How long does fruitcake keep?

[employmentlawquery]

I have an iced celebration fruitcake that was "spare" and didn't get cut at DS's christening. How long do they keep?

They keep for aaggggges! You know how you make ones about a year in advance for christmas etc.. I don't think they really go off because of the amount of sugar in them. Wrap it up in greaseproof and store in an airtight container, should be fine for chrimbo!

Last year my Step-mum got out the cake tin for the christmas cake she had just made.
The remains of the previous year's cake were still inside.
We all finished off the old one before starting on the new.
It was fine, no different from how it had been the year before!
Smash09 is right, the sugar (and also the alcohol) preserve them.

think it could be years. Do people now keep the top teir of the wedding cake for babies christening?

Probably need wrapping etc in a special way though.

Re the old tradition of keeping the top layer of wedding cake for the first christening:

My PIL did this in 1970 and stored it on a top shelf in their pantry. When they got it out in 1973 for SIL's christening they found an icing shroud with no fruitcake left underneath - the mice had had it.

hilarious. we just chucked ours in the back of the cupboard still in just the cardboard box and was dry and foul 18 months later when i came across it.

The cake would be ok for ages, but might need re-icing though.

I kept my top tier, it was mouldy and rock hard for DSa christening 3 yrs later.
Eat it!

We kept the top tier of our cake in a big tupperware container and it was fine 4 years later. It did have a lot of brandy in it though!

The top tier of our wedding cake (fruit cake, marzipan, royal icing) went into the freezer in a tupperware container. We used it for ds's christening 4 years later, and the cake was delicious. I think we re-iced it, but wouldn't swear to it. No-one complained.