AHi
I would like to use this recipe for my son's first birthday cake this Saturday: http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/old-fashioned-chocolate-cake-11
A few questions: 1. How soon cake I start baking the cake taking the above recipe in mind? I've got so much to do that I'd like to get ahead by at least making the cakes then frosting and decorating it the night before.
2. If I bake the cake tonight or tomorrow (so 4 or 3 days prior to the day it will be consumed) will I need to put them in the freezer? Can I just store them in the fridge or in an air tight container on the bench?
3. I am planning on covering the cake with m&ms so refrigerating the cake after decorating is not an option (the m&m colours fade)is the cake ok to be left out on the bench (covered) given there is sour cream in the cake & icing?
Appreciate the advice!
Lei
Hi
I would like to use this recipe for my son's first birthday cake this Saturday: http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/old-fashioned-chocolate-cake-11
A few questions:
1. How soon cake I start baking the cake taking the above recipe in mind? I've got so much to do that I'd like to get ahead by at least making the cakes then frosting and decorating it the night before.
2. If I bake the cake tonight or tomorrow (so 4 or 3 days prior to the day it will be consumed) will I need to put them in the freezer? Can I just store them in the fridge or in an air tight container on the bench?
3. I am planning on covering the cake with m&ms so refrigerating the cake after decorating is not an option (the m&m colours fade)is the cake ok to be left out on the bench (covered) given there is sour cream in the cake & icing?
Appreciate the advice!
Lei
You are welcome. I had the impression that you would be baking 3-4 days before this Saturday. If you are baking the layers now, wrap in saran wrap and stick in the freezer. I nearly always bake and freeze, then defrost and decorate on another day, especially if I am doing a lot of goodies.
I recommend that you place a cardboard under each layer to be frozen that is the same size as the cake layer, then wrap in plastic wrap, then freeze. This allows you to move the cake layers around without breaking off chunks. I wrap my cardboard cake circles in plastic wrap first, then do this so I am able to use them again and again.
The day before the event (Friday), take the cakes out of the freezer late Thursday night or early Friday morning. LEAVE THEM IN THE PLASTIC WRAP EXACTLY AS YOU TOOK THEM FROM THE FREEZER. The layers will defrost and any condensation will form on the wrapping, not the cake. You may find it is easier to work with nearly frozen cakes to decorate and put on the m&m's. (I let mine defrost for about 30 minutes to 1 hour. They are still cold enough to work with, but I can torte them if needed.)
Once you have frosted and placed the m&ms, the cakes should be ok on the counter at room temperature for 2-3 days. You do not need to keep them wrapped, just covered and out of the way of dust and bugs and stuff. Cardboard boxes work well for this--they still "breathe" and are not airtight.
p.s. Depending on the recipe, the use of sour cream should not be a problem. Sugar acts as an excellent deterrent to bacterial growth. I use sour cream in my recipes all the time.
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