Hi guys
So I'm baking a 2 tier cake with four layers each (8layers in total) for my daughter's birthday this Saturday. It will be covered in bc and then fondant
I was initially going to bake and freeze on Wednesday and frost on Thursday and cover in fondant on Friday.
However I'm confused now because I've read a lot of conflicting ideas on freezing. My main concern is a soggy cake after it defrosts or worse, the bc not setting and the fondant becoming a sticky mess. I've never baked on such scale before so I was wondering if I should just skip the freezing as I won't have anytime to re-bake. If so, when should I bake the cake and how should I store them instead?
thanks
Everyone freezes cake! It actually improves the texture and moisture level. Just wrap it well with film wrap (I use two layers), then with foil. If you are going to bake on Wednesday and frost on Thursday, I would just refrigerate because you will barely have time to freeze and thaw the layers before frosting.
I have frozen cake many, many times and have never had it ending up soggy once defrosted. I actually find that a frozen and then defrosted cake is more moist then a freshly baked cake.
But since you are baking on Wednesday and then frosting on Thursday I would do as SandraSmiley said and skip the freezing portion all together. Just wrap each layer really well in cling wrap and refrigerate (or just store in a cool place) until you are ready to frost and decorate.
Ok I'm kind of confused now. I need the cake for Saturday evening and I don't want to be rushing things on Saturday so I thought to bake the cake on Wednesday.
However now im thinking that if I frost it on Thursday and cover it in fondant on Friday then it will just be sitting in the fridge all Friday and Saturday. I'm concerned that it might pick up other food smells (I don't have another fridge, or just something else might go wrong)! but then I'm making 8 layers so it might be too late to bake on Thursday. I'm just not sure what to do!
Sorry for all the questions, I've never baked on this scale.
Thanks
Sarah I have more than 30 yrs experience baking/decorating. Please don't be confused.
Unless you have strong smelling foods in the frig a cake will not pick up odors/smells/tastes. Yes, go ahead and bake on Wednesday. I would recommend fzing overnight - I am a VERY firm believer that fz'ing helps a cake:) YOu don't say how big each tier is (10",12" or ?) Any cake /tier under 14" round or sq should defrost within an hour or so of being at room temp. So take it out of the fzr as soon as you get up for the day and you still will have plenty of time for complete your work :) Unless you are transporting the cake &/or used fillings that need to be kept cold it really does not need to be kept in the frig once it is completed/decorated. And from what I have read on this site if you baked from scratch using butter you do not want to frig it for best taste. Actually tests have shown that frig'ing a cake can dry it out :( Having said that however, I have kept cake (for family) as much as a week in the frig. You know how things get shoved to the back, not see and forgetten and it was fine to our tastes:) Unless it is very hot &/or humid in your home leaving it in a cool, dry, place (on the counter, in a cupboard, in the basement etc) for 2 days will be fine.
Yes there is some conflicting info here but for the most part it is similar..... remember what works best for one person may not work best for *you*.
Oh I just re read your last post and realize the cake will be out from Wed to late Sat......that really is a bit long. The chance keeping any leftover (should there be any) will mean the possibility of dry &/or moldy cake. It's just too long for a good tasting cake to be left out. Fz it! Once it's baked, then also once it has been iced in b'cream. Let it defrost before adding the fondant. Anyhoooo that's what I would do.
Thanks so much for your help. I'm going to get my sister over for some help so I'm thinking to start baking late afternoon on Thursday (since it's a lot of layers) and then wrapping and leaving them in the fridge. I will then ice them on Friday, so crumb coat it, let is set and then finally ice it and leave it in the fridge overnight and then put fondant on it early sat morning and get it all decorated. Does that sound better? I want my cake to be moist and stay fresh!
You have all been so great and helpful your experience is invaluable to be! And I hope to be as good as you guys one day! X
@SarahGill , not to confuse you further, but I would advise crumb coating, chilling, frosting, chilling and covering with fondant all on Thursday so you will have all day Saturday to decorate, unless you are planning very simple decorations. It will make it less stressful for you and insure you have time to enjoy your daughter on Saturday. And, yes, you can keep your fondant covered cake in the refrigerator. It is best if you can put it in a box, but if not, just do not touch it once you remove it from the refrigerator until all of the condensation drys.
Quote by @SandraSmiley on 10 hours ago
@SarahGill , not to confuse you further, but I would advise crumb coating, chilling, frosting, chilling and covering with fondant all on Thursday
Did you mean Friday? Because then it will just be sitting in the fridge all Friday. Also do you think I'll have any problems with condensation? What's the best way to tackle that? Should I just leave it out on the countertop after I take it out of the fridge? And will I need to wipe away the condensation or it will dry out by itself?
Sorry for so many questions!
No, I meant do all the prep work, including covering the cake with fondant on Thursday so you will have all day Friday to do the decorating. That way you will not be rushed trying to decorate on the day of the party. Ideally, the cake would be completely finished on Friday and you could concentrate on other things Saturday.
You still have given no indication as to how you plan to decorate the cake. I would not refrigerate delicate gum paste flowers, but everything else can safely be refrigerated. I always keep my cakes, completely decorated, in the refrigerator until they are ready to be delivered. Yes, the cake will condensate when removed from the refrigerator to room temp. Hopefully, the party will be in an air conditioned area??? You didn't mention that either. NO, do not dry the condensate. Leave the cake on the counter, untouched until the condensate drys, maybe a couple of hours to be on the safe side. DO NOT TOUCH IT! This cake was stored in the refrigerator with all the decorations intact, removed and delivered a little over an hour away and it was almost completely dry by the time we got to the venue.
I totally agree with Sandra. Bake Wednesday. Wrap cooled cakes and leave on your counter. Crumb coat, ice cake, cover with fondant on Thursday. Friday smooth your fondant, add your decorations and finishing touches. Leave finished cake on your counter, or cool dry place. No need to refrigerate if you have AC.
As Sandra stated, waiting till Saturday, day of party is way too stressful. I have decorated a cake fully on a Thursday, for a Saturday event. Perfectly safe. Cake still lovely and moist because it was covered in icing & fondant. Finishing a cake the day before also gives you options if perhaps there's an oops putting the cake together. Time to fix, repair, add extra embellishments if needed.
Thanks guys. @SandraSmiley , sorry I live in London and ac is not a norm for us so i didn't even think to mention it. So no, there's no ac at home or the hall. With the weather how it is, we'd be lucky to get some sun! also my decorations are very simple, a crown cake topper, name plaque and a few flowers. Hopefully it will turn out good so I can post pictures!
Thanks for sharing your cake, it's given me encouragement to decorate the day before!!
Your reply is just now showing up, SarahGill. Hope everything went well and I look forward to seeing your cake!
Hi Sarah
I'm also based in the UK and have my own little (hobby) cake business. I always freeze my cakes because I find it keeps them fresher for longer. The last 4 tier wedding cake was for 8th July and I baked the cakes the week before (I had to rebake the base - don't ask, but that's the joy of baking the cakes well before they're required so you can accommodate any issues). I got up early on Thursday (4am) to defrost the cakes and started decorating them at 10am as I wanted to ensure I had enough time on the friday to decorate them and not to feel rushed. I placed the finished cakes in their respective cake boxes - lids off and left on the counter in the kitchen. This was one of the hottest days here in the UK and they were fine. I hope this helps - but remember, we all have issues with cakes and it's just about knowing how to fix it. I hope your cake turned out beautifully. Best Wishes Michel
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