipe. I used raisins currants, cherries, figs and cranberries for the fruit.

Fuck it's good. Worth getting fat for.

FIL ate it in a week but BIL helped him: he's a total renegade and eats it sliced and smothered in butter.

OP posts:
yorkshireyummymummy · 06/10/2018 00:11

Honestly.....it will be fine.
If you are too nervous, bake him a new one and you eat it.
I’m going to try your receipe and keep it for next year.
It’s even called a make and mature cake!!!

Pinkprincess1978 · 06/10/2018 00:24

I make three cakes every two years. One goes to in laws and two we keep. One for this year and one is kept for the next year. The second year always tastes so much better. I do put a fair amount of booze in them though.