Welcome to the Cake Decorators Q&A

Hi I have been asked to do a tractor cake for a wedding but instead of sponge they have asked for fruit. Are there any tips or anything I need to do different?

Hi emmabanks

Fruit cake can be used however it should be mature, at least three months old. Maturing allows the fruit to break down gradually making the cake moist and flavoursome. A young fruit cake will make lots of crumbs and can break into chunks rather than slices because the fruit is still whole and will leave gaps when the cake is cut.
Chopping fruit up can assist in quicker maturing as can freezing the cake for a few days prior to use. If you’re really pushed for time you could make a boil and bake which would also help break down the fruit, this is just one recipe http://cherryonacake.blogspot.co.uk/2009/06/boiled-fruit-cake.html but there are many to choose from on the internet. Another option is to buy a ready matured cake from cake decorating supply stores or online from specialist cake suppliers like this one http://www.cakebakers.co.uk/. You can see many others by googling ready made fruit cake suppliers. If you go for a bought cake it would be wise to inquire from the supplier how long they mature their cakes for. The tractor cake has quite a few elements so having a mature cake would cut down on crumbs and would be easier to shape. I hope this helps, if you need more information please post again.

Thanks very much for your quick response this has been really insightful thanks again

Oh and use a serrated knife in a gentle sawing action to get best results. Good luck with it.