How Much Planning Time And Preparation Do Y'all Do?
Decorating By Lazy_Susan Updated 6 Mar 2013 , 8:52pm by cupcake1012
I've been thinking. I want my cakes to look more professional. I think I don't put enough time of planning into them. How much time for planning and preparation do y'all spend. My cakes are usually a spur of the moment thing. A little of this and a little of that is what I usually do. How do y'all plan it out?
Lazy_Susan
Great Question...... Can't wait to see the replies. I feel that I am too doing things more of spur of the moment.......almost like I work better under pressure. It is so hard for me to commit to an idea so far in advance.
The one thing I started doing was making my icing in advance.....days in advance. It is such a relief knowing that all that icing is already made. I also have a book now dedicated to cake orders with sketches so I can keep them all together. It seems that everyone says....... do whatever youw want. I wish they would give me more details.......would make it easier on me.
bj
I've been thinking. I want my cakes to look more professional. I think I don't put enough time of planning into them. How much time for planning and preparation do y'all spend. My cakes are usually a spur of the moment thing. A little of this and a little of that is what I usually do. How do y'all plan it out?
Lazy_Susan
Susan
It really depends on the cake you're making. The cake i just finished, really required lots of planning and pre-baking (but i still found i hadnt done enough planning and i stressed a LOT), but there are some that you can just throw together. It all depends on how much stuff you can do previously and if you can bake and freeze, etc.
Nati
I keep a journal that I draw cake ideas in. I always draw it out before I make my cake. I also have a system of baking on Mondays ( freeze) mix frostings on Wed. and decorate Thurs, Friday. This keeps me organized and my kitchen is not a total tornado. I know some people are totally against freezing, but 4 days is not going to hurt it. Some people even say it is more moist that way.
I keep a journal that I draw cake ideas in. I always draw it out before I make my cake. I also have a system of baking on Mondays ( freeze) mix frostings on Wed. and decorate Thurs, Friday. This keeps me organized and my kitchen is not a total tornado. I know some people are totally against freezing, but 4 days is not going to hurt it. Some people even say it is more moist that way.
.
Lisa
I sometimes freeze my cakes for up to 5 weeks!! Some people are against freezing, some are against box cakes, some are against scratch cakes, some are against fondant, some are against buttercream, some are against doctored mixes, some are against chocolate work (me, hate it ; ). You can't keep everyone happy. Just do what works for you, and not worry about the rest : )
Im a scratch baker that freezes, it works for me, and my customers adore my cakes. : )
Happy baking
Nati
I always start sketching first in a blank page journal I have. If it is just buttercream, I make the icing 3 days ahead, the cake 2 days ahead, and decorate 1 day ahead, leaving me time in case of disaster. If it is fondant, I'll start making the flowers or decorations as soon as possible so they have time to dry. I will not take a fondant order without a weeks notice because the time involved. I've made the decorations up to a month in advance. This also gives me lots of time to play! Same schedule for baking and decorating otherwise as buttercream.
I always freeze my cakes too. One time and one time only did I ice a cake that wasn't frozen. Never again! I had crumbs in my icing. I never get crumbs in my icing when I ice them frozen and they are always so moist and tasty! 
I like the idea about a journal. I'll have to try that.
I know 
, but I was just waiting for someone to bash me for freezing my cakes 
You gotta do what works for you! Amen!
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