How Soon Should You Bake The Cake Before Decorating It?
Decorating By beverlyanne Updated 23 Jul 2007 , 12:54pm by jmt1714
I'm curious as to how far in advance of decorating a cake can you bake the cake and still have the cake taste reasonably good. And, how far in advance can the cake be decorated before the event?
I usually do it the night before because I'm a procrastinator! And I'm always rushing in the end! I think most people bake up to 2-3 days before and frost maybe 1-2 days ? Once you frost it, it should stay fresher and seal in the freshness.
I always try to bake as close to the due date a possible, however, if you need to bake ahead of time, bake 3-4 days in advance, wrap and freeze for a short time. I don't see the harm in decorating the day before or two days before if the decorating detail is time consuming.
It depends on whether you are making a box or scratch cake. Box cakes have chemicals that help preserve their freshness. A box cake can be tasty for up to a week after baking. I would not leave a scratch cake for more than 3-4 days. Frosting a cake or wrapping it in fondant will seal in some of the freshness. I try to bake (or un-freeze) 1-2 days before delivery so people get as fresh a product as possible-- you never know if your customer will have leftovers and how long they will keep them around! 
Many people have different schedules for dealing with this. No particular way is the only right way. Do whatever works for you.
I bake the day before, and ice/decorate the cake within 24 hours. I never refrigerate or freeze my cakes. My clients pick up the cakes within a few hours of when I finish.
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