Please help. I have my first wedding cake due next weekend. All buttercream, 3 tiers (8, 12 & 16" rounds). I have a full time job, so unfortunately everything has to be done at night after work.

I was wondering, how soon can I begin making the BC Roses without them tasting old on the day of the wedding (which is Saturday)?

Also, after I make them... how should I store them? In an airtight cake keeper?

I haven't ever tried to freeze cakes... so I was afraid to try it with my first wedding cake. So I'll have to bake all of the cakes on Thursday night & Friday if necessary. (I took off on Friday, thank goodness!!) I sure hope I have left myself enough time to bake, ice & decorate all of them on Thursday night & Friday. Thank goodness my daughter is also in to cakes, so she will be helping me each night.

I know some of you fellow CC'ers also have a full time jobs (that are not cake related). So I was wondering what kind of schedule you put yourself on to stay on track?

Sorry this is so long, feel free to share any insight you think might be helpful. I'm forever in your debt!!!! Thank you in advance!

You should not be scared to freeze the cakes, if they are wrapped well just before they are actually cool, they will come out of the freezer more moist than when they went in. I don't know about the roses but if you have the cakes baked then you can at least concentrate on decorating Thursday and Friday.

depends if you are doing BC or RI flowers. does this person want to eat the flowers? If she wants them BC, then do them Friday night, after you decorated the cake. Good Luck!

So true, but another problem I have is freezer space for two 16" layers. I don't even think my side-by-side fridge is wide enough.

I guess I could at least go ahead and bake the two 12" & two 8". OH, I'M STILL SCARED!!!! The 8" is what the bride will keep for her first anniversary, and I've always been told that you should never "re-freeze" a cake. However, I'm really not sure how many people actually eat that top layer... I know I took one bite of mine and threw it out due to freezer burn.

When you wrap the cakes to be frozen, do you just use regular cling wrap or some special kind of freezer wrap then cover with foil?

Thanks!

You'll be fine...I work fulltime and I did my first wedding cake at the beginning of June..I baked and froze the cakes the weekend before and made the GP daisies the week before...decorated cake board on Monday evening, Wednesday I thawed the cakes, Thursday evening I torted, iced and fondant my cakes, Friday evening I stacked and decorated them with the raffia and daisies...Saturday morning I took the pics...Saturday afternoon DH and I delivered the cake

If I don't freeze then I bake on Wed and then follow the same schedule....during those times, the family eats BBQ chicken from the grocery store and a bag of salad

Hello Cake-happy. I also work full time and will be baking my first wedding cake in August. I do not usually freeze my cakes either and am reluctant to do so on my first cake. However, just a suggestion: Make your BC on Wednesday night. I would take Thursday off instead of Friday. Put in a full day of baking and get all your cakes done. While your cakes bake on Thursday make your BC roses and freeze the roses. Whatever cakes cool on Thursday night you can crumb coat. Finish icing on Friday night and early Sat am if you have to. For my cakes in August I will be taking Thursday and Friday off, but I have a lot of vacation time to use up this year otherwise I would just take one day off!

when I freeze my cakes I use Glad press and seal and then I wrap in foil.
I put them in the freezer while they are still warm.

I have had great comments on every cake so far.. (knock on wood)



Good luck..

I truly appreciate all of your help! I'm just a little nervous. I guess I should have been cooking this weekend instead of worrying.

Thanks so much. You guys are the best! I feel better now.

I make my roses out of snow white buttercream and let them air dry a bit, they're way better tasting then royal icing and you can actually eat them. They get a bit harder on the outside, but the inside is still yummy and soft. My instructor from my wilton class actually gave us the recipe for her snow white buttercream and we used it to make ALL of our flowers from day one, instead of Royal icing. I've actually never made any flowers out of royal icing... i just liked the way the snow white butter cream tasted. Since they dry so well, I usually just make my ahead store them in airtight containers like I would a royal icing flower and throw them on any cake I want as I go along.
If you want the recipe I have, let me know
Jen

silly old computer.. lol sorry it said it didn't post.. and it obviously did
Jen

Yes, I would love it. I'm always open to new recipes. Thanks!

I would also like your recipe if you wouldn't mind sharing. I'm always looking for new BC recipes as my BF practically refuses to eat my cakes because he hates the way the standard Wilton BC tastes. He usually scrapes off the icing and just eats the cake, haha.

Thanks!
Becky

I do everything in BC .... you can make the flowers a week ahead of time if you want (probably even more than a week). Air dry them ... do not freeze them. Things that are frozen tend to thaw when taken out of the freezer. When they air dry, they stay manageable ... crusts well, holds shape, easy to handle ... yet still soft on the inside like noley said. I make them and lay them out on a big cookie sheet .... I just keep them on the counter until I need them. If it's going to be more than a couple of days, I will store them in a tupperware or rubbermaid container (after they air dry).

If I'm running behind, I always bake the top tier first. i mean, they are not going to eat this for a whole year!!!! (I tell my brides, "...and when you eat this on your first anniversary, remember that you are eating cake that is A YEAR OLD!!!!" .... then we all laugh!).

Freezing is ok. Less than a year ago, I was SO anti-freezing it was pathetic! Now I slam them suckers into the freezer because (a) they are moister (b) easier to handle (c) REALLY helps my baking schedule!

You are going to do great on this cake. Just don't stress and take a CC break once in awhile! My favorite advice to those doing their first wedding cake: A wedding cake is just 3 cakes that happen to be stacked on top of each other. Just do them one at a time.

Thanks so much Indydebi! As usual... you're always there to the rescue! I appreciate the help, I truly do! I will probably make some roses tonight. Yeah! One step down.