I’m a big advocate of cake making as a means to reduce stress and have fun. That said, I know how incredibly stressful cake can be when you’re running short on time and/or things just aren’t going the way you wanted – especially if said cake is an order. I can remember many stressful nights (and even a few panic attacks) from my years of running a cake business from home and most of them stemmed from not giving myself enough time to enjoy the process. Can you relate? In hopes of sparing you some of that added stress, I’ve put together my best tips for making a timeline and working ahead. This way, maybe you won’t find yourself up at 2am agonizing over an unfinished cake!
First, let’s talk about some make ahead tips for baking cake layers, making frosting, and storing it all so it’s ready to go when you’re ready to decorate. There are a few different methods and preferences on the subject that vary from baker to baker, and the purpose of this post is to talk about my own preferred methods. I’ve gathered them all in the video below, so give it a watch before reading on to commit these make ahead tips to memory.
And side note: if you’re wanting to learn more Cake Basics, be sure to check out my YouTube channel and hit the Subscribe button so you never miss a new one. In addition to the basics, you’ll also find my favorite recipes and cake decorating tutorials to broaden your skill set!
The Short Answer: Yes, You Can The good news is that even if you buy a cake the day before an event, it will still have a flavorful and fresh taste when you cut into it.
Storing Unfrosted Cake Layers
When you’re building a cake, it’s ultra important that your cake layers are room temperature and not even a little bit warm (trust me, your frosting will melt). Because of this, you’ve got to give your cakes a few hours to cool after they come out of the oven. This means padding in those extra hours of cooling time into your overall timeline, which can end up taking a lot of your day if you’re doing all of it the day of. Instead, there are a few options for baking your cake layers and storing them properly so they’re ready to go on decorating day:
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.
Just be sure to wait until they’re completely cooled before wrapping them in plastic wrap, as the steam from a hot cake layer can create excess condensation in the storage process. Nobody wants a soggy cake!
If you’re baking your cakes more than two days ahead of time, I recommend freezing your cake layers. Again, it’s important that you let the cakes cool completely before wrapping them up. As long as you wrap them properly, they will keep for up to two months in the freezer and once thawed will taste just as fresh as the day you baked them! Talk about a cake hack.
To ensure they stay extra fresh, I like to wrap the cake layers in one layer of plastic wrap, then one layer of aluminum foil, then place them into a ziploc bag (or other airtight container that can go in the freezer). When you’re ready to use them, simply take the cake layers out of the freezer the day before decorating to thaw them.
Remove them from the ziploc bag, but keep them in their aluminum foil/plastic wrap covering. This way, any excess condensation will escape and gather on top of the foil, which acts as a barrier to keep the cake beneath it from getting soggy. Then, on decorating day, remove all the wrapping and you’ll have your cake layers thawed and ready to go!
Now, the secret of a cake business is time management. Do you want to work 24 hours straight, with no sleep, to fill a cake order? I know I certainly don’t!
There is a very simple rule of thumb that many Cake Decorators use, to get your cakes baked and decorated, stress-free.
The idea for 4 Day Cake rule, is that you are not doing any decorating on the delivery day. This is leaving time for any ‘what if’s’ or ‘just in case’. I would hate to say the word ‘Cake Disaster’, but yes, if this happens, you need to have time up your sleeve!
And no cake decorator should be. Getting your workload, so that you are not over worked, having sleepless nights or (God forbid) have a cake disaster that needs fixing at the last minute!
When you are talking about slightly larger cakes, tiered cakes or fondant decorated cakes, then the 4 Day Cake Rule Applies.
How Far In Advance Can You Bake Cakes? | When To Start Decorating Cakes
FAQ
How far in advance should I buy a cake?
Can you pick up a cake the day before an event?
How do you store a cake the day before?
Can you make a cake a day in advance?
Is it better to bake a cake a day ahead of time?
It will taste better made one day ahead of the party. I’d say it depends on how much time you have! I usually have to bake at least a few days ahead of time so I freeze mine.
Can You bake a cake before decorating day?
Instead, there are a few options for baking your cake layers and storing them properly so they’re ready to go on decorating day: 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.
Can you make a butter cake in advance?
The great news is that butter cakes are happily made in advance, as they last longer than sponge cakes. You can comfortably make a butter cake two to three days in advance or up to a month ahead if you freeze the cake. How Do You Store a Butter Cake? How you store your butter cake depends on the frosting.