If I cook birthday cake Friday will it be OK Monday?

[Queenofcake]

My DD is at boarding school 3 hours away. Her birthday is a week on Monday.

I was hoping to make her a birthday cake for her birthday this year but am wondering if it will go stale due to the time restraints I have.

I would have to bake the cake and decorate it on the Friday because I am driving upto school on the Saturday morning to see a concert she is in. She is away on some tennis tournament all day on the Sunday (so taking it up then is not an option) and its her birthday on the monday. I would leave the cake with her house mistress, who will let DD have it Monday afternoon.

I am a complete amateur baker who actually has little success at baking but I like to try. I am thinking of making a normal birthday sponge and decorating it in a theme along the lines of something she is currently in to. This will probably involve butter icing, maybe some coloured regal ice and maybe some chocolate fingers.

Will it go "off" over the weekend? Is there a recipie that has better lasting qualities some one could share with me?

A neighbour suggested making it using a packetsponge cake mix as she reckons these remain fresher for longer - any truth in that???

fruit cake lasts better than sponge. Icing will keep any cake fresher for longer as it keeps the cake air tight. I'd be nervous about the keeping qualities of butter cream icing though, needs to be kept somewhere reasonably cool (not necessarily a fridge).

If you make a Madeira sponge it should be fine. Once covered in butter icing and then the regal ice it will keep in a container in a cool place but not refridgerated.

A sponge does have a shelf life of up to a week if covered with fondant icing so it's 'sealed' in. it will be past it's best by Monday though, IMO, but perfectly edible.

Does she like carrot cake? There's a lovely Mich Turner recipe and that lasts for two weeks.

I'd go for a dense madeira cake (not standard victoria type sponge) or a rich chocolate mud cake, look for a recipe that has lots of eggs or sour cream or yogurt - that will keep it very moist. Butter cream icing might go off maybe if left in warm temps??

Another vote for madeira - perhaps with a bit of orange or something in it. I find that they actually mature and taste better after a few days.

I guess it's possible that packet sponge will last longer because they tend to use oil rather than butter/marg.

Thank you! I am seriously debating whether to bother making one and may just buy a crappy supermarket one this time and make one for when she comes home the following weekend. That way it will be fresher!