Helping with timing of making wedding cake (just for cutting)

[lilJenytipple]

I offered to make my brother and his fiance a small (8") wedding cake for cutting and pictures (they are serving guests other desserts). We are both GF so he was excited I was willing to do this and he didn't have to pay high premiums at a GF bakery.

He gave me some flavor requests so I am planning on a GF coconut 2 layer cake with raspberry filling and lemon american buttercream. I'm planning to decorate with food safe edible pressed flowers (grown from my garden).

I am planning to do a trial bake and will be replicating similar timing of how I would have to do it the week of the wedding. i work full time so don't have days to do this in one go.

my plan current plan would be : (Wedding takes place Sat evening)
Tuesday: make raspberry puree, put in fridge
Weds: make buttercream; put in fridge.
Thursday: Make coconut cake; plastic wrap, put in fridge.
Friday: (Travel 2 hours to venue early afternoon) : crumb coat in am? Venue can store in the fridge for us from Friday until needed.

There will be a lot of family members to see so I would like to avoid putting together the entire cake on Saturday.
My questions are:

1. Should I put cake layers in fridge or freezer post-bake until i am ready to do the crumb coat? (So Thursday night until Friday am)

2. Should I do final frost layer prior to us leaving on Friday? OR Frost while we are there on Saturday?

3. Should I add flowers prior to leaving on Friday? OR add flowers when we are there on Saturday? How to adhere the flowers?

4. Do i have to worry about the cake sweating? (and if so, how to avoid?)

The better I can get this timing worked out in my head the less stressed I will be!
Any tips and advice much appreciated!

 

[retired baker]

I offered to make my brother and his fiance a small (8") wedding cake for cutting and pictures (they are serving guests other desserts). We are both GF so he was excited I was willing to do this and he didn't have to pay high premiums at a GF bakery.

He gave me some flavor requests so I am planning on a GF coconut 2 layer cake with raspberry filling and lemon american buttercream. I'm planning to decorate with food safe edible pressed flowers (grown from my garden).

I am planning to do a trial bake and will be replicating similar timing of how I would have to do it the week of the wedding. i work full time so don't have days to do this in one go.

my plan current plan would be : (Wedding takes place Sat evening)
Tuesday: make raspberry puree, put in fridge
Weds: make buttercream; put in fridge.
Thursday: Make coconut cake; plastic wrap, put in fridge.
Friday: (Travel 2 hours to venue early afternoon) : crumb coat in am? Venue can store in the fridge for us from Friday until needed.

There will be a lot of family members to see so I would like to avoid putting together the entire cake on Saturday.
My questions are:

1. Should I put cake layers in fridge or freezer post-bake until i am ready to do the crumb coat? (So Thursday night until Friday am)

2. Should I do final frost layer prior to us leaving on Friday? OR Frost while we are there on Saturday?

3. Should I add flowers prior to leaving on Friday? OR add flowers when we are there on Saturday? How to adhere the flowers?

4. Do i have to worry about the cake sweating? (and if so, how to avoid?)

The better I can get this timing worked out in my head the less stressed I will be!
Any tips and advice much appreciated!

i would bake and chill the cake and filling ahead, then assemble the day before with fresh made buttercream. its just a 8 inch cake, no drama.

 

[Sharzi]

I offered to make my brother and his fiance a small (8") wedding cake for cutting and pictures (they are serving guests other desserts). We are both GF so he was excited I was willing to do this and he didn't have to pay high premiums at a GF bakery.

He gave me some flavor requests so I am planning on a GF coconut 2 layer cake with raspberry filling and lemon american buttercream. I'm planning to decorate with food safe edible pressed flowers (grown from my garden).

I am planning to do a trial bake and will be replicating similar timing of how I would have to do it the week of the wedding. i work full time so don't have days to do this in one go.

my plan current plan would be : (Wedding takes place Sat evening)
Tuesday: make raspberry puree, put in fridge
Weds: make buttercream; put in fridge.
Thursday: Make coconut cake; plastic wrap, put in fridge.
Friday: (Travel 2 hours to venue early afternoon) : crumb coat in am? Venue can store in the fridge for us from Friday until needed.

There will be a lot of family members to see so I would like to avoid putting together the entire cake on Saturday.
My questions are:

1. Should I put cake layers in fridge or freezer post-bake until i am ready to do the crumb coat? (So Thursday night until Friday am)

2. Should I do final frost layer prior to us leaving on Friday? OR Frost while we are there on Saturday?

3. Should I add flowers prior to leaving on Friday? OR add flowers when we are there on Saturday? How to adhere the flowers?

