Hi everyone,

I have a cake that's due on Sunday. I'm debating on whether I should start baking tonight or waiting till tomorrow.

I tend to work better when I'm ahead of schedule, so I can kind of take my time. So I'm trying to decide what I can go ahead and get out of the way now. I'm covering the cake boards with fondant and wrapping ribbon around them. But how early can I cover them. Could I do them tonight or should I go ahead and wait till tomorrow right before I put the cakes on them?

Here is a picture of the cake I'm using for inspiration. This is what I'll be doing on the board.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dTBYrtxZg-Q/S9uXSdKhFeI/AAAAAAAAB0k/PIcCHajOdqI/s1600/MonkeyZebra1sfw.jpg&imgrefurl=http://melcakewalk.blogspot.com/2010/04/monkey-safari-birthday-cake.html&usg=__gOJIrOkjIiZH7i6PyUJQ61Knw-A=&h=600&w=400&sz=45&hl=en&start=51&zoom=1&tbnid=QMSm-SEINO3y2M:&tbnh=108&tbnw=75&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpictures%2Bof%2Bsafari%2B1st%2Bbirthday%2Bcakes%2Bwith%2Bmonkeys%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX%26rlz%3D1T4GGLL_enUS382US383%26biw%3D1345%26bih%3D534%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=369&vpy=164&dur=2434&hovh=275&hovw=183&tx=113&ty=163&ei=PI3bTPiLE4bCsAPoicWzBw&oei=V4XbTNTcMJHQsAOim8TBBQ&esq=25&page=3&ndsp=26&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:51

I appreciate any advice yall might have.

Sarah

The sooner the better! It's a lot easier to put a cake on a board when the fondant isn't soft still.

Hi there

I was always taught never to cover the whole board in fondant, as it makes the bottom of the cake go soggy (have never tried it). I make a strip of fondant and once the cake has been iced, I wet the board a little to help stick the strip of fondant to the board, then trim and smooth.

Good luck

kathyx1- Thanks so much! I was hoping I would be able to. I covered the board, and it looks great. I realized, though, that I forgot to buy the board for the little smash cake I'm making, so I guess I'm still doing one tomorrow. lol. Oh well. At least this one's done.

Cocobongo- Well heck. lol. By the time I read your response, I had already covered the board. I didn't know that would be an issue. Hopefully, by the time tomorrow comes, it'll be dry enough and I won't have that problem. Thank you.

You can cover boards in fondant years ahead of time. Just don't store them in sunlight or they'll fade.

jammjenks- Oh wow. I didn't know that. Does anybody decorate boards in general colors and save them till they need them? Thanks so much!

I covered the board on the Tinkerbell cake I did (see pics). I had no issues with it. It was rather easy to do.

I covered a fondant board weeks ahead of time just recently. I needed to have plenty of time to work on the cake and so I did the board really early. It was fine.

The fondant dries hard and will not spoil or anything like that, so early is A-OK.

I've covered boards even months ahead of time - just cover them so they don't go dusty, he he he. I guess it doesn't matter because its not going to be eaten!
And I don't think the cake would go soggy - please correct me if im wrong.... because the fondant would be so hard by that stage.
Also it would be nice & hard & firm so I guess the weight of the cake wouldn't distort the icing on the board?
I watched a youtube video of someone covering a board with fondant and they put the cake down first and then fondant around it... I guess you save on a bit of fondant but it looked like more work & mucking around to me.