Hi everyone... just discovered this fantastic forum....
I'm a mad home baker and over the last 2 years, have been making celebration cakes for family and friends, with a few external orders recently, too!
My own wedding is coming up (March 5th, 2016) and have decided, after poor communication from the person initially booked to make my cake, to just make it myself...
My usual process for making tiered cakes is:
2 days beforehand - bake cakes
1 day beforehand - torte cakes, crumb coating, thick buttercream coating, dripping ganache (if using) stack cakes (with dowels and cake boards)
Day of event - garnish with fresh fruit/flowers/etc.
Our wedding will be on a Saturday -late afternoon/early evening... I'll take the Thursday and Friday off from work, but I'll need to be setting up the venue with my fiance all day Friday (it's very much a DIY affair)....
I plan on making my family's favourite carrot cake (with lots of spices, diced pineapple, shredded coconut, glace ginger, macadamias and pistachios). I usually make this with a honey cream cheese frosting.
My questions are:
1) Will this be suitable to make a few weeks in advance and freeze. If so, are there any tips/tricks I should be aware of (other than making sure the cakes are very well sealed with cling film)
2) I've read of some ppl layering and frosting cakes from frozen... is there anything I should know about if I do this?
3) If I frost the frozen cakes on Thursday, and leave to defrost slowly in the fridge until Saturday morning when I I garnish - will the cakes have defrosted completely? Will the frosting be affected by the thawing cakes? I plan to do everything (frost (semi-naked), add dripping salted caramel and stack cakes on the Thursday, drive the cakes over Friday morning with my fiance, then Saturday morning add some fresh fruit and flowers (should take me an hour, tops on Saturday - so I don't think it will interfere with my getting ready. We will be staying at the venue Friday night and not leaving til Sunday))
4) Melbourne (Australia) weather is notorious for being unpredictable and changeable... March the 5th is the very start of our Autumn (Fall) - weather can be anything from 20 degrees C and pouring rain, to 40 degrees C with bushfire danger... How does cream cheese frosting hold up to hot weather (I usually use Swiss meringue frosting as I find this has good stability - but I don't think the texture/taste will compliment a carrot cake in the same way as cream cheese frosting).
If there are any other suggestions or ideas I would love to hear them - or let me know if there's anything about my plans that you think won't work...
Thank you sooooo much in advance!
Nicole
I'm a mad home baker and over the last 2 years, have been making celebration cakes for family and friends, with a few external orders recently, too!
My own wedding is coming up (March 5th, 2016) and have decided, after poor communication from the person initially booked to make my cake, to just make it myself...
My usual process for making tiered cakes is:
2 days beforehand - bake cakes
1 day beforehand - torte cakes, crumb coating, thick buttercream coating, dripping ganache (if using) stack cakes (with dowels and cake boards)
Day of event - garnish with fresh fruit/flowers/etc.
Our wedding will be on a Saturday -late afternoon/early evening... I'll take the Thursday and Friday off from work, but I'll need to be setting up the venue with my fiance all day Friday (it's very much a DIY affair)....
I plan on making my family's favourite carrot cake (with lots of spices, diced pineapple, shredded coconut, glace ginger, macadamias and pistachios). I usually make this with a honey cream cheese frosting.
My questions are:
1) Will this be suitable to make a few weeks in advance and freeze. If so, are there any tips/tricks I should be aware of (other than making sure the cakes are very well sealed with cling film)
2) I've read of some ppl layering and frosting cakes from frozen... is there anything I should know about if I do this?
3) If I frost the frozen cakes on Thursday, and leave to defrost slowly in the fridge until Saturday morning when I I garnish - will the cakes have defrosted completely? Will the frosting be affected by the thawing cakes? I plan to do everything (frost (semi-naked), add dripping salted caramel and stack cakes on the Thursday, drive the cakes over Friday morning with my fiance, then Saturday morning add some fresh fruit and flowers (should take me an hour, tops on Saturday - so I don't think it will interfere with my getting ready. We will be staying at the venue Friday night and not leaving til Sunday))
4) Melbourne (Australia) weather is notorious for being unpredictable and changeable... March the 5th is the very start of our Autumn (Fall) - weather can be anything from 20 degrees C and pouring rain, to 40 degrees C with bushfire danger... How does cream cheese frosting hold up to hot weather (I usually use Swiss meringue frosting as I find this has good stability - but I don't think the texture/taste will compliment a carrot cake in the same way as cream cheese frosting).
If there are any other suggestions or ideas I would love to hear them - or let me know if there's anything about my plans that you think won't work...
Thank you sooooo much in advance!
Nicole