When baking a cake ahead of time. What is the best way to keep it moist???

I would freeze it.

 When I bake a cake I only let it cool a bit and wrap it in cling film to avoid moisture escaping through steam. Then I let it cool to use it or - if necessary - to freeze it.

i freeze too -- i assemble my cakes into tiers because i've tested all my fillings and they freeze and thaw well -- then i wrap them twice in plastic wrap and then i place them in a food safe plastic bag* and freeze -- * i use the reynolds baking bags that you can cook roasts and turkey in -- i can re-use them too -- if it's a huge cake i tape two bags together

also i use flavored simple syrup splashes in my cakes so i want it to go through the freeze/thaw process because it releases all it's goodness in a more efficient way throughout the cake -- moisturizes

Awesome

Simple syrup? Is that sugar water?

but i only freeze cakes baked with oil not butter -- because butter does not release back to room temp unless you microwave it for like 3-5 seconds -- if you take two pieces of a brand new baked cake made with butter -- freeze or chill one for two hours and keep the other at room temp -- let them come to room temp without heating them -- and then test it -- you know it's fresh as can be but the previously chilled/thawed one will scrape just a touch down the back of the throat and peeps will say "it's dry" so there's that too

simple syrup -- yes it is sugar water heated to dissolve the sugar then you  can also add a flavor -- my default is grand marnier -- but you can use any flavor oil or extract or liquor/liqueur -- there are so many flavors in the liquor stores now it's crazy 

Ok Awesome

How much flavor do you add ?

Thank you Guys so much !!!!

i do it to taste -- for the grand marnier i use maybe 1 part gm to 3 parts ss give or take -- then i brush or squirt it on each baked cake layer -- different flavors and mediums would use different amounts -- just do it to taste -- 

Ok Thank you again !

@-K8memphis    This works nicely for cupcakes also, which sometimes dry out quickly.  The commercial cake factories that have shows on TV, all show a syrup spraying system that sprays their cakes with simple syrup before assembly, frosting, freezing, & packaging.

mb, yes you're right they do dry out quickly -- i wonder about that for cupcake makers -- if the icing doesn't cover the entire top of the cake essentially sealing it it will dry out -- and then i slop the syrup all over the wrapper so it get's all sticky -- i do better with larger cakes :)

When making the cake batter add a box of instant pudding and an extra egg. After baking, if covered correctly, they usually stay moist for about a week. I do this with all my cakes