My son's 7th bday is Sunday. I'm having lots of family over & I'm making 2 shaped cakes. Please help me with a timeline. Of course I have lots of food to cook for dinner also. So as much as I can do ahead of time is great.
How soon ahead can I make the cakes?
What do I do with them after I make them?
How soon can I make & color icing?
How soon is too soon to decorate them?
Do you store the cake in refrigerator after you make it?
Thanks for everyone's help!!
How soon ahead can I make the cakes?
You can make the cakes right now and freeze them- make sure that they are fully cooled and well wrapped. I first wrap mine in saran wrap and then in freezer paper.
How soon can I make & color icing?
You can make the icing the day before decorating or the same day as you decorate.
How soon is too soon to decorate them?
You could decorate the cakes up to 2 days in advance if you would like.
Do you store the cake in refrigerator after you make it?
Are you talking about a fully decorated cake? If so, yes you can if you want, but otherwise you can leave the cake sitting out on the counter. Make sure that either way you have the cake(s) covered.
Of course this will also depend on what type of icing you use. If it's dream whip icing- you might want to put it in the fridge. But a buttercream or fondant cover cake will be fine left on the counter.
Hope this helps!
My son's 7th bday is Sunday. I'm having lots of family over & I'm making 2 shaped cakes. Please help me with a timeline. Of course I have lots of food to cook for dinner also. So as much as I can do ahead of time is great.
How soon ahead can I make the cakes?
What do I do with them after I make them?
How soon can I make & color icing?
How soon is too soon to decorate them?
Do you store the cake in refrigerator after you make it?
Thanks for everyone's help!!
Fire up the oven!
The sooner you color your icing the better, especially is you want more virbrant colors.
You can most definitely start baking today, once the cakes are cooled you can start decorating tonight, if the party is THIS coming Sunday! Once decorated store at room temp (if using a stable icing!) and put in a bakery box or some type of cake carrier! Now...go get started!! 
My son's 2nd birthday is on Saturday so I'm in the same position as you! I got all my advice from the forums too. People told me to bake them ASAP and then freeze. I will be taking mine out to defrost tonight and then decorating tomorrow. I'm just leaving mine out once decorated in a cake box. Everyone here said that it would be fine since I'm using a buttercream icing. I hope everything goes well for you and I would love to see your cakes posted here when you finish! Have fun!
Alisa
after you bake them & cool them & then wrap in saran wrap, does the saran wrap not stick to the cake when you take it off??
any tips for covering? I don't have cakes boxes. these are kinda big so it won't fit in the round cake carrier i have. i'm making r2d2 & boba fett.
also, if frozen, do you take them straight out of the freezer & decorate?
[quote
(if using a stable icing!) [/quote]
I've only made 2 character cakes (my ONLY decorating experience) and I've use the recipe on the pan instructions.
Is that what you would recommend?
Hi Alisa,
I've made a Dora cake & a Scooby cake & they both turned out really well. They are so much fun to make & the kids really love them. I get a little stressed out thinking about making them. If I didn't have dinner to prepare also it wouldn't be so bad. I don't have any type of cake box to store them in so I'm not sure what to do there. I think I may have put toothpicks in Scooby & put saran wrap on him. I'm surprising him, so it will also be hard to hide two fairly big cakes.
after you bake them & cool them & then wrap in saran wrap, does the saran wrap not stick to the cake when you take it off??
any tips for covering? I don't have cakes boxes. these are kinda big so it won't fit in the round cake carrier i have. i'm making r2d2 & boba fett.
Nope.
[quote
(if using a stable icing!)
I've only made 2 character cakes (my ONLY decorating experience) and I've use the recipe on the pan instructions.
Is that what you would recommend?[/quote]
That would work fine for your needs. Also if you go into the Recipes area on this site and then go under frostings, you will find all kinds of recipes for frostings.
also, if frozen, do you take them straight out of the freezer & decorate?
No defrost them first. Place them on the counter, leaving them wrapped and they should defrost in about an hour. Which is the right amount of time to get your icing into bags and get your cake board ready.
Boy mOuse you are on top of things today.. 
ok hmmmm Here is my problem. I am making a tiered cake for my nieces Sweet Sixteen on April 22. If you look in my photos their is a practice pic I did for the LC cake contest. That is exactly what I am making only changing the design a bit. I am doing a castle top with the a walk way coming down the front. When do I start mine? I will have only from 9-12 the day of to set up or to decorate at the hall. so here I go again.. when do I start baking...should I decorate this a day ahead? which buttercream recipe do you recommend that does NOT crust.. and of course do I shoot myself right at the moment my nerves are stretch to their limits or after? 
LMAO..Just kidding..I love life!!
Boy mOuse you are on top of things today..
ok hmmmm Here is my problem. I am making a tiered cake for my nieces Sweet Sixteen on April 22. If you look in my photos their is a practice pic I did for the LC cake contest. That is exactly what I am making only changing the design a bit. I am doing a castle top with the a walk way coming down the front. When do I start mine? I will have only from 9-12 the day of to set up or to decorate at the hall. so here I go again.. when do I start baking...should I decorate this a day ahead? which buttercream recipe do you recommend that does NOT crust.. and of course do I shoot myself right at the moment my nerves are stretch to their limits or after? LMAO..Just kidding..I love life!!
I would bake your cakes at least the Sunday before the event and then freeze them. Then at least get all the tiers assembled individually the day before, filling, icing etc. That way that morning when you can get into the place where the event will take place, all you will have to do and stack all your tiers together, touch up anything and then add your decorations.
Hey Midwestmom, I am sure your cakes will turn out great, would love to see an actual Boba Fett cake done, not just the pan....will you post?
When I do any cake that is left over night or even when they come to pick it up, I cover it with saran wrap also...toothpicks too, I try to find a place where it can go and not be noticed...or you can do what I have done also and that is take a pan bigger then the cake everywhere and place it over the cake....but since that is almost impossible to do saran will work...oh wait I have also used foil...I would set it up and puff it so it doesnt touch the cake then place saran wrap over that......
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