I have a wedding cake on friday and normally I bake 2 days ahead. My parents have suddenly decided to possibly go out of town tonight and not get back till wednesday night. I am not allowed to stay at home by myself so I would either have to bake all day or stay up all wednesday night. I really can't freeze my cakes, I don't have a large enough freezer and my cakes really taste weird frozen... Will the cake still be fresh if I bake today and when they cool I wrap them in saran and keep them in a cool place? Help Please!!!!!!!!!!!
Thankyou!!!!!!
Joy

I mean you are old enough to do wedding cakes and you can't stay there by yourself? Although the lack of rebellion in your acquiescence is pleasantly refreshing not to mention surprising.

Box cake mix--yes, just barely though--how cool is the cool place?

Scratch cake --not so much, no, gotta bake later.

And we could go over 'how to freeze' issues too. Like triple wrapping, baking soda overload, removing fish and onions from the freezer and frige, stuff like that.

......don't have a large enough freezer....cakes really taste weird frozen... Will the cake still be fresh if I bake today and when they cool I wrap them in saran and keep them in a cool place?

I do not recommend it - sorry
The longer they are left out the less time they will remain fresh. The customer will not have any time to use up any leftovers.
When cakes are properly wrapped they should not 'taste weird' after being fzn. Wrap in saran wrap when they are warm to the touch, then put into a plastic bag and into the fzr. I have done this many, many times. No one knew the cake had been fzn.

What is you defination of a 'cool place'? Being in Fla I doubt it would be cool enough - like 40 degrees.

I use a doctored cake mix, like really doctored with sourcream, 4 eggs, oil, etc. I can use a refridgerator if I have too. Actually I am a preachers kid and my parents are somewhat, very protective. lol. I'm thankful though.

k8 you are so funny ma'am!!! lol! It will be three tiers, 14'', 12'', and 8''. Actually there is a freezer I just found out I could use but I have never really frozen an order cake. They would stay if I really have too, but I am willing to crunch a little for them, (birthday for my bro.) No there is no one who could stay with me. lol. I am thinking I might bake the top tier and freeze it then bake the 14'' and 12'' wednesday night. Sooo I wrap it in saran place in a plastic freezer bag?? Thats it? Ok next question, how long does it take to defrost?

What kind of filling?

I mean you can just slide by with this if you get them filled and crumb coated so there's no holes--so the icing seals well--no cream cheese--no fruit--I mean it's a little scary and pushing it. But if you can keep them cold and use a nice simple syrup splash.

Double wrap in plastic wrap then slide into those Reynolds baking bags like for turkeys and roasts--seal well. If you gotta 16 inch cake then you gotta tape two bags together.

But your parents need to overprotect your commitment to this bride and get you a decent place to store your stuff, gf.

Toss the stinky stuff in the frige and freezer, clean it up, pour on the baking soda and you'd be ok.

Over protection is not without it's give and take. kwim

I am just filling with buttercream.

Ah yes, the brother thing, now I get it.

If you can freeze you are fine with the cream cheese and fruit fillings.

Oh ok--buttercream filling--cool.

Me I would recommend go ahead and bake and fill and freeze so you don't have to stress when you get back. Then all you have to do is ice them & decorate.

I frost frozen cake. You can let them set out even 15 minutes and they will be ready for icing. Then overnight in the frige will complete the defrost--you don't wanna freeze after icing them.

That's just how I do it--everybody does it different.

Two points for the folks!

Tell the Brother, Happy Birthday!!!

Oh hey, I am paranoid about freezer smells getting in my cakes--so I unwap the cakes one at a time and immediately brush off any ice crystals before they have a chance to melt into my cake--all the layers of plastic wrap (really seal each layer well) help to trap the condensation boogers but I have that pastry brush ready and brush off all potential smelliness before it can melt into my stuff.

Have a nice trip, CakeBuddy.

I usually double wrap w/ plastic wrap then aluminum foil, then bag. When thawing I take off everything but the plastic wrap & thaw at room temp. If the freezer is big enough i would go ahead & bake the 14", then the 12" too if you can b/c it will take the most time to bake & it will be out of the way. Then you can take it out when you get out of bed & it shouldn't take more than a few hours. Put it on a wire rack & it'll thaw quicker than on the counter b/c on the counter will make the counter cold & longer to thaw. So, while you're getting everything ready for the 8", bake, clean up, cool your bigger tiers should be thawed.

You can also make your buttercream now & take some of that stress out of it. I think "making" all the components is the most time consuming, not assembly. If you freeze filled & crumb coated, I would place a board on top of the cake w/ a small soup can on top while thawing. This way you won't have to worry about buldges. If it does buldge you can scrape the buldge away before continuing. And make sure that dam is some thick buttercream . Well, I hope I've not talked your ear off & am of some help. Good luck & let us see your finished project!

Great! Thanks for all your help! I'll post the pic sometime before Friday! Thanks again! You guys are great.
Joy

Hi again! I had a wonderful trip, got back, made the cake, and delivered it. I made it when I got back because on Mon. (the day I was supposed to bake and freeze the largest layers etc.) I suddenly had to make three birthday cakes, two for parties that night and the golf bag for my brother. So because I was so busy I didn't get a chance to bake any for the wedding. So left early Tues. morning, got back in time to teach a piano lesson on Wed before church, and then basically worked all thursday. I am so glad everything turned out ok. Thankfully it was a simple design, (too simple in my opinion, but the bride liked it) so with only a couple hassles it was completed, delivered, we attended the wedding and I cut the cake. So all in all a success! Thank you so much for all your help! Honestly I don't know what I would do without CC! Thanks again,
Joy
P.s. The pics are in my photos, the wedding cake has pearls and hearts.