Cake insulator for making fruitcakes

[Toadinthehole]

A bit of an odd request.

Could someone give me instructions on how to make one?

Basically, I used to have an insulating device made from folded up newspaper with silver foil on the outside. When I made a fruitcake or other rich cake (e.g. madeira) I wrapped this round the outside with some baking paper on top of the tin. The result was that my cakes were always nice and moist.

The problem is that it's now vanished, and as I made it some years ago I can't remember how to do it any more! There was a knack to the method of getting the silver foil to stay put.

I've just made a fruitcake without it and it looks like a lump of coal.

Does anyone know how to do it, or know whether I could buy something like it?

I believe you can buy them - possibly from Lakeland. They're marketed as being useful for achieving cakes that are 'level' and 'even'.
I haven't made a fruit cake in years. Last time I made a madeira I had the oven on a lower temperature than the recipe stated, and cooked the cake a little longer. If I have cakes that are starting to brown more than I'd like, I just bung a lump of foil over the top.

Watching with interest, I make a messy parcel with baking paper and string but I'd happily buy a proper one.

I use brown paper round the outside of the tin- stapled together is easier than string

then double baking parchment on top of cake with a 50p sized hole in middle

Delia told me to

We use these successfully. I am not sure if you can get them cheaper elsewhere.

My mother has a small roll of corrugated cardboard that she uses. Just ties it on with some string.

My late mother just used cereal packets and string.

I use a folded tea towel tied with string. Off to look at the link.

Interesting. I also make messy parcels but with newspaper (because I'm too tight to buy brown paper) but something reusable could be good.

I wonder if I could make something that can be resized for different tins as I make a variety of sizes of Christmas cake.

I use folded newspaper and string.

It's just there for insulation.

I don't think I would pay £17 tight. Sometimes I use a wrung out wet tea towel depending on what it is and how long it is in there for. Seems to work well enough. I think I must have got the idea from my Mum although I don't remember it tbh.

I just use folded up newspaper and string.

we used to sit the christmas cake on a damp Radio Times....that smell of hot burny but damp paper whips me right back to my childhood.

I'm not convinced that we paid £17 for those. But you could definitely make them yourself. They are effective a strip of quilted material with a loop that you thread the other end through and tighten up to the size of your tin. You then soak it in water before using it.

Corrugated paper - perhaps double thickness tied around with string? DM always used this for the Christmas cake.

I was just ordering a mincer for my kenwood and look what popped up on the 'people who bought this usually buy this' thing

a Cake Belt whoever knew such a thing existed ... cake belt !