18Th Birthday Cake Question? I Need Help Please??
Decorating By ttorfin Updated 12 Mar 2011 , 3:42am by cheatize
I'm new to cake decorating. I am making a 3 tiered sqaure cake. I had originally planned on a 16" bottom, 10" middle and 8" top. Now I've realized that I need to make two of each of these in order to make each tier layered with cream cheese frosting between, that is A LOT of cake. So far I have baked the one of each, however I'm thinking about cutting down my 16" to a 10" and going from there instead. (so it would be two 10" as the base, two 8" as the middle and two 4" as the top. I have two questions:
1. Is it a good idea to cut down my 16" layer to a 10" or will that cause too many crumbs to deal with?
2. I'm baking today, frosting tomorrow, and decorating and delivering to my niece the next day. I'm not sure how to keep the cakes moist, fresh, but not wet or soggy from refridgeration or freezing.
I NEED BIG HELP PLEASE???
i'm fairly new too but here are my thoughts...if number of servings is not an issue, cutting down the 16" to a 10" shouldn't be a problem...crumb coating will do the trick...i usually bake on day 1, frost and decorate on day 2 and deliver on day 3...my cake does not need anything to keep it moist...that would depend on the recipe you use...you can always use simple syrup (equal parts of sugar and water boiled and cooled down) to make sure it's moist (before crumb coating)...i've only done fondant cakes so the freezing and refrigerating part only happens before the decorating...not sure on non fondant ones....
Why can't you just torte the layers instead of making 2 separate cakes? That would keep the amount of cake down and you can still use the filling.
However, if you want to cut the 16" to a 10" and if you do bake a separate 10" layer, I would do it AFTER the other 10" cake is baked so you can make sure it is the same size. As long as you put a nice crumb coat of the sides before you ice it, crumbs won't be an issue. Make sure to let it set up before you ice it though. I've never used the simple syrup, but that would work too! lol
I was going to say you didn't have to refrigerate until I noticed that you said a cream cheese filling - that does have to be in the fridge. lol The cake should still be nice and fresh for you on Saturday. The icing will keep the moisture sealed in.
Thank you for the helpful hints! I made the second 10" cake and cut down my 16" to a 10", so far so good! However I did notice that my 16" I baked last night and stored in the fridge seems just a TOUCH wet on the edges, not soggy though thank goodness. I'm nervous about storing these layers till Saturday. I plan to refridgerate tonight, crumb coat and ice tomorrow, and assemble, touch-up icing and decorate early Saturday morning...oy vey! Can they be refridgerated after crumb coating and icing without fear of condensation?
Thanks again, so much!
depending on the recipe, you don't have to refrigerate. I never refrigerate my cakes. I use a great crusting cream cheese recipe, and you don't have to refrigerate it, due to the sugar in it. It changes the make up of the cream cheese. Acts as a "preservative"...even though I hate to use that word.
If your cakes are crumb coated, that will seal in the moistness and keep your cakes fresh. I bake and crumb coat on Wed., stack, torte and fill on Thur., and decorate on Fri., for a Saturday cake.
Are you wrapping your cakes properly? You shouldn't get any sogginess on them at all. They should be tightly wrapped with cling wrap before putting in the freezer or fridge. And you should unwrap them immediately after taking out of the cooler to avoid condensation which will get trapped if it's warming up while wrapped.
I always freeze my cakes after cooling and wrapping. It sets up the cake and makes it easier to cut and frost. After freezing, I torte (if necessary), fill and crumbcoat and put in the refrigerator (not freezer) so the butter cream (I use real butter) will harden and I can start layering and smoothing on my frosting. I keep the cake in the fridge until delivery where I deliver in plenty of time for it to come to room temp. The cake is always fresh and moist. I know because i"ve been at most of the events where it's served. I worked at a bakery and this is how they did things.
Well I put it in the freezer just to set up for about 30 minutes and I was able to re-contruct the cake and hold it together...but I have to say it is a hot mess now! Its a red velvet cake and the amount of crumbs showing through the already too thick crumb coat is bad, I would have to layer on the icing pretty darn thick to even begin to cover all the red crumbs.......soooo its 6:35 am and here I am baking another layer. 
@CWR41: I crumb coat first so my cakes are sure to stay moist and fresh. I have had 3 major neck surgeries, and live in a ton of pain. So I have to "pace" myself on how much work I do in a day. You don't necessarily have to do it this way, but it works for me. If I tried to bake, torte, stack, crumb coat and clean it all up in one day, it would KILL me..
@CWR41: I crumb coat first so my cakes are sure to stay moist and fresh. I have had 3 major neck surgeries, and live in a ton of pain. So I have to "pace" myself on how much work I do in a day. You don't necessarily have to do it this way, but it works for me. If I tried to bake, torte, stack, crumb coat and clean it all up in one day, it would KILL me..
I understand pacing yourself. By "crumb coat", do you mean brushing with a simple syrup instead?
Most people would (in this order) bake, torte, fill, stack, and crumb coat before icing with a final coat.
I bake and crumb coat on Wed., stack, torte and fill on Thur., and decorate on Fri., for a Saturday cake.
If you crumb coat individual layers on one day, stack, torte, and fill on the next day, isn't it making a terrible sticky mess to handle cake layers that are already iced?
I am crumb coating now. Do I need to rewrap it before putting it back into the refridgerator when I am done?
No--do NOT wrap a frosted cake. And if your cake is falling apart when you are frosting with a crumb coat your cake is too warm...and you may be pressing too hard. You might want to put a big glob of frosting on and smooth it gently as much as you can trying not to lift your knife...don't worry about covering it completely yet...just get as much as you can on, crumbles and all and then stick it in the refrigerator to let what frosting you have on there firm up and then take it out and start again until it's completely covered. Do not fear the butter cream! I've not had many cakes crumble on me, but if they start, I always manage to get them 'glued' back together this way. Once you have crumb coated, stick it back in the fridge and let it firm up so your first real coat of frosting goes on over the crumbs easily.
K so I have been doing this for a year and I just took classes with an amazing cake decorator that owns a bakery and it all FINALLY makes sense. This process changed my cake making life. First, back and let cool. Then tort. Then wrap and freeze for 1 to 2 hours, then fill, then wrap and freeze for 1 to 2 hours, then crumb coat, then freeze just so it hardens then do your second one if you need to. If you don't freeze the cake it will fall apart. Just think about it. If the cake is soft its going to but if it is nice and solid it has a much less chance to especially when taking the edges off the cake. People may think this process is too much but it has worked AMAZINGLY for me. Also my cakes stay refrigerated for the entire process until its in the hands of the client. I take it out to decorate and its put it right back in. I just delivered one today that I had even airbrushed and the condensation didn't bother it at all. It works wonders!
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