I have two cakes due on Saturday and would like to have one 100% decorated Friday night and the other, 90% done. One cake will be a 9x13 (which I'll have to bake 2 layers and I only have 1 pan (and one oven)), the other will be two tiers, 1 6" tier and 1 9" tier.

The 9x13 will be covered in buttercream and the 2 tier cake, in fondant. Could I bake the 2 tier cake Thursday morning/afternoon and cover it Thursday night, then finish the decorations on Friday? I think the cake should stay fresh, no?

Any advice would be much appreciated. BTW, I also have cookies to bake that will be decorated with fondant and be stuck in to the 9x13 cake......

Thanks!

Of course you can. A cake doesn't go bad in two days. As long as it's wrapped or iced, the air can't get to it to dry it out. It will become more moist as the icing has a chance to meld with the cake. (It takes about two weeks for most cakes to hold in too much moisture to start growing mold. Uncovered cakes can dry out and get stale.)

I do quite a number of cakes every week and on busy weeks generally have a 5 day process. Cake delivery day being Day 5 and baking day being Day 1.

I also have 2 young kids and 1 oven and other limitations so schedule all of my cake work every week. I write a 5 day plan on a A4 sheet including all my steps along the way and often work backwards putting it all in place.

You can also bake the cakes ahead of time, wrap well and freeze.

Thanks for the info............just needed some reassurance