I made 2 9in rounds and 2 6in rounds today and then I froze for the first time! Once they came out of the oven, they sat in the pans for about 5 minutes, then onto the cooling rack for maybe another 5, then I wrapped each cake individually (not leveled) in saran wrap (a few layers) and then I wrapped them up in aluminum foil and then I put them in the freezer!

They are needed for sunday, and I plan to take them out of the freezer on friday night and let them thaw. Then overnight they will be in the fridge and I will put them out and level, torte, crumb coat, ice, decorate as normal on saturday.

Does this sound like I did everything right? Sound like a good plan?

Sounds perfect!

I usually level before I freeze, because my husband wants to eat the parts I trim off and he says it's a tease to make the house smell like cake and not give him the scraps. But it's easier to level when they've been frozen, I use the wire leveler and it goes through like butter.

thanks!! No one in this house is a cake eater .. can you believe it? It's just me and my dh and neither one of us care for cake so the scraps always hit the garbage.

Actually, you also need to allow settling time. Weighted the cake will take about 3 hours to settle. Unweighted, it will take anywhere from 12 to 24 hours.

Your plan sounds good, but this is how I would refine it:

On Saturday morning I would level, torte, fill and crumbcoat your cake. Then I would wrap it up in saran wrap and put a book on top of it for about 3 hours. (I've used Debbie Brown's Easy party cakes) The weight will speed up the settling process.

Once settled you can then go around with your spatula to remove the excess icing bulge. Then frost/fondant and decorate!

.........needed for sunday,...plan to take them out of the freezer on friday night...Then overnight they will be in the fridge.........

No need to put them in the fridge. They can sit on the counter overnight.
I would take all but one layer of the plastic wrap off for thawing.

ok, I guess I am confused on the settling time. What does this mean? What are you referring to when you say from 3 hours all the way up to 24 hours?

I have never put a book on top of my cakes, ever. Is this only needed if you freeze your cake?

I always put my cakes in the fridge, I have animals that can't be trusted. So when I take them out of the freezer to thaw initially, remove all the aluminum foil and all layers of saran wrap, except one?

The settling time she's referring to is to allow your layers to settle down and mush out all the filling that they are going to. This "goosh" of filling is what gives you a 'bulge' which is hideous under fondant and not too sightly in buttercream either. You can either fill and crumbcoat and let the cake sit to settle for 24 hours or you can speed up the process by using a book or other weighted object on top of the cake for a few hours.

You can take off the foil and at least one layer of plastic. Put it in a cake box somewhere high or where your cats don't go to protect the cake overnight.

Cakes settles (like it relaxes). After you level, torte, fill and crumbcoat, wrap in plastic (on board) and add some weight to it. Let it sit for 3 hours or you can let rest overnight without any weight. After this you will see that your filling may be oozing out the sides. All this prevents that bulge where your layers are from showing on your finished product. I hope I cleared it up for you.

yes thank you. That did clear it up. I have never done that with any of the cakes I have ever made. Never heard of it! I guess you DO learn something new here every time you're on!