I thought I read where you can - and now I just read that I'll have crusting problems if I do --- PLEASE HELP! I'm down to hours now....

I was going to use a crusting cream cheese bc

Ice it semi-frozen, let it defrost a little first. About 15 to 20 minutes then torte fill and crumb ice.
Then chill the crumb ice just until hard then ice as usual and allow to sit to full defrost. It should crust just fine.

It only takes an hour for most cakes to thaw on the countertop. I'd try to thaw it first, personally.

Back when I was making cakes -- about 2 years ago -- I did this all the time. I would flash-freeze the cake and wrap well. When I needed the cake, I would take it out, place it on the board (fill if needed) and then crumb coat. I would then let the cake sit out to "thaw" and crust (I also used a crusting bc). It usually took a few hours to completely thaw and crust (but I usually did this in the morning -- then the cake was ready for a final coat of frosting by mid-afternoon when I was ready to decorate).

I know it's not exactly what you asked, but HTH.

TammyH

Well, I just got back here to check your comments. I had to keep moving before I saw any because it's getting late - I work in the morning and have to prepare for it yet, so I NEED to keep going. I sure hope it will be ok. Since I was doing half-sheet torte layers it was nice to have them still stiff - the filling and layering actually went great. As for the frosting, I JUST had enough to frost it - nothing for decorating, so will need to make more. But unfortunately now I know, a cream cheese bc is just not the same as a bc.... I swear I will have nightmares tonight that it will fall off. It is beginning to crust already, but my icing job looks awful. It's supposed to smooth well - we'll see.

Now on to more icing so I can decorate and make flowers with the awful red. (have any of you been following all of my desperate posts throughout these forums? this has been the worst experience I've ever had!!!)