How long will a sponge cake covered in Sugarpaste last?

[McKayz]

I'm making a birthday cake for DH. I need it for next Friday and I was wondering when is the earliest I can make and decorate it?

I am hoping to bake next Tuesday and decorate on the Wednesday. Would that be ok?

That would be fine as long as its completely covered in sugar paste. I would usually say around 5 days tops uncut but once its cut use it within a day or so and never refrigerate cake. Put it in a cake box in a cool dry place.

The general rule is one week to make, one week to eat but that would depend on the type of sponge ie it should be a maderia or a rich chocolate cake so it cant be an over moist cake.

It'll be a Madeira cake. Thank you.

McKayz, i made a cake on the wed, and they didnt eat it till the following mon, it was a maderia cake tho, as thet're are the best ones to cover in sugarpaste, they have a long shelf life.

Quick hijack as its only on reading this thread that I've realised I should be making a madeira cake to cover in sugarpaste rather than my usual victoria sponge. Any failsafe madeira cake recipes?

Plan is to bake cake on Monday night, do 2 x buttercream layers on Tuesday, sugarpaste, decorate & eat on Wednesday & then send the rest into nursery with DD on Friday. Will that work for a madeira cake or not?

Yes Murtette, i always use madeira cake for decorating and it has a long life, what size tin are you using, and round or square? i'll give you a fab recipe if you want it, this is the one i use for all my cakes and i always have brill comments about it.

You don't need to use madeira cake. I only ever use an ordinary victoria sponge, it lasts at least a week and all of my clients say how nice it is.

Personally, I find madeira too dry, victorias are much lighter and more moist. I know the general idea is that madeira is easier to carve but if you freeze the cake before you carve then it makes no difference.

Lady, sorry to disagree with you, not one person i make cakes for and i've made afew has ever said my madeira cake is dry, if anything quite the opposite, i use the same recipe for all of them so i know exactly how they turn out, each to their own i guess.

Maybe I've just used duff recipes then, nannycook.

I've been making cakes for paying clients for the last five years and have never had a complaint about my victoria sponge though, so I'm a bit reluctant to change now!

I love the Maisie Fantasie recipe for my cakes. 1 egg per inch (so 10 eggs for a 10 inch square) 50g of other ingredients per egg. Beat together til smooth, and bake in 2 tins. It stands to the 1 week to make, 1 week to eat and then some - I've had a slice 2 weeks after the event and it was still soft

To keep it fresh once sliced, use toothpicks to pin a slice of bread to the cut edge. Then the bread goes stale, not the cake!

Sorry for butting in but nannycook could you give me the recipe for 7" round tin?

Differing opinions isn't helping my dilemma! Nanny - I haven't bought the tin yet so don't know what size it will be other than large & rectangular (have to put Peppa Pig on it). Given its size and that its mainly going to be eaten by 3yr olds, I was thinking of doing a traybake. Can you give me a 1lb or 2lb loaf tin recipe & I'll scale as necessary from that.

Thanks!

Lady, probaly takes a few go's before you find the one thats for you. i do use victoria sponge mix for quite a few of my cakes, one i made last sun with lemon buttercream and lemon curd in the middle, very nice it was too, so light.

cuteable, my recipe for a 7inch round is,
200grms butter
200grms caster sugar
4 eggs
150grms plain flour
50grms s/r flour
3tsp milk
160 ordinary oven/140 fan assisted or 3 gas
Beat butter and sugar for at least 5mins, till white in colour, beat in eggs with spoon of flour 1 at time, fold in flour and gently stir in the milk, cook for 1 hr ish. hope this is helpfull.

Murtette, my book doesn't give me that size tin, but depending on how large your tin, maybe you could 1 and half times the amout i gave cuteable, or see if someone else comes up with better quantities for you.

I use the Lindy smith madeira recipe - very nice and moist