I have about 3 cakes all due on one day! I'm wondering, how far in advance can I make a cake (Vanilla with BC icing) and still have it taste fresh? Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated

Its probably best to bake all cakes one day then decorate the next. Three days ahead should be good, for example, if due on Saturday, bake Wednesday, and decorate Thursday and Friday. With good planning, this should also allow extra time in case of any mishaps. Hope this helps.

I normally bake all the cakes the night before and make all the icing. Then the next day ice and decorate.

the 3 day time schedule that was suggested is a good rule of thumb. I've made many cakes that far in advance, and everyone's loved them.

Not sure how you feel about freezing cakes, but that's an option too. I didn't think I would like it but tried it and people couldn't tell a difference. I wrapped A LOT in saran wrap, them put in a garbage bag and froze. If you don't want to freeze, maybe you could make all of your icing in advance. That has a longer shelf life than the cake.

I have baked cakes as much as a week in advance and wrapped them in saran wrap and they are as fresh when thawed as they were when I baked them.

I did a wedding with 42 eight inch cakes. I started baking 2 weeks before the wedding and froze them. (The wedding was the daughter of someone who does cakes) and she said the cakes were perfect. They were lemon filled and frosted with bc

Moria76- question... do you let your cakes cool before you wrap them, or do you wrap when still warm/hot. I have heard a couple of different things. Just wondering, I am in a similar situation as well. Thanks! Leslie

I use the 2-3 day rule of thumb too... I just don't have the freezer space. I have never had anyone complain of dryness.... so hopefully that will help you out

Freezing ahead is the way to go. I actually think they turn our MORE moist (I've read somewhere that freezing actually traps the moisture in although only putting them in the fridge will dry them out due to the air circulation in the fridge, etc.).

I wrap in a lot of plastic wrap while they are still sort of warm. If they are too hot, they will fall apart but I definitely don't wait until they are totally cooled off. I basically started doing this because I'd bake at night and wouldn't want to wait until they were totally cool so that I could go to bed and I've found that it works just fine.

When I have several cakes to do, I also do them over three days. I bake the cakes in the morning 3 days before cake is due, once the cake is cooled I wrap in saran wrap, then a plastic grocery bag or trash bag and put into refrigerator. I then start making my icing. That afternoon I torte and fill the cake with filling. Then I recover the cake and put in the refrigerator overnight. The next day I color my icing, and cover the cakes with icing. This gives me plenty of time to be sure my cake is frosted smoothly. I have found if I rush that step, I end up having major problems with crumbs. Then the final day, I decorate.

I have tried to do it in two days, and I always run into problems and get so... frustrated. So I use the full three days, and my customers also always tell me my cakes are so moist and fresh.

I bake mine as soon as possible, wrap in foil, place in zipper bag and toss in the freezer. I have cakes in the freezer for at least a month and they are just as fresh as can be when I pull them out!

I know I didn't start this topic, but I appreciate all of the advice!!! Thanks to all who contributed!!

I like to bake early in the week and freeze the cakes. I wait for them to cool, then wrap in two layers of plastic. I've used cakes that have been frozen for a month and they tasted as fresh and moist as the day they were baked.

It's important to note that I have a commercial freezer, meaning, NOT a frost-free. I would not chance it in a frost-free freezer.