How long ahead of time can I bake a cake to where it won't go bad? I have 4 cakes to do for this weekend and I would like to at least start baking them now. Also, can I leave them on the counter, covered up, for a few days? This is the most cakes I've had to do at one time so I need a little advice so they won't go bad or I do something wrong. Thanks!!!

Cover them with plastic wrap and put them in the freezer. Pull them out about an hour or so before you start decorating and you'll be fine. I do this with wedding cakes so I'm not crunched on time.

Good Luck!

Jenn

I'm also curious about this, as I would ideally like to bake and decorate a cake tonight that won't be eaten until Saturday night.

Hypothetically, would the cake still be fresh on Saturday if it was left in a cake container and sitting on the counter until then? Does storing a decorated cake in a sealed container in the fridge make any difference?

BUMP!!

If you can freeze them that would be best. What kind of frosting are you using? If you are using a crusting buttercream then try to get a coating of frosting on them soon and that helps keep them moist. If you start baking tonight you should be fine for Saturday. If you watch Duff's show - they are working on cakes all week that are wrapped in fondant - it keeps them quite fresh. You should be okay.

I would highly reccomend freezing your cakes until the day you need them. I know that some people for some reason are against freezing cakes, but in my experience, this makes them moister by locking in the freshness! If you make your cakes today, freezing them rather than letting them sit out on the counter will result in a fresh, moist cake! I personally would not bake a cake on Wedneday and let it sit out on the counter until Saturday, it just would not be very fresh.

Will it be good? yes. Will it be fresh? nope. Freeze if baking more than 48 hrs before pickup, and try to decorate less than 24 hrs before pickup

Thanks for all the great advice!