I like to bake the day before. I have always heard that the flavors develop better by the 2nd day. It might be my imagination but I also think it seems to be more moist the 2nd day.
Yesterday I baked and decorated my Care Bear cake. I also like to do that to ensure that it gets done and nothing gets in the way. I was making a fun cake for our church youth group and my daughter end up with an ear infection and I had to spend 4 hours of my day going to the doctor, traveling, waiting for RX and such. So I like to err on the side of caution.
darkchocolate
I usually bake the day before. Depends when it will be picked up/delivered when it gets iced. Weddings are always the day before delivery to make sure all looks good and nothing goes wrong. Most of my birthday cakes are done the morning they are picked up so the colors don't bleed so bad. I guess each situation is different, but a lot of people around here complain that they usually get really dry cakes elsewhere, so I try to make mine as fresh and moist as possible so they don't complain about me!
Are you a scratch baker or a box mix? I am not trying to start a conflict, but in my experience cake mix cakes stay moister longer than a scratch cake. I will say the only scratch cake that stays really moist is my banana cake.
darkchocolate
I will cook my cake two days in advance and crumb frost them and then the next day decorate in the frosting(one day before they get the cake) and everything has been fine. hope it helps.
OK, heres what I do for weddings. If you look at some cake how to sites they will tell you that a good baker bakes the cakes ahead and freezes them. It makes the cakes settle and they are easier to handle. I only let mine cool 10 to twenty minutes and wrap really good in plastic wrap and put them in the freezer. The plastic wrap locks in the moisture so when the cake thaws it is settled easy to handle and is moist (I do a lot of taste testing) 
I always crumb coat as soon as possible also and the moisture is also retained that way
So, cjstor, do you crumb coat then decorate the day of or the day before the wedding?
Thanks,
Sweetiemama
So, cjstor, do you crumb coat then decorate the day of or the day before the wedding?
Thanks,
Sweetiemama
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%