At the end of the month I'm making 3 cakes for the same weekend, which is more than I have ever made at once. I took on The third one because it was pretty simple just a football shirt shape with a name and a number on. I also asked my friend if she minded me freezing the cake so I could fit it in so I could make it in advance to spread the work load. I'm planning on making filling carving and buttercreaming the cake, freezing it, and making the name and number in advance too, then just covering and sticking the bits on last minute. If I made them in advance how far could I do it and how should I store them?

You could do them even a week or better in advance, as long as you keep them covered (lay flat on suran wrap) and they should be fine. the may harden up some but still edible.

Personally for me anything that sticks on to the cake I like to do after I cover them in fondant. I would rather have it be fresh and avoid the possibility if the fondant cracking. I guess its just a matter of preference and what works best for you. Good Luck!

I do alot of my decorations a week in advance and keep them in an airtight container. If anything need to form the the shape of the cake I take the cake pan I'm going to use. Cover the side in a strip of wax paper lay the items on top of the curve of the pan and cover that in saran wrap. It works really well. Thats what I did for the door and gears of my steam punk cake...
http://cakecentral.com/gallery/2020166/2020168

Thanks for your answers, a week sounds great! It's only going to be flat as I'm carving it out of rectangular cakes not using a special pan.

I agree, under usual circumstances I would do that, but I a) don't want to disappoint any of my friends by saying no, but b) don't want to do a rushed bad job of any of them. I did tell me friend I would be preparing in advance so she knows I suppose. I think it should be ok anyway. I have used fondant with tylose mixed in for decs before so I think the fondant dried should be ok. Maybe I should make a couple of each just in case!

Mplaidgirl2 I love your steampunk cake! I would love to make that kind of themed cake it looks like lots of fun!

I think I might make one for my step dad, he may or may not like the theme but he's the only one who even comes close lol.lucky him! Haha

I do this when I pressed for time. I put mine over a piece of parchment paper, then lay it over a piece of cardboard, cover it over in saran wrap, stick it into a zip lock bag AND store it in the freezer until I need it. When you are ready to use it, remove it from the freezer and lay the pieces on your cake right away (no need to wait for it to come to room temperature)...they will be as soft and "fresh" as the day you made them.

Thanks Angela, I never thought of freezing just the lettering. However, if I put black around the edges of my white letters will it bleed onto the fondant when defrosting? I've heard about people freezing whole cakes with black accents on them and it bleeding when defrosting?