I'm new at this!  My cakes with dirty icing in freezer: 3 layers, 12, 8, 5 inch all 4 inch high

• How long to defrost before starting on them?
• Can I put an additional 2nd layer of light buttercream frosting on & firm in fridge before using fondant?
• Best way to roll out fondant to cover cake: crisco, powdered sugar, cornstarch?
• When each layer is covered with fondant can I stack them & decorate them day before wedding and then how do I store finished cake until the next day? Or should I wait and stack and finish the morning of wedding?
• I don't have boxes and was planning on doing a light wrapping with freezer paper stapled around edges to keep air out night before.  Ideas?

Fondant Flowers:

• Best combination for flowers 50/50 70/30 mixture of fondant & gum paste?
• After flowers are made how long can I store them?
• Should they be stored in dry Wilton flower storage containers?

Thank you

• How long to defrost before starting on them?
• Answer:  They should defrost within a few hours.  Of course the 12" will take at least an hour longer than the others.  You might want to take them from the fzr to the frig overnight.
  
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• Can I put an additional 2nd layer of light buttercream frosting on & firm in fridge before using fondant?
• Answer:Yes you can put more b'cream on but no need to firm it up in the frig.
  
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• Best way to roll out fondant to cover cake: crisco, powdered sugar, cornstarch?
• Answer: I found a very, very thin coating of crisco worked best for me.   Others use a 1/2 & 1/2 sugar, cornstarch mixture.  
  
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• When each layer is covered with fondant can I stack them & decorate them day before wedding and then how do I store finished cake until the next day? Or should I wait and stack and finish the morning of wedding?
• Answer:  Yes you can stack & decorate the day before.  Store at room temp unless filling needs to be frig'd.
  
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• I don't have boxes and was planning on doing a light wrapping with freezer paper stapled around edges to keep air out night before.  Ideas?
• Answer:  Probably a very light weight plastic tablecloth would work well.  I don't like staples around cake as one could very easily get lost and someone choke on it :(

Fondant Flowers:

• Best combination for flowers 50/50 70/30 mixture of fondant & gum paste?
• Answer:   Depends on the flowers.  I usually use fondant w/a little tylose added.  Lackiing Tylose use 25/75 or 50/50.
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• After flowers are made how long can I store them?
• Answer:  Forever as long as they are kept out of light.
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• Should they be stored in dry Wilton flower storage containers?
• Answer: That's as good as any.   Even just lightly covered on a cookie sheet or in a cake box is fine.

Just curious who is this cake for?

Thank you so so so much. I really appreciate the help. It's rather frustrating when one instruction book tells you to use crisco to roll out your fondant but then another says corn starch or powdered sugar.

I purchased the Tylose Powder to use as an adhesive to attach flowers.  If I use the Tylose with the fondant for flowers how much Tylose should I use with the fondant? (percentage)

Also, the instructions tell you how to make the paste.  To use it as an adhesive should I just add water like the instructions I have for using gum paste?

The Tylose instructions mention using in fondant for drapes.  I would expect to use "much less" in the fondant for drapes since I would want the drapes to be softer and not harden like a flower.

Again, I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help.  I did a lot of searching on the forum boards and got a few different ideas.  Some appear to be personal preference.  I have used fondant one time before on my grandson's graduation cake.  I built it to look like the map of CA and OR since he was going of to college in Oregon.  It's been a few years so I don't remember a lot. 

This cake is for my grandson's friends wedding.  It's just a small wedding in the home.  I'm a pretty good cook and have done a lot of entertaining over the years and do quite well with deserts but I've never done much in the way of baking until the last couple of years.  My grandson and I love watching cooking shows and of course he thinks I'm the best cook in the world.  I've been watching more baking shows lately and going on-line to try different recipes and learn more about baking.  My next step is to buy "The Cake Bible".  I was told it is the best for learning about the basics of baking.  (If you have any other suggestions that would be great.) My grandson called and asked if I would make their wedding cake.  I thought it was the perfect opportunity to give it a shot.  I've had enough experience to try it out and I'm sure I won't make any HUGE mistakes.

I found this website in my many Internet searches regarding the use of fondant, etc.  I just joined two days ago and so far am soooooo happy with how helpful everyone is.

...........rather frustrating when one instruction book tells you to use crisco to roll out your fondant but then another says corn starch or powdered sugar........

Part of the reason the the differences is the weather in your area, then the differences in the brands/recipes of fondant used.  What works for one person doesn't always work for another person.   

.....purchased the Tylose Powder to use as an adhesive to attach flowers.  If I use the Tylose with the fondant for flowers how much Tylose should I use with the fondant? (percentage).........

What are you attaching the flowers to here?  It's hard to say a ratio of how much Tylose to add to make flowers - I can't remember ever measuring - I would take about a base ball size lump of fondant and just add maybe 1/8  teaspoon Tylose - or just enough to make it start to tighten up as I kneaded it together.   I have never used Tylose as an adhesive ..... no idea how to make it.  Usually all I do to stick petal to petal etc is very lightly brush with a bit of water - just enough to dampen.  You could melt a bit of fondant in the water - that helps make it a bit more 'sticky'.  

Hope this helps :)