to leave something cooking in the oven while I do the school run?

[melpomene]

Would it be safe to leave a fruit cake cooking in the oven while I do the school run (It takes 1 1/2 hours to cook). Or is it too dangerous to leave the oven on if nobody is home. The cake is for my Dad's birthday tomorrow and if I don't make it now I'll have to do it late tonight.

As long as you are back in time. I have left things cooking before but I haven't gone out for long.

i use our oven's time to cook things while we are out... i think the risk is very low.

don't be daft - it's fine I leave the oven and fire on when I pop for the school run (fire is not open)

What temperature is the oven? IIRC fruitcakes are a slow, gentle cook - not unlike a slowcooker I guess so think of it that way

I do it ocassionally, although I do worry about the car breaking down etc and being late back. Realistically, it should be absolutley fine.

temperature is GM3, I think.

oh that is fine then - I rekon my crockpot gets that hot so it can't be much riskier

I would, but I'd put a timer on the oven just in case I didn't get back in time.

Actually, I wouldn't do that at all.

I'd buy the cake

Yes, go for it.

I always set the timer to switch off just before it's due to be cooked, though that may be hours after I expect to be back. Even though you'll only be out for 15 minutes, what if you got held up somewhere.

I do this all the time with stews

It's a gas oven so it doesn't have a timer. School is only 10-15 minutes' walk away though, and I'll put the cake in the oven shortly before going out. Thanks guys.

I have gone out leaving jacket potatoes cooking in the oven. I turn it down when I go and back up when I get back. Still relieved that the house doesn't burn down and my logic is the oven doesn't know you have gone out so isn't thinking lets go wrong right now.

I sometimes leave things on the hob
but my school run is ludircously short

LOL

what a domestic goddess of a post

I've left a fruitcake in the oven for over an hour after it should have been taken out and it wasn't even dry.

Cake will be fine- bet it will be good!
choccypig- you have the best name on MN

I do this a lot (with the oven that is, not fruit cakes!). My logic is that even if I was held up for hours and hours, worst that will happen is that the contents of the oven will become dried out or maybe burned, but it's really unlikely to go on fire.....

DH is paranoid though and hates me doing it.

Who, allgonebellyup?

I left it. It was fine.

LOL at NAB's quote re oven not knowing you've gone out.

I couldn't do this

my oven decides to switch itself off. All the ruddy time. And it is so small I can't fit my new pizza stone that i got for christmas in it

I often leave meat in the oven.

pizza stones. more trouble than they are worth.

how was the cake mel?

what is a pizza stone?