MiL a-salted a birthday cake

[CurtainWitcher]

DD's birthday get-together for a few family members in the garden.

I made a lovely (if I do say so myself) big, decorated Victoria sponge, which is DD's favourite.

DH handed a slice to MiL, who immediately asked for salt. She then shook salt ALL over it, before eating it.

It's not the first time she's salted sweet food. She says it's the only way she can "bear it".

Aibu to suggest she doesn't ask for cake, if she's going to cover it in salt?

It’s her slice of cake. Let her eat it how she wants. As long as she’s not shaking salt all over the whole thing... who cares?

@Miranda15110

🤣 Christ almighty some people are bay shit crazy. Why eat it if you have to destroy it first?

Because to her she isn't destroying it

Fgs

People have different tastes

@Sparrow234

It’s her slice of cake. Let her eat it how she wants. As long as she’s not shaking salt all over the whole thing... who cares?

Exactly. She can cover it on tomato sauce and gravy if she wants. Not like it affects anyone else.

Or do you feel it’s a slight on your baking skills?

Weirdo. (Her, not you). Why not just say no thanks, I don't eat sweet things, instead of salt is the only way she can "bear it".

Each to their own but it kind of implies I have no taste for this awful sweet food you glutton eat. I find it a bit of a stretch to belive that if you hated sweet food so much and weren't hell bent on making a show you wouldn't just refuse or salt it discretely.. She wants you to know about it.

Can dh spread any light on this being a thing?

I really don't like sweet things either. Hate Chocolate and cake. The only time I can eat is if it has a savoury element. Such as chilli chocolate or salted chocolate.
Can't say I've ever thought to salt my cake but not sure why it's bothering you so much?

Oh come off it. It's fucking weird.

And so is her passive aggressive explanation.

Let me guess...you’re not your MIL’s biggest fan right? If it was someone you liked with this odd but harmless quirk, you’re probably just laugh it off.

As for her being rude asking for the cake in the first place, many people consider it rude to refuse food when offered actually. Again, odd but just proves we’re all different.

Let the woman have her salty cake if she wants it.

@MarkRuffaloCrumble

I’m with her.

I bought some Viennese whirls from Waitrose a couple of weeks ago. They were so sickly sweet I nearly threw them away, but then I decided to sprinkle with salt and they were transformed.

I’m the same with any buttercream - if you use unsalted butter to make it, it’s gross. Always used salted or add some salt. I had a friend who made the worst cakes ever, really dry and no salt in her icing. People always asked how mine were so nice. It’s the salt, sorry!

Thank you! I’ve never understood why MIL’s buttercream in vanilla cakes (she’s an excellent cook) we’re so sweet they made me want to rip my head off! She uses unsalted butter!

Salted caramel is a thing, it's not much different

@PrincessBuggerPants

Oh come off it. It's fucking weird.

And so is her passive aggressive explanation.

Yep

The whole performance is passive aggressive

@CurtainWitcher

I have no interest I her taste preferences.

I do think the way in which she frantically applies salt to food is rude. It's very impolite to season food before you've tasted it, imo.

I wouldn't give a fuck about that.

She's presumably eaten food you've cooked before, so she knows it's not enough. In any case, wouldn't it feel a little bit ruder if somebody tasted your food and then obviously thought 'this tastes like shit', as they are then adding some seasoning to it?

Most shop bought cakes and sweet things (including Trifle mixes) have salt added to them precisely because it makes them more palatable - not everybody likes things made with unsalted butter (and many US recipes state that you add salt to sweet dishes/baking (as most of their butter is unsalted). It's a known way of improving the flavour profile of many dishes - and bitter coffee.

In addition, conditions such as Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome mean that it's advisable to increase your salt intake - many people find that they are already doing this instinctively when diagnosed.

The liking sugar in tea isn't something I personally like (or tons of milk/stewing the fuck out of it/waving the teabag at the cup from the other side of the kitchen), but the bitterness of tannins might be something she balances by adding it.

Just because you wouldn't like it like that doesn't mean it's ruined for her. It just means that, with the addition of some salt, the stuff you've made that would taste like crap to her without it tastes nicer - and I'm sure you'd also be offended if she refused to eat anything sweet that you made, knowing that she'll quite happily eat other people's sweet cooking.

And as for you thinking she should at least taste it before salting it, it’s a pretty safe bet that cake will be sweet isn’t it so she’s no need to taste it first.

@Ticklemelmo

A bit wierd but it makes me want to try it. I do like a salty sweet mix. Such as sweet n salty popcorn, salted caramel, McDonald's fries dipped into strawberry milkshake, the contrast works really well. Not sure about the trifle though.

Try ice-cream and soy sauce. Its a new favourite here!

As for her being rude asking for the cake in the first place, many people consider it rude to refuse food when offered actually. Again, odd but just proves we’re all different.

That’s what I was taught. Eat everything that is offered even if you don’t like it (allergies being the exception) and don’t say anything negative.

@phoenix and were you also taught to then comment loudly about being unable to 'bear' to eat it in the forms it was given to you in?

do you think she liked it salty? if so, I don't see the issue (though I agree, it's a bit odd and hugely unhealthy).

Does she salt everything sweet OP or just anything you make?

@PrincessBuggerPants

Nope, was told to grin and bear it!

Also, to all the people pointing out salt does improve cake/sweet recipes. Yes it can do. But that is when you use salted butter/a pinch of salt during the process to enhance the overall flavour. Chucking ground salt on a slab of birthday cake would very obviously have a very different effect!

What an odd thing to create a thread about.
Who cares?! She’s not forcing you to eat it is she?

I cannot imagine getting worked up about something so utterly insignificant

@minnieok

Salted caramel is a thing, it's not much different

Exactly.

But don't let logic get in the way of a good MIL-bashing thread

Chucking ground salt on a slab of birthday cake would very obviously have a very different effect

How do we know she did this though? OP could easily be over exaggerating because she doesn’t agree/like the way MIL salts things.

I’ve never done that but I might try it now - in the privacy of my own home of course.
A Jamaican friend of mine salts her apples. I watched in horror for years and eventually tried it and it was delicious. Which is obvious really as cheese is salty and goes very well with apples.

Lots of sweet things are improved by salt. As someone up thread said salted caramel is very popular. If I make scones or shortbread I add salt. I recently made a chocolate/nut fudge and scattered flaky sea salt On the top and it was spectacular.

My MIL is a fussy eater, she had sausages once in my house and ate them by dipping each piece in a little pile is salt she put on her plate like a normal person would put sauce on. I like salt myself and would already class these sausages as salty.