I'm making a 3-tiered, buttercream-frosted cake for my daughter's birthday tomorrow and I'd like to do what I can today so tomorrow's not too crazy. I am wondering which will result in the best cake (and sanest mom): 1. baking today and freezing or refrigerating the layers overnight then decorating tomorrow AM 2. Doing it all tomorrow and being rushed 3. Baking and decorating today, and if so, figuring a way to store a tall cake overnight to keep it fresh. Thanks for any advice!

Bake and decorate today. Once you frost it, it seals the cake. It'll be fine tomorrow. No need to worry about decorating on party day.

Good Luck.

Lisa

As long as your butter cream is made with butter and or butter and shortening, and there is not a refrigerated filling, there is no need to refrigerate the cake especially since the party is so soon. Just don't let the baked layers sit out very long before icing. As soon as they are cool either wrap until you are ready to frost or frost right away. As long as your recipe is a good moist one, the only way for this to go wrong is if you let the air get to it too long before icing. The butter cream seals in the moistness. My cakes are made to order and this is how I do it. HTH

I would bake all tiers today and leave overnight wrapped in plastic wrap. In my experience, cake that has rested overnight is MUCH easier to torte and decorate since the sponge is firmer. Make your frosting while the cakes are baking and store overnight (room temp is fine for regular buttercream). First thing tomorrow I would fill all the torted layers and leave to settle for as long as possible before icing the tops/sides, to avoid any bulging. I certainly wouldn't leave it all til tomorrow because you will have enough to do as it is!