Hey can anyone tell me what the shelf life is of a baked cake. From the day that i bake it how long before i need to throw it out?

Thanks

It depends on how you store it and what's in it. A typical mix cake with buttercream will sit in my fridge for a week (if not eaten right away) before I throw it out. As far as the cakes I make for others, I will let a cake be out for three days only - this is from the day baked to finshed - and I always keep them either wrapped in plastic wrap or covered tightly in a dome. And if it has any fruit or perishable ingredients, it must be kept in the refrigerator. I think the fresher the better, so if it's a simple cake I try to bake one day, decorate the next, then it's out the door - but they store for a while in the fridge. Lots of people freeze cakes for quite a while, but I'm not a big fan of this if I don't have to. I think the simple test of "is it dry", "does it look/smell bad" works if you're not sure about a cake you're eating and storing.

Well i usually bake one day decorate and deliver the next but this time the customer wants the cake two days before the party so that means i have to make it 4 days before and i just wasnt sure how fresh it would taste after that long. its just a simple mix cake with buttercream frosting so once its decorated how do you store it. Its a half sheet so i cant put it in a dome and I wouldnt dare try to wrap it in saran wrap.

I had a very similar situation with the Elmo cake I made...it was 16 inches, so I had my friend put it on a bigger board and put a box over it. The box was saran wrapped...and it stayed fresh, but it was only made 2 days ahead...but I'm sure it will work for 4 days.

Good luck.
Angie

Yes, i think your cake should be fine too. Buttercream is one of the best frostings as far as being stable and keeping the cake inside moist. No worries.