Ok I am going to be making a baby shower cake but I was told to use the box cake mix.....the problem I have ran into is when I ice the box cake it crumbles to easy so I was told to put the cake in the (I cant remember which one) freezer or fridge for so long b4 icing it......can anyone tell me which one the freezer or fridge and for how long? Please and thank you so very much!

Give your cake a crumb coat before the full coat of icing. This will lock in any crumbs so it won't matter weather or not the cake is refridgerated/frozen.

I refrigerate my cakes before putting on a "crumb coat" - a thin layer of buttercream to catch up all the crumbs (at least an hour). Then I chill it again before the final frosting. I read recently where some people freeze their cake layers (carefully wapped in plastic then foil), and frost them frozen to keep them very moist. Haven't tried it yet, but it sounds worth trying.

The reason I use a chilled cake is that it's easier to handle without cracking or breaking the cake.

Good luck!

Crumb coat and allow that to dry good before applying your icing. No need to refrigerate unless you plan to use fondant.

To clarify for you, a crumb coat is a very (thin) layer of thinned icing. You put it on, let it crust, then your good to go.
I have iced frozen cakes, but let it thaw before decorating!
I've never chilled cake, I just don't have the room in there! And I have crumb coated room temp cakes, just depends on circumstances now.
But crumb coating is the key.

Good Luck!

It probably is because your icing is too thick.
For a crumb coat thin it w/some liquid OR here's a really good way:
Put just enough icing to cover your cake - probably no more than 1/3 cup (depends on size of cake) in a microwave safe cup; add about a teaspoon water; mix well; then microwave it for about 5 seconds (you can watch it melt - *don't overheat* it. Just enough to melt it then pour it over the cake & spread it very thin quickly. Make sure all parts of the cake are sealed. It will dry quickly and you will be able to see any part not sealed. It will look much like a glazed donut
Any left over must be disposed of. You cannot re-melt it, nor mix back into regular icing.

Another option is to use the super wide tip by wilton. It is specifically for applying icing in wide strips to the cake. Smooth the lines together with your choice tool after you've covered every inch of cake with your icing. I never crumb coat or freeze and I never get crumbs, even if it is a box cake. Good luck.

That's a great tip kakeladi! I'll have to try that.

Thank you all sooooo much........

First of all welcome! I am from Dayton Ohio. What part of Ohio are you from? I too crumb coat my cakes. I have never put them in the fridge or freezer and have not had a problem, but I read where many do, and swear by it.