Customs

You should never rely on this site for absolutely confirmation since we are only posting from experience. But our experience is that you would have no problems with customs since customs is at most a walk by with a wave.

Per previous poster, this site has opinions and experience, not facts. I do not believe there are any restrictions on bringing baked goods into the E.U. Now is an Australian fruitcake the same as an American fruitcake. An American fruitcake is an amorphous brick on candy and dried fruit you receive as a gift one Christmas, and you regift to someone else the following Christmas.

As I posted before, we posted from experience. It obvious that Sam has a negative view of fruit cakes. My grandmother's fruit cakes were to die for and I can see why you would be taking one to a wedding. (She was German)

Would someone really want a fruitcake as a wedding cake anyway? I've never heard of that, but maybe I'm just not getting out as much as I should.

Michael, wedding cakes are almost always fruit cakes in Canada and the UK. One of the tiers used to be saved for the christening of the first baby!

Okay, but we're not talking about the traditional fruit cake, like we see around Christmas time are we? That would seem odd. I've seen wedding cakes with fresh fruit. Is it just a fruitcake batter that actually looks more like a tiered wedding cake with icing when it's all decorated and ready, or is it really like the ones during the holidays? Sorry...this is new info for me.

Michael, I'm so glad someone is picking on you and not me. I've learned so much over the past years by reading these posts. Cultural differences......to be respected, and learn. There are certain patterns I've picked up, especially the differences between gender advise, much more then Venus vs. Mars. But......I feel the same way you do about fruit cakes .......regift them!!

My wife's fruit cake recipe is a wedding cake recipe from Canada that has been in the family for a lot of years. People consider themselves lucky to get a piece. Of fruit cake. Those who bad mouth fruit cake have limited fruit cake experience. The recipe is available.

First I like to make the general remark that "things that are legal" and "things you can do with a very low probability of being caught" are two different things. Marilyn, I'm by no means an expert, but I once looked up what foodstuffs you can bring into Germany without too much of a hassle. All the usual disclaimers about legal opinions on the internet apply. For food you bring for private consumption the following ingredients could be problematic: animal products, wild mushrooms, caviar, and potatoes. Of all these things a fruit cake should only contain eggs and milk, right?
If so your cake should be fine, because there is an exemption for milk and eggs (if under 50% of the total by weight) in bakery products.

I think fruit cake was the traditional wedding cake for the practical reason that it can be prepared in advance and keeps well. I bake them every year, then wrap them in rum-soaked cheescloth and let them age for about 6 weeks. It's an adult-only treat and much looked forward to. Never any left over.

Chani --- Are you a transplanted German by any chance?

My father's family roots are in Germany (mother's in Russia) but I started baking fruit cakes here as one of the traditional American desserts that aren't made here - along with fruit pies, graham crackers and fruit sherbets.

In the world of cakes, the only thing worse than fruit cakes, (by US standards) is Chinese Moon cakes. (IMO)

Marilyn, to drag this thread kicking and screaming back to the question posed... Congratulations on being asked to take the Cake. I bet it will be a beautiful cake, treasured by the couple (congratulations to them) and a great honour for you to have been asked. You are brave to take such a thing on, especially when you have to transport it half way around the world after the decoration is done. For such a valuable item, that I'm sure you will pack very carefully for its ordeal by air, can I suggest that you approach both the nearest German Consulate and ask the specific question; and check with the airline that they wouldn't have any issue about the shipping material you will use. You wouldn't want to just walk through Customs in the hope you wouldn't be noticed and get a rise from one of the Customs dogs. It would be a crying shame and well worth avoiding. Go for the info from the Horse's mouth - if you take my advice.

Marilyn, Is there no way to bake your cake and decorate in Germany? I know the idea of baking it at home using all the right ingredients, decorating it just right for your dear friend and then carefully loading it onto your flight sounds simple enough,call me paranoid but....................what if you can't take it Carry-On?, what if it goes to Hawaii instead of Frankfurt?, what if it gets thrown around like the rest of our baggage? (and that's assuming that customs doesn't decide to "inspect it for contraband")
Wouldn't it be lovely to bake it in Germany With your friend? What lovely pre-wedding pictures and memories :-)