The only thing I can say to speed anything up is to buy TWO bowls for your Kitchenaid (well that is if you have one). I got a new one for my birthday and it's soooo much easier to be able to have one soaking in the sink and have the other one making up cake batter or icing, then put that one in the sink and start on another batch of icing or something with the now-clean bowl! I love having two! (now if I only had two mixers.....
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A cake can be frozen for quite awhile... I don't like to go too much longer than a month. Actually I don't really bake that far ahead at home, maybe a week at the most.
I like to refrigerate my crumb coat before icing.... I will say that it is easier with a non-crusting BC though, but it does work ok with a crusting BC. Just work kinda fast with a crusting BC because the paper towel smoothing method won't work so well as I have found that the coldness of the cake below keeps the BC kind of soft, and you can't get a good crust on it until its completely room temp. At work we use a non-crusting BC and it works great.
Anyway don't be afraid to break up your project into several days...the cake will still be fresh, esp if crumb coated!
I have been decorating cakes for 16 years and I am still slow at it! But it does get better as time goes on. I don't do wedding cakes, however, because I work full time, and havn't put myself up to that challenge. For me, if I have a cake due on Friday, I bake it on Wednesday and decorate on Thursday. I can only work on them in the evenings. I have a lot of counter space, and that does help, but I do a lot of cleanup as I go. I know some people are frustrated with crumbs and do a crumb coat, but I just use the cake icer tip, and that works well for me. As far as smoothing the icing, I take a large flexible ruler and drag across my cake a few times. I've learn to stop while I am ahead because if I drag it across too many times, it doesn't help! I still have a lot to learn, but I am self-taught. I've never taken a class, that's why I love reading these forums!
The only thing I can say to speed anything up is to buy TWO bowls for your Kitchenaid (well that is if you have one). I got a new one for my birthday and it's soooo much easier to be able to have one soaking in the sink and have the other one making up cake batter or icing, then put that one in the sink and start on another batch of icing or something with the now-clean bowl! I love having two! (now if I only had two mixers.....
)
I was thinking about getting another bowl but then found a second refurb mixer for only $100 (shipping and all! deal over though...) so I went for that, and its great!
Back to the freezing cakes and using the non-crusting BC-does that mean you use the non-crusting for the crumb coat AND the top layer? Also, could I just let my crumb coated cake completely thaw out and then use the crusting BC? Would that work or be disastrous? I have never used the no-crusting BC, so I'm guess I'm kind of nervous.
Back to the freezing cakes and using the non-crusting BC-does that mean you use the non-crusting for the crumb coat AND the top layer? Also, could I just let my crumb coated cake completely thaw out and then use the crusting BC? Would that work or be disastrous? I have never used the no-crusting BC, so I'm guess I'm kind of nervous.
I wouldn't actually freeze a crumb coated cake for any other reason other than you don't need it....refrigeration actually makes BC pretty hard.
Yes at work we use a non crusting and it actually smooths really nice, I use a putty knife to smooth around the final layer.
I just have found out at work that I really like working with refrigerated cakes because the refrigeration makes them feel really stiff and they are easier to work with. The only thing is that if you are used to using the paper towel method for the crusting BC, that it doesn't work well on a cold or thawing cake. The cake/icing has to be room temp for the icing to crust and then be smoothed with the paper towel.
Well, my "go-faster" secret is to get my husband to wash dishes for me
Last night I made a cake, and while I got it in the oven my husband washed the KA bowl (I only have 1 
) so that I could get started on icing right away. I also decorate/cut/cover the cake board the night before.
Me too! I have a wonderful husband. 
Actually he does all of the clean-up when I cook or bake!! He does housework and laundry too! And, before you ask, no he doesn't have a brother.
My husband is wonderful too! He is a neat freak, so I don't have to worry about picking up after him. He helps with the housework, and he does all the bills and balances the checkbook to the penny. We have never been late on a bill - he is actually very good with finances! When it comes to cakes, he is very supportive, but I don't like him in the kitchen with me. I feel like he gets in my way! So I don't mind that he doesn't help me with the cleanup. I feel like the kitchen is my domain! 
I think being organized is the key. That, and having multiples of things, bowls, decorating tips, several decorating bags out ect. I like to enjoy the "decorating" part and so I bake, make the frosting, and make the filling on one day and the next day I decorate. Sometimes I'll make the filling and frosting the day before I bake. I usually make my fondant decorations a week to 2 weeks before the cake is due. This way I don't feel so overwhelmed when it comes to crunch time. It will take a few cakes before you get a system down that works for you. Oh and that MMF. I gave up on that. Now I use my coupons at Michaels or Joannes and buy Wilton's and I use that for decorations. If I'm covering a cake I'll just order the Satinice or Pettinice online.
Jacqui
Again, thank you all so much for your great tips! I should definately be better off now! Altho, I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only lonley slow cake decorator!
Kitagrl, you mentioned buying a refurbished KA? I want one so bad! My man said maybe santa would bring me one ... I'm hoping! Does it work just as good as your new one? And, where did you find it? TIA
Lorie
Most buttercream recipes freeze very well also. I'm bringing 80 cupcakes to the school where I work on Friday, in addition to having about 135 cupcakes in my freezer. I've just moved about 4 batches of buttercream from my freezer to the fridge. I will take it out of the fridge on Wed. The cupcakes will come out of the freezer on Thurs AM. I will be ready to decorate on Thurs. evening. There's no way I could've done it without baking and preparing icing in advance and freezing, and doing it that way alleviates so much stress! Whatever you can do in advance do it!!
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