I was wondering how everyone keeps their cakes fresh before an event? Unless I bake it the day of, I worry about covering it up or putting it in something to keep it fresh. This may be a dumb question, but I was just wondering because they don't make cake boxes for bigger cakes!
This is a great question.... I have always wondered about that myself..... I usually just kill myself the night before the event by staying up because I have waited until the very last minute to start decorating.
I, too, am looking forward to the replies.
I also normally bake the night before, but I would think that adding a simple syrup to your cake, like squeezing it on top (letting it soak in) before frosting it, would keep it a bit on the moist side. Therefore, maybe allowing you an extra day or two ahead of time to bake it.
I've also seen on other tv shows, specifically, Ace of Cakes, where it seems that he bakes a cake a bit ahead of time, but then covers in fondant immediately. I'm wondering if this also helps seal in some moisture, keeping the cake from drying out. I've also noticed on the show that he does not keep them refrigerated, but on a shelf. Maybe his shop is kept at a nice enough temp, to not require refrigeration... which I would also think would dry out a cake quicker... no?
Again, these are just my assumptions, nothing tried and true. Just trying to use logical sense.
I'm not a hugely frequent baker (still honing my decorating skills!), but on the occasions when I do cakes, if the cake is for Saturday I will bake them on the Thursday and when they are cooled, wrap in clingfilm and put them in the fridge overnight, then ice and decorate on the Friday. My cakes are always really moist as the clingfim seals in the moisture and keeping them chilled helps keep them fresh.
I have another job, so when I make a cake I do everything separate, and it's just as fresh.
I freeze the cakes and buttercream, and make the fondant the night before.
I take out the cakes and buttercream and leave the cakes on the counter and the buttercream in the fridge. I also use a simple syrup when I'm torting the cakes.
I do the same as kelly75 does. If my cake is due on Sunday I'll bake Thursday night and double wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Earlier on Thursday I'll make my fillings and frosting and on Friday I'll star frosting and putting my cake together. On Saturday I'll decorate, place back in the frig until delivery on Suday. My clients always tell me how fresh and moist my cakes are.
Jacqui
deebird, a simple syrup is equal parts sugar and water, heat till all the sugar is melted, (do not let it come to a boil.) cool and place in squeeze bottle. Simple and easy.
I always bake 2 days ahead.
I learned this from someone else here (don't remember who lol) - I overfill my pans just a little, that way, immediately after they come out, I cut off the top, leveling it right with the top of the pan. Then flip onto saran wrap and wrap twice. Yes, I do this piping hot. However, you MUST get all of that top "skin/crust" off or else it WILL get gummy (had this happen before), hence the overfilling. Just make cake balls with the rest.
I leave the cake on the counter. Let cool, wrapped on a wire rack then when cool, move it off the rack. I even freeze if I'm terribly desperate (although I don't like to). I took a cake out of my freezer on Saturday morning that I baked Thurs (wanted to hide it from DH since it was for our anniversary...it didn't stay hidden long lol)....left it on the counter and started decorating Sunday evening. It was still moist yesterday (the day) and today when I munched on some more of it. Incredibly moist! 
Also, icing and covering with fondant helps lock in the moisture. Don't refrigerate fondant cakes. Not good for them (I forget why). I leave mine at room temp (in the summer I keep the a/c on) without a problem. And I use an all butter BC.
I found, quite by accident, that if I wrap the cooled cake and put it in the fridge at least over nite, my 'dry' issues are no longer an issue. I bake my cakes a few days ahead, let them cool, level them and then wrap in at least 2 layers of plastic wrap. Something about the chilling causes any moisture that would normally escape to condense back into the cake. My cakes come out moist and dense and sooooo much easier to work with!! 
My husbands boss is a 'papered chef' (Melvira- loved your joke! 
) and he told me that he has never had a chocolate cake as moist as the one I made last week. He liked it so much that he is commissioning me to make mini wedding cakes for his bistro! 
WOW! I've seen other posts on here that talk about wrapping and chilling your cakes......try a practice one and test it out!
Good suggestions guys. I have a delema as well. I'm wanting to start my cake decorating business, but I work at my regular job Fri-Sun. Most events are on a Saturday. I have to have the cake done by Thursday night. Can I keep it fresh Thursday till Saturday? What if I have a tiered fondant cake? Refrigerating? Just not sure how they would turn out and Im afraid of taking orders because Im not sure what the cake would taste like after being refrigerated for basically 2 days before and event.
I would say it depends on the cake. My fruit cakes are made months in advance and I would usually bake a chocolate fudge cake on a Wednesday for a Saturday wedding...they last for ages and arguably taste nicer a few days on. Vanilla sponges are usually a Thursday am job. The sponges all get a dousing of syrup and are wrapped in cling film but I never put my cakes in the fridge.
All the cakes I've done so far have been simple sponge and I do them either the day before or if it's a large cake, 2 days before.
If the cake is getting collected on the Friday, I bake them on the Wednesday, dirty ice them and cover them in fondant, then on the Thursday I do all the detail work with the figures.
Everyone tells me they taste delicious so it seems to work for me :)
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