I am making a wedding cake for my sister-in-law for Saturday at 2:30. I am not quite sure when I should start baking and decoratung the cake. It is a 3 tier square cake, sizes 8, 12 and 16 in. Each tier is two layers, so when is the best to start baking and decorating. I was thinking to do everything Friday. What do you think?

Oh my! I would start baking on Tuesday! My suggestion...

Tuesday and Wednesday - Bake all 6 cakes (you could do all baking on Wed, I have to break it up because I have to bake after work)
Thursday - Fill, crumb coat each tier, cover with fondant (if using)
Friday - stack and finish decorations.
Saturday - Deliver

Always leave yourself room for the unexpected! Unless you've done this many times before it WILL take longer than you think.

I agree with nonilm! Good luck!

I always bake everything on Thursday, and while I'm waiting for things to bake I'll make icing or fillings. Then Friday I fill, ice, decorate and if its only a 3 tier, I go ahead and stack the whole thing. It's not too hard to transport a 3 tier.

I would bake today (Wednesday) and tomorrow (Thursday) if you can't finish it all today. I let each layer cool enough where it is barely warm to the touch, wrap them in 3 layers of plastic wrap (with a plastic wrap covered cake board underneath so it stays flat and doesn't crack), and throw them in the freezer.

On Thursday afternoon, I take them out of the freezer while I'm making my buttercream and filling (if I don't have them done already). After the cakes thaw, I level, torte, fill, and crumbcoat and then throw them in the fridge to settle overnight.

Friday, I take them out of the fridge, scrape off any excess bulge from the settling, and put on another coat of buttercream and smooth, let set in fridge (I use a non-crusting buttercream) , then put the fondant on all the tiers, then decorate. If perishable filling, I throw back in the fridge, unstacked.

Before I started freezing cakes I used to do everything the night before because I was afraid of the cake being stale..but it was WAAY too stressful.

I always bake monday or tuesday, freeze over night then wed. I fill and ice, Thursday I put my fondant on and stack then Friday I decorate or if there is a lot of decorating Iwill start on Thursday... never never never try and start and finish in one day especially with a wedding cake! Unless your cake boss and have a crew of 30

You know, I always appreciate knowing that other people don't bake, ice and decorate, along with mixing batters, icings and fillings, all in one day. I feel like I'm slow because it takes me a couple of days to do this.

I certainly agree about freezing cake and if you bake ahead of time, if any thing does go wrong you have time to re do. nolim is right- you have to be prepared for the unexpected. Make sure you are not going to be interrupted.

This is great info, one question.... If you are using Satin Ice fondant or any fondant can you refrigerate the cakes one day and then pull them out of the fridge the next and finish decorating?

If you can refrigerate ... do you need to put them in a box or cover them in anyway while they are in the fridge? I have heard that if you refigerate that you will have condensation on them once you take them out and leave them to room temp. Has this happened to anyone?

I use Satin Ice and was told by the baker I work with that it is fine to go in the fridge. Unless the cake is really large, I put it in a box so that absorbs moisture. When I take it out, I leave it at room temp to "dry" before doing any decorative work. If you touch it while it is still damp, you will leave fingerprints.

For the wedding cake that I did, I baked, crumbed & filled on Thurs then chilled them overnight. Friday was for the final buttercream coat & the fondant flowers. If I were doing a fondant covered cake, I would start on Wed to give myself an extra day's cushion.

HTH
Kristy