AI read on another thread something that made me wonder what the average is for you all to make a cake? Let's say I have a three tier cake.

Day one I would bake all the cakes one night/day let them cool, wrap them and let them rest over night. I also make the icings/fillings.

Day two I will tort, fill and cover it with fondant. I may start decorating some.

Day three I will decorate the cake.

Day four I photograph it and that is usually the pick up day.

**I also will make bows and other things a week a head that need to dry.

So, just wondering, what is your process? Thanks!

** Also, this is just a question... not to be turned into a negative thread. If you can't answer nice please don't answer at all. I apologize but I keep reading threads that don't need such negative responses. Thank you.

AI know I take too long! I bake, cool, level and tort on day 1 then freeze. On the day I need them I take it out of the freezer and let it come to room temp, make fillings and decorate, until 2 am, since I can't start until the kids are in bed! Any fondant accents or figures are made in advance, and can spend anything from 1 to 3 evenings on them of about 3 hours each. Not counting set up and clear up. I only do this as a hobby so all my stuff gets put away, and takes ages to set up. It's hard to say what I spend in total, but probably 10hrs depending on the size! I know if I make a business out of this in the future I have to get quicker, but then I guess if it's a business I'd have things to hand a bit more. I'm making a dusty crop hopper out of rkt and fondant and it's taking bloody ages because of the wings and propeller..... For my sons 4th birthday... Anything for our little angels huh?! :)

It takes me 3 days!  I bake and freeze on one day (takes 1 hour), make decorations on one day (usually takes several hours…) and then will frost on day 3 (takes about 90 minutes).  I don't sell a ton of cakes so I don't move as quickly as someone who is a professional baker and makes several cakes each day. 

Sometimes my kitchen is in a state of disaster for a week because I don't clean up very quickly either…

it's decorating the cake that takes me too long, i think  maybe because i am a perfectionist, which can be both a gift and a curse! also, I have a full time job, a two year old and am 8 months pregnant.. soooo....that doesn't help!  hehehehe 

AIt's hard to say, if I'm doing the cake as a favor then I try to spend as little time as possible, if it's a cake for my portfolio then I'll try to spend longer. I have done cakes that had intricate icing details that were time intensive, and others that simply needed a few fondant cut outs to be applied. No cake is the same.

hours and hours and hours!

I also only do this very part time and work full time and have two kids.  I am also a crazy perfectionist so I can redo the same darn thing 20 times until I love it.

Generally, I have grand plans to bake and make icing one night, make decorations another night, and fill, cover another night.  But usually it ends up that I bake one night and if I am lucky make the icing.  Then it's make decorations, fill, cover, and decorate all in one night which ends up taking ALL NIGHT!  And my kitchen/table looks like a war zone during all this.

AWell for a long time it took me half as long longer than I thought it would take me!! I'm getting quicker though the fewer mistakes I make and have to fix :-)

For three relatively plain tiers I would probably take about 4 evenings over the period of a week weather and mistakes permitting!

AThanks everyone! Seems like we are all on the same page pretty much...give or take a few details. I have read some bakers can spit one out in two days! My average is three to four days not counting a day for all the things that need made ahead of time. I also read where wedding cakes should take five days. I have an at home businesse and average a cake or cupcakes every week (one order ..two if one is a cake and one is cupcakes) I mask have a four year old who need attention so I feel I am slow go at times. If I charged by the hour it would be $2.00) an hour LOL!!!

yup I'm three to four days working only after my full time job...exhausting!

I bake two days ahead and decorate the day before.

AI would love to see a picture of it when you are done! :-)