This morning I heard of yet another baker whose client complained that the wedding cake (sponge cake) which the baker had made for her, was stale ... 24 days after it was baked! * Yes ... twenty four days! * The wedding was 23 days ago. They were surprised that it was stale because it had been kept in the fridge since the wedding.
So why do complaints like these trigger an immediate *facepalm* reaction from a baker? For me, it's because I assume that it's common knowledge that cake / bread / a doughnut etc. will be stale after a few days (nevermind a few weeks).
Many people will say, "Yes, but wedding cakes last for months. My parents / grandparents ate the top tier of their wedding cake on their first wedding anniversary! So why was MY wedding cake stale after a mere 3 weeks?" I would answer that question with more questions. "What type of cake was it? Was it kept in the freezer for a year?" The answers would probably be, "Fruit cake. Yes."
The thing is, with our parents / grandparents, fruit cake was considered a traditional wedding cake. So, if somebody said "wedding cake", it was safe to assume that they were referring to "fruit cake". The copious amounts of alcohol poured over the baked cake was the preservative. And that is why it had a long shelf life.
Today, many brides are opting for sponge cakes (which are not preserved with alcohol). Therefore, we can no longer assume that "wedding cake" and "fruit cake" are one in the same. Which also means that we can no longer assume that a "wedding" cake has a long shelf life.
Any cake that isn't preserved with alcohol is meant to be consumed on the day of an event. Generally, the cake will still be 'fresh' for 2 or 3 days after that (if stored correctly). If one intends to consume the cake at a later stage, the cake needs to be properly wrapped and frozen. Keeping it in the fridge will not significantly extend the shelf life - much like keeping a loaf of bread in the fridge will not significantly extend the shelf life.
So why do complaints like these trigger an immediate *facepalm* reaction from a baker? For me, it's because I assume that it's common knowledge that cake / bread / a doughnut etc. will be stale after a few days (nevermind a few weeks).
Many people will say, "Yes, but wedding cakes last for months. My parents / grandparents ate the top tier of their wedding cake on their first wedding anniversary! So why was MY wedding cake stale after a mere 3 weeks?" I would answer that question with more questions. "What type of cake was it? Was it kept in the freezer for a year?" The answers would probably be, "Fruit cake. Yes."
The thing is, with our parents / grandparents, fruit cake was considered a traditional wedding cake. So, if somebody said "wedding cake", it was safe to assume that they were referring to "fruit cake". The copious amounts of alcohol poured over the baked cake was the preservative. And that is why it had a long shelf life.
Today, many brides are opting for sponge cakes (which are not preserved with alcohol). Therefore, we can no longer assume that "wedding cake" and "fruit cake" are one in the same. Which also means that we can no longer assume that a "wedding" cake has a long shelf life.
Any cake that isn't preserved with alcohol is meant to be consumed on the day of an event. Generally, the cake will still be 'fresh' for 2 or 3 days after that (if stored correctly). If one intends to consume the cake at a later stage, the cake needs to be properly wrapped and frozen. Keeping it in the fridge will not significantly extend the shelf life - much like keeping a loaf of bread in the fridge will not significantly extend the shelf life.