AI am an in home baker that has been in the business for less than a year but my business is growing quick! I have a huge wedding order placed for next spring and I am already stressing....I usually bake everything fresh two days before the event and then frost and decorate the night before. I do not refrigerate my cakes at all because of the very short time frame.

This order consists of a three tier wedding cake, a grooms cake and five large kitchen cakes. How far in advance can I start making and decorating cakes, with buttercream icing, covered in fondant (kitchen cakes are just frosted no fondant) without refrigerating? I do not have a lot of refrigeration space. Please help!!! Thank you in advance!!!

AIf you're going to start accepting large orders then you should plan to equip yourself to handle them. Unless you plan to start everything from baking to making bc to decorating within 3 days of the wedding OR using cakes like Fruit cakes or mudcakes that do well at room temperature over several days, I don't see how you expect to prepare over 8 individual tiers without using some form of cool storage.

You could invest in a second fridge or clear your fridge and eat pizza and take-out while you work on the order.

IF you a a basement that stays cool enough you could do the buttercream frosted early and box them and store them down there .. My basement is cool all year round..and is where I store my finished cakes..it is also the safest place for them from my kids :) lol

AI would consider using the search function on this site, and search for freezing cakes, as well. It might allow you to do the baking further in advance. Assuming you can plan for freezer space.

I may be missing something, but that doesn't sound like so much - only two decorated cakes. And the rest kitchen cake.

M Shop and make bases and any decorations that can be made ahead

T  -

W Make Icing and refrigerate it

Th Bake, Ice and refrigerate cakes

F Decorate and stack (refrig kitchen cakes)

S Deliver

Or you could bake on M or T and freeze (wrap well) so all you have to do on Th is ice the cakes

Edit: Oh I see it was the refrigerator space I missed, sorry about that-- You have to have refrigerator space to be in this business. It may sound extravagant, but I would find a way to increase refrigerator space in between now and that order. An extra dedicated frig is what you need. You'd be surprised what you can fit in your frig if you take everything out, though. I keep nothing in my freezer,  and I remove the ice bin when needed.

AThanks everyone. Great ideas!!!