Hi, i am new to this and i will be making a simple round cake filled with buttercream and covered in fondant.....how long should i wait for the cakes to settle before i fill, crumb coat the cake and cover it in fondant?

Also if i want to make appliques out of fondant or gumpaste how long ahead do I have to make them or can i make them as i go and stick them on?

I would fill the cake and then let it settle overnight before crumb coating and adding the fondant.

Also, the fondant appliques should be made right when you're putting them on the cake, if you want them to curve to fit the cake's surface. If you're making something that will stick up, like flowers, make them at least a day in advance so they can dry.

thanks, and i had another question about freezing the cakes. I have read heard and saw people freeze there cakes wrapped in saran wrap.....some filled some not filled but what exactly does that do? what's your opinions?

I agree with the crumb coat and sit overnight. I do use the floor tile method if in a hurry. I do like the overnight much better...fill, crumb coat and sit.

I have only frozen uniced, unfilled cakes. I like to do it for I think it make the cake more manageable when stacking and moving.

BUMP!

Oh, also what is making and icing dam around the cake or torte? mean and how would i do that? thanks

A cake should never be left UNcovered - either wrap in plastic (wrap or bag) or apply crumb coat.
Torte: cut a layer of cake in 1/2 (two 1" layers) so you can use filling between them
Making an icing dam: pipe a stiff ring of icing around the edge of the layer to hold the filling in. Some say it should be super thick - almost the same as fondant - create by adding more sugar. For years I have used med. consistency b'cream w/o problems

Filling: can be any jelly, jam, fresh fruit, thick pudding, icing or the like. Test a tablespoon or two of it to see if it holds up to fzing. Some will liquify (especially fresh fruit!).

Freezing cake allows the moisture to spread through the cake. It actually makes your cake moister It also allows the cake to settle so those dreaded 'ring around the cake' (aka: blow out) don't develop. It keeps cake fresh longer. If you refrigerate it instead the cake will dry out no matter how well you wrap it.

Ha! Reading this I'm pretty sure I've given my Aunt a dry cake about a year ago. I didn't ice the sides of it and I stuck it in the fridge. It looked pretty, but I'm sure it tasted dry now. BOO! I'll have to make her a better one now that I know better!!

I've never had a problem with a 'blow out'. I almost always bake and ice the same day. Bake first thing in the morning and ice in the evening. I didn't think they were dry! Now I'm going to have to freeze these I just made and test it out!

Does everyone have massive freezers?? I'm pretty sure that I need a whole freezer just for cakes!! LOL (good luck I'll have convicing DH of that!)

Thanks very much for the very needed info....I know kakeladi said either crumb coat it or wrap it in saran and snocilla said they freeze it before filling.......what seems to work best or have the best ending result? meaning filling it then freezing....not filling it.....saran wrap.....or crumb coating?

I've never tried crumb coating before freezing, so I don't know if there is a difference. Kakeladi does have a lot more experience than me, so I'm sure her advice is good! ...But I do always wrap them in saran wrap before freezing.

Also when thawing how long does a general 4- 5 inch high 9 inch round cake take to defrost before i can ice it (change of plans doing it in chocolate ganache now) and cover it in fondant.

Here is this good. I am going to make my cakes in the morning......let them sit and rest until cooled or longer then wrap them in saran and freeze them overnight. (If i need to have the cake done for the next night wat time should i take them out to defrost them?

And does the chocolate ganache have to be whipped before i fill and ice it? (I'm using this recipe- http://www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-2116-0-Chocolate-Ganache-1.html)

thanks