4. Do i have to worry about the cake sweating? (and if so, how to avoid?)

The better I can get this timing worked out in my head the less stressed I will be!
Any tips and advice much appreciated!

I was a cake decorator for 30 years so I'll see if I can help. With wedding cakes, I started 2 weeks in advance. Cake was baked and slightly cooled until they were just warm to the touch. I then wrapped in plastic wrap, put the cake back in the pan or on a cooling rack, then it's frozen. I'll explain my reasoning for that in a moment.

All flowers were piped from buttercream 2 weeks in advance to give them time to dry enough to remove from wax paper/parchment and be able to handle them, or I made them the night before when I decorated each tier... but... I tend to do thing ahead of time so there are no surprises or mishaps the day of.

DO NOT refrigerate the fully decorated cake. You can however, do the crumb coat then frost once you're at the venue or wherever you'll be able to complete the cake.

Now, the reason I freeze the layers. I take them while frozen, dust off all the crumbs, and that's when I frost the cake. Once frosted, as the cake is defrosting, the cake will reabsorb the moisture and make for a very moist cake. That's what you want.

If you're traveling 2 hours, I would frost the cake before you leave (crumb coat, but you won't have the crumbs if you frost it while frozen). I would leave super early to get there in enough time to do the rest because this is not something you can really do last minute. In this case, since you're traveling, make the flowers a couple weeks ahead, store in a flat container/box and bring them with you. To attach, just add a little icing on the back of each flower.

If you do everything the way I mentioned, you shouldn't have sweating... but... that will depend. I saw where someone was bringing cookies to a show and it would be 100 degrees. In that case, there isn't a whole lot one can do. Just be sure the cake is not stored in the fridge. That will definitely cause sweating/condensation.

 

[lilJenytipple]

Thanks so much for your advice!
So just some follow up questions:
We plan to travel two hours to the wedding but will be doing that the day before.
Do i have this sequence right:
Week before: bake cake, freeze layers in plastic wrap
Friday (day of leaving): morning: remove from freezer, add filling, crumb coat, place in cooler for travel
arrival at venue: place in fridge
day of wedding: morning or early afternoon: final coat of frosting, then add flowers. (flowers will be dried, not made from frosting). back into fridge and remove two hours before eating.
Does that sound about right?

 

[Sharzi]

Never place a frosted cake in a refrigerator, freezer or cooler. This is if you're going the day before.

1. Bake cake the week before, wrap layers in plastic wrap and freeze either in the pans you baked them in, or on some sort of solid, flat surface.

2. Travel to your destination with cake layers in cooler. If you have a freezer available, I would freeze them again. Once frozen, remove layers, brush off any crumbs, pipe a large circle of frosting around the edge of the bottom layer, add filling to the middle, crumb coat, and at this point I would add my final layer of frosting. Leave the cake out (the frosting will seal the cake in - do not refrigerate or freeze).

3. Day of wedding - add flowers, and leave out until ready to cut/serve.

 

[Mona]

It sounds like you’ve got a beautiful plan in place! A coconut, raspberry, and lemon GF wedding cake with edible flowers sounds absolutely amazing. Here are some thoughts on your timing and process:

1. Cake Layers – Fridge or Freezer: I’d recommend putting your cake layers in the freezer after baking (Thursday night) and leaving them there until you’re ready to crumb coat on Friday morning. Freezing the layers helps lock in moisture, makes them easier to handle, and reduces the risk of crumbling when frosting. Just take them out an hour or so before crumb coating to let them thaw slightly for easier application.
2. Final Frost Layer – Before or After Travel: I’d suggest doing the crumb coat on Friday morning before you leave and then applying the final frost layer after you arrive at the venue on Friday. This way, your buttercream will look fresher and you won’t have to worry about the cake being jostled or damaged during the drive.
3. Flowers – Friday or Saturday: I would recommend adding the flowers on Saturday at the venue. This way, they’ll look vibrant and fresh for the big day. To adhere them, you can use a small dab of buttercream or edible glue to gently attach the flowers to the cake. Just make sure the flowers are thoroughly dry to avoid any wilting.
4. Cake Sweating: Cakes can sweat when they’re transferred from a cold fridge to a warmer room. To minimize this, once your cake is in the fridge at the venue, I’d try to keep it there until closer to serving time. If it does sweat, don’t worry too much—it usually dries on its own. Just avoid touching the cake until it’s fully dry, as touching the buttercream can leave marks.

Your timeline looks solid, and with the prep work you’re doing, it’ll make things much smoother for the big day. Good luck—your brother and his fiancée are lucky to have you baking for them!