How far in advance can you bake a wedding cake?
Any cake can be baked a week in advance, and if using one of these types of frosting, it can be frosted and decorated as well, so long as it is kept refrigerated between 30 and 45 degrees F. If you plan to decorate your cake with fondant icing—a thick sugar paste—decorate the cake within a day or two of the wedding.
How far in advance can you make a fruit cake?
Planning Up to three months ahead : fruit cakes can be made up to three months in advance and need to be fed with brandy every four to five days. Two weeks ahead : cover the fruit cake with marzipan.
Can you make a cake ahead of time and frost it?
When your cake is fully thawed, you can decorate it with frosting. Frosted cakes may also be frozen, but any decorations may get squished in the freezer. It is often best to freeze a cake unfrosted then frost it on the day you serve it. For those with a busy lifestyle, making a cake ahead of time can be a wonderful option.
How far in advance can I make a custom cake layer?
Cake layers can be made a few weeks in advance as long as they cool completely before wrapping in plastic wrap and foil and frozen. Thaw in the fridge a day before icing so the cakes can defrost slowly.
How do you store a wedding cake before the wedding?
Keeping Traditions: How to Preserve Your Wedding CakeRemove all flowers and adornments from the wedding cake. ... Chill the wedding cake in the refrigerator. ... Wrap the cake in plastic wrap and place it in your freezer inside an airtight container. ... Thaw the cake in the refrigerator for about 24 hours.More items...•
How long can a wedding cake last before the wedding?
Typically, a cake will only stay fresh for up to three or four days before the moisture is drawn out and the texture becomes drier. A cake can last in a fridge for a little bit longer if it has been frosted as the frosting keeps the moisture in the sponge.
How far in advance can you stack a tiered cake?
To avoid cracking the icing, tiers should be stacked while the icing is freshly done. Alternatively, you can wait for at least 2 days after icing the tiers before stacking. The only time full dowelling is not necessary for a stacked construction is if the lower tiers are a firm fruit cake or carrot cake.
Can I make a cake 3 days in advance?
Un-iced: If you don't need to ice your cake until the day, you can bake your cake at least 2-3 days ahead of time. But you will need to store it carefully. Wrap it and seal it in an airtight container so it doesn't lose moisture.
Can I decorate a cake 2 days in advance?
Storing at Room Temperature If you're baking your cakes a day or two ahead of decorating day, you can store them at room temperature as long as they're wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.
How do you transport a 3 tier stacked wedding cake?
How to Transport a Tiered Wedding CakeDo all the decorating prior to stacking the tiers. ... Stack the tiers of your cake at home. ... Properly dowel the cake tiers. ... Chill the cake for 24 hours. ... Use non-skid padding. ... Make your car cold. ... Drive like no one else is on the road.More items...•
Do you put a cake board between tiers?
Before you can stack a cake, all of the layers must be leveled, even and finished with buttercream or fondant. Every tier should be on a cake board (cardboard round or other shape), and the bottom tier should be on a thicker cake board to support all of that weight.
How do you transport a buttercream wedding cake?
3:2710:41How to Transport Cakes - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou could buy this nice big thick cardboard heavy-duty sleeve. And there's let's bring it up andMoreYou could buy this nice big thick cardboard heavy-duty sleeve. And there's let's bring it up and over actually fit up and over the box okay.
Cake Keeps Refrigerated for Seven Days
If properly refrigerated, the cake itself as well as buttercream and cream cheese frosting will keep for up to seven days. Any cake can be baked a week in advance, and if using one of these types of frosting, it can be frosted and decorated as well, so long as it is kept refrigerated between 30 and 45 degrees F.
Fondant Should Never be Refrigerated
If you plan to decorate your cake with fondant icing—a thick sugar paste—decorate the cake within a day or two of the wedding. Homemade fondant has a shelf life of about three days unrefrigerated. If you refrigerate or freeze fondant, it will crack and be ruined.
Bottom Line
It is always safe to bake the cake up to a week in advance and refrigerate it in the meantime. However, how far in advance you can decorate the cake depends on what type of frosting or icing you plan to use.
How to Properly Store a Cake in Advance
In order to keep your cake fresh for 2-3 days before serving, you should store it unfrosted in an airtight container at room temperature. Ideally, you should cover it in plastic wrap before placing it into the container so it won’t lose any moisture. Be sure to allow your cake to fully cool before storing it.
Save Time and Stress in the Kitchen
For those with a busy lifestyle, making a cake ahead of time can be a wonderful option. This will allow any birthdays or celebrations to run more smoothly, as you won’t be rushing in the kitchen to get everything done in time.
Unfrosted
If you don't intend to frost the cake until the day of the event, you can bake it up to a week in advance. Allow the cake to cool completely according to recipe directions. Tightly wrap each layer in plastic wrap, making sure that no part of the cake is exposed to air.
Frosted
If you wish to frost your cake in advance, bake and frost it no more than 5 days before the event. The frosting acts as a barrier for the cake, sealing in moisture and preventing it from drying out. Luckily, plastic wrap isn't necessary to store a frosted cake for just a few days so you won't mess up your beautifully decorated confection.
Refrigerated
Although cakes can remain safely at room temperature for up to a week, you should store them in the refrigerator if you wish to prepare them more than 3 days in advance of the event. Tightly wrap the cake in plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out or absorbing odd flavors from the fridge.
Frozen
If you're someone who likes to plan ahead, you can bake a cake up to several months in advance and freeze it until you're ready to use it. Allow the cake to cool completely before storing them to avoid freezer burn.
