Courtney has shared many of her delicious recipes, but today she is breaking it down to cake making basics. In order to have success, follow these steps.
Freezing Individual Cake Layers
• You can bake your cake layers up to a month in advance. After the cake layers are completely cooled, wrap each cake layer individually with 2 layers of plastic wrap, followed by tin foil. If the cake can fit, you can also place each cake layer in it`s own zip lock bag.
• If you just want to store your cake layers for a few days, still wrap each cake layer in plastic wrap two times, but you can skip the foil and zip lock bag.
• To thaw the individual cake layers, take them out of the freezer a couple hours before you plan to stack and decorate, keeping the plastic wrap on until go-time.
Freezing Completed Cakes
• You can also freeze completely finished cakes. After you decorate your cake, put it in the freezer for a couple hours to set the buttercream. When the buttercream is set, wrap the entire cake with plastic wrap a couple times, followed by tin foil if the cake needs to be stored for more than a few days.
• The night before you plan to serve the cake, transfer the cake from the freezer to the refrigerator to start thawing. Keep the plastic wrap on.
• Moving the cake right from the freezer to room temperature will cause some condensation and you`ll get some water drops on your cake. If you`re using fondant, this will cause water droplets between the buttercream and fondant and you`ll start to get bubbles in your fondant.
• About 4 to 5 hours before serving the cake, transfer the cake from the refrigerator to the counter. Remove the plastic wrap and put the cake in an airtight container or box to retain freshness.
Transporting Cakes
• First, before you start decorating your cake, you`ll want to tape two cake boards together for your base. The first cake board should be the same size as the cake layers. Place that cake board on top of a cake board that is one size bigger. Having this larger cake board under your cake will allow you to move it in and out of the freezer during decorating without damaging the frosting. You`ll also use this larger cake board to help secure the cake in a cake box for transporting.
• Additionally, your cakes will transport best if they`re still chilled. I usually have mine in the refrigerator until it`s time to deliver.
• When it`s time to travel with your cake, place the cake in a cake box. I like the two piece Wilton cake boxes. Depending on the size of the box and the size of your larger cake board, you may be able to slide the cake into the box and see that the larger board fits nice and snug inside. If the cake board is smaller than the box, make sure to tape the sides of the cake board to the bottom of the box.
You can find more about Courtney here.
