How Early Can I Make A Cake- Number Of Days In Advance...

Decorating By buckleyje Updated 2 Dec 2006 , 12:33am by projectqueen

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buckleyje Posted 1 Dec 2006 , 4:14pm
post #1 of 15

My daughter's birthday party is Monday night....can I bake my cake today, decorate it tomorrow.....does it need to be kept in the fridge after that? I'm afraid it will absorb 'fridge smell' since it's nearly impossible to wrap a 3D cake and I don't have a cake box to store it in.

But generally speaking, how many days in advance do YOU bake and decorate your cake?

14 replies
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reenie Posted 1 Dec 2006 , 4:19pm
post #2 of 15

I usually bake 2 days before and freeze the cake (freezes in the moisture, it's so dry here). The day before I'll decorate it and stick it in the fridge if there's room, but if not, I leave it on top of the drier. Little fingers amost always end up on my cakes if I leave them anywhere else. icon_rolleyes.gif

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buckleyje Posted 1 Dec 2006 , 5:02pm
post #3 of 15

Do you crumb coat yours? Before you freeze or after?

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HeatherMari Posted 1 Dec 2006 , 5:13pm
post #4 of 15

I don't freeze my cakes because I seem to have problems with them when I do (probably just me....lol) but I generally bake on Wednesday or Thursday, wrap them in saran wrap while they cool, and then ice and decorate on Friday for cakes due Saturday. So I guess no more than 3 days ahead would I bake.
HTH,
Heather

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ShirleyW Posted 1 Dec 2006 , 5:22pm
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I bake on Wednesday, level and brush with simple syrup, wrap in saran on a cake board and freeze. Thaw, ice and decorate on Friday for a Saturday cake. Refrigerate overnight. I have had no problem with refrigerating buttercream or fondant covered cakes either, if they develop beads of moisture on top at room temperature they will disappear after the cake has been out for an hour or so. I just don't touch the cake if there are any beads until they dry.

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Laura102777 Posted 1 Dec 2006 , 5:23pm
post #6 of 15

One of my favorite things about this time of year is that my garage stays cold enough that I can keep covered cakes, icing, etc out there and they stay cold. Since I only have one regular refrigerator/freezer, this really helps! I don't know if it's an option where you are, though, or not.

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nglez09 Posted 1 Dec 2006 , 5:29pm
post #7 of 15

Do any of you find that your cake's freshness declines once you freeze them? The texture, the flavor, do they change?

If I just wrap the cake in seran wrap but leave it out, will it last?

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jstritt Posted 1 Dec 2006 , 5:33pm
post #8 of 15

Oh my gosh! I never though about the garage. That is a GREAT idea! Gotta remember to do that next time.

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kcreary Posted 1 Dec 2006 , 5:37pm
post #9 of 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by ShirleyW

I bake on Wednesday, level and brush with simple syrup, wrap in saran on a cake board and freeze. Thaw, ice and decorate on Friday for a Saturday cake. Refrigerate overnight. I have had no problem with refrigerating buttercream or fondant covered cakes either, if they develop beads of moisture on top at room temperature they will disappear after the cake has been out for an hour or so. I just don't touch the cake if there are any beads until they dry.




Brush with a syrup? How does that work...does it eliminate crumbs?

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melysa Posted 1 Dec 2006 , 5:39pm
post #10 of 15

shirleyw, do you use mmf?

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melysa Posted 1 Dec 2006 , 5:47pm
post #11 of 15

buckleyje....are you putting fillings in that require refrigeration? if not, you can leave it out for 2 days or so at room temp (buttercream and fondant) away from kids, pets etc. i buy cake boxes from michaels, hobby lobby or party city for a couple of dollars to keep dust out and keep it out of sight from my kids. when i cant find a cake box big enough, i buy a box from walmart in the packaging / mailing supplies for a couple bucks and it serves the same purpose. it also works great for taller and odd shaped cakes. i have heard that refrigerating cakes actually dries them out faster than room temp so if not necessary to refrigerate, find a clean box and leave it up out of sight. i bake between 2 or 3 days before i need it and decorate the day before. i wrap cooled unfrosted cakes tightly with two or three layers of plastic and leave them out. i had scraps left over recently that i forgot in my pantry and a week later my kids found it and said it still tasted great. not dry at all....i used the doctored cake mix for that one. (sour cream, pudding, four eggs, oil and no water.)

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Crimsicle Posted 1 Dec 2006 , 7:07pm
post #12 of 15

I never refrigerate my cakes because of problems with picking up odors and also the condensation issues. If I'm worried about it drying out, I go ahead and put a crumb coat on it. A cake sealed with buttercream will stay fresh for an amazing amount of time. If the cake doesn't have strong, highly contrasting colors on it, I sometimes go ahead and completely decorate it ahead of time. If the colors are such that they might bleed, I do the final decorating as late as possible. But, I've kept cake around a LONG time with no problem whatsoever.

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reenie Posted 1 Dec 2006 , 7:26pm
post #13 of 15

I usually don't even have to crumb coat them because I frost them while they are still frozen, again to seal in the moisture. icon_rolleyes.gif I know they say,"Oh you're never supposed to do that", but like I said before, it's just so dry here.
I've even baked and decorated cakes on the same day so I can keep the cake as moist as possible, but believe it or not, the cake still dried out! It was like eating peanut butter the stuff was so dry! Another plus of frosting it frozen is you don't have to worry about being too rough with it cause it's almost like working with a cake dummy.

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melysa Posted 1 Dec 2006 , 8:08pm
post #14 of 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crimsicle

I never refrigerate my cakes because of problems with picking up odors and also the condensation issues.





what do you do when the fillings require refrigeration? cream, fruit, ganache etc?

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projectqueen Posted 2 Dec 2006 , 12:33am
post #15 of 15

I refrigerate cakes and have not had problems with either odors or condensation.

I guess it depends on what is in your fridge at the time. I suppose if there was chopped garlic or cooked fish or something in there the odors might be a problem, but I don't cook much so it has never been an issue. icon_wink.gif

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