Baking Ahead

Decorating By ragu977 Updated 17 Jul 2011 , 11:24am by ragu977

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ragu977 Posted 5 Jun 2011 , 11:21am
post #1 of 9

If I bake a cake on Thursday to be decorated Friday night for a party on Sat do I need to refrigerate the cake? Or can I just wrap it in plastic wrap and leave it on the counter? Also, if I make fondant cake toppers ahead of time how should they be stored? Thanks

8 replies
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sparkle25 Posted 5 Jun 2011 , 3:53pm
post #2 of 9

Unless it has a perishable filling you really wouldn't need to refrigerate it the Thursday night (if it's just plain non iced cake). I usually freeze my cakes (I find it makes it easier to level them and crumb coat them). But, do what works best for you. I would wrap them in plastic wrap for sure if you are going to leave them on your counter.

Are you covering the cake in fondant? If so I would not refrigerate after you have covered it in fondant either (you'll probably get different opinions on this, but I find that it causes the fondant to sweat). If it is just buttercream you could refrigerate it after you had decorated it.

For fondant toppers I usually just store them out on my counter top to harden on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper.

Hope that helps.

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ragu977 Posted 10 Jun 2011 , 12:26pm
post #3 of 9

Thanks. Yes, I will be covering it in fondant but not until Friday night after that I will put in the cake box for the party on sat. I won't fill or ice the cake Thursday night just bake the cake. Do you find it easier to crumb coat and fondant if the cake is refrigerated the night before?
Thanks again for your help.

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TexasSugar Posted 10 Jun 2011 , 2:09pm
post #4 of 9

The only time you have to put a cake in the fridge is if there is a filling or icing that has to be kept cold. I bake one night, wrap well in plastic wrap after they are cool then will torte, fill and crumb coat the next day. After the cake is crumb coated it is protects it from drying out. At that point I'll let it sit several hours before I do anything else to it.

I never put my cakes in the fridge, because then I'd have to deal with condensation issues.

If you don't mind them getting a little hard, go ahead and make them then either store like was suggested above or in a cardboard box. Putting them in something air tight will keep them from going soft, but I avoid that really.

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ragu977 Posted 10 Jul 2011 , 12:16am
post #5 of 9

I don't want the cakes to get hard. If i wrap them tightly the night before i crumb coat and cover in fondant the cakes should stay soft and moist right? I may fill the cake with fresh strawberries but I don't think that needs to be refrigerated right? Thanks for your help.

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CWR41 Posted 10 Jul 2011 , 2:51am
post #6 of 9
Quote:
Originally Posted by ragu977

I may fill the cake with fresh strawberries but I don't think that needs to be refrigerated right? Thanks for your help.




Absolutely, fresh strawberries need to be refrigerated! If you don't, they can start to mold within less than a day.

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ragu977 Posted 16 Jul 2011 , 10:59am
post #7 of 9

If I ice and decorate a cake on Friday night and put fresh strawberries in the middle of layers for a Sat afternoon party I need to refrigerate the decorated cake overnight instead of storing in the cake box to be transported? Even though strawberries sit out and the grocery store?
Thanks again
Kenley

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CWR41 Posted 16 Jul 2011 , 3:59pm
post #8 of 9
Quote:
Originally Posted by ragu977

If I ice and decorate a cake on Friday night and put fresh strawberries in the middle of layers for a Sat afternoon party I need to refrigerate the decorated cake overnight instead of storing in the cake box to be transported? Even though strawberries sit out and the grocery store?
Thanks again
Kenley




Yes. If not, they can mold overnight.

The display stands at the grocery store are typically refrigerated. If not, I don't think I'd buy them because you don't know how old they are.

Here's a story from CrescentMoon about returning moldy strawberries to the store every morning because they kept molding overnight:
http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-699287-strawberries.html+mold

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ragu977 Posted 17 Jul 2011 , 11:24am
post #9 of 9

I appreciate all your help. The stores by me never have the strawberry display refridgerated I guess thats why I didn't think anything about it.
Thanks again

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