Please advise on the most fantastic cakes that I can make ahead?

[Largepiecesofcrookedwood]

Either a couple days before, or to freeze.
We are holding a coffee morning type affair on Saturday so of course cakes are obligatory. Our target demographic is older so new dangled nonsense like cupcakes aren't a big hit, good old fashioned slices are definitely the preferred mode of serving.

I am working all week and won't get home till 5ish, Friday night will be mostly spent arranging the other elements of the event so baking time will be limited.

I have felt my opposite number in this venture has doubted my abilities in the fundraising department in the past bitch so the pressure is on to make sure I provide several wonderful cakes that don't taste like cardboard

Hopeful bump 😬

ohnonotanotherbakingblog.wordpress.com/tag/lorraine-pascale/
If you scroll down that page there’s a really easy chocolate cake that is a hit every time I make it. But in that recipe she makes it in 2 tins and puts some kind of filling between it. I just lash it in one slightly bigger tin (maybe 26cm?) and cook for the same amount of time and put a chocolate glaze over it (that I buy in the supermarket) and sprinkle hundreds and thousands over it. It’s a really good bake sale cake

Lemon drizzle freezes well - I would do the drizzle but put icing on (if using) after defrosting, if that makes sense. Nigella's Lemon Syrup Loaf Cake is the one I mean.

In my experience, most plain un-iced/un-filled cakes freeze well - things like Madeira cake, Victoria Sponge, etc.

You could also do tray bakes - Mary Berry has loads, and Nigel Slater has a lovely one with ground almonds and raspberries but I'd be hesitant about freezing anything with fruit in it.

Nigella's brownies also freeze very well, but guess that might be a bit too hip/rich for your audience?

This ginger cake keeps beautifully and is at its absolute best about three days after baking.

www.deliaonline.com/recipes/books/delias-cakes/very-fruity-irish-tea-cake

Nigella's clementine and almond cake is best after a few days, it's delicious and different enough to stand out but classic enough that it should be a hit with your demographic.

Hopefully this will help you out OP...my mum’s ‘French Yoghurt Cake’ (recipe of unspecified origin, mum has been making it for ~25 years, have seen various versions over the years but this is my go to cake, no idea where the recipe came from originally!).

Ingredients:
1 small (150g?) pot natural yoghurt (use pot as measure)
2 pots sugar
3 pots SR flour
1 pot sunflower oil
3 eggs (medium but no need to be super fussy, ensure at room temp)
1 tsp baking powder
Dash vanilla essence

Method
Shove everything in mixer or mixing bowl. Beat until smooth. Divide into either 2 x 20cm round cake tins or ~12 cupcake cakes.
Bake for ~20 mins until golden either in the centre of the top oven of an Aga or at Gas 5.

One batch makes a modest height Victoria sponge when filled, if you want extra gravitas just double the mix and use deeper tins (you may need to flatten the top of the cake you use on the bottom, sometimes they rise quite a bit!)
This cake freezes beautifully, doesn’t go grainy or crumbly when defrosted.
Another option is to bake in a loaf tin as it’s easier to freeze (space) and cut slices. One batch per loaf tin. Loaf tin does take a lot longer to bake though (45 mins?) and you may need to turn down the oven/cover the top if it’s browning too much.

Tried and tested variations:
Use lemon esssence instead of vanilla and make either a lemon or lime drizzle (the stickier the better), very good as a loaf shape. I like to grate the zest of the lemon/lime over the top of the cake as it looks pretty, but that’s personal preference! If you are going to freeze the cake then drizzle when defrosted.
Chocolate cake - exchange 1/2 - 1 pot of the flour for cocoa (depending on strength of cocoa), makes lovely chocolate cake (any shape!)
Marble cake, make one batch ‘plain’ and one batch chocolate and swirl together in tin (again works best with loaf style), this will give 2 x marble loaf cakes which are always a hit!
Cupcakes - I often make a plain batch and plonk 1/2 tsp jam in each case on top of the mixture, the jam caramelises a bit on cooking and they’re yummy.

Good luck on Saturday, hope it goes well!!

I bet this would freeze/keep well. I've made it a couple of times, it's lovely. You could maybe do the honey glaze just before it was served?

Thank you 🙏🏼
My fundraising organisational skills will never be called into doubt again

I second Nigella's clementine cake. My 83 year old dad said it's 'to die for'.

And it's gluten free too, in case that's an issue.

Don't be put off by having to cook clementines for hours, you can microwave them in minutes.

Nigella’s pear, pistachio and rose water cake is Devine and a bit unusual. It keeps very well and is a ‘Chuck it all in a food processor and straight into the tin’ job.

Carrot cake ( I do it without the claggy frosting)

Lots of cloves (I use whole cloves and blast them in the food pro then sift out the larger pieces) good load of salt .

Walnuts if you like them

Have a look at M&S recipes. Even their timings are perfect. I love their carrot cake, it's so easy.
6oz light muscovado sugar
3 eggs
6fl oz sunflower oil
6oz coarsely grated carrots
2 ripe bananas ,mashed
2oz chopped walnuts
10oz plain flower
half tsp salt
1tsp bicarb
2tsp baking powder

Beat all ingredients together until smooth, put into a greased 23cm/9" springform tin, Bake at 180 C /350F/ Gas mark 4 for 1 hour 5 mins . Turn out of tin after 10 minutes. Decorate with cream cheese frosting or buttercream. Sprinkle with more chopped walnuts so people know it has nuts in it!

If you want a healthy cake, try this:

300-400 gm dried fruit and nuts, eg raisins and sultanas, cranberries, prunes, dried apricots, figs, dates walnuts

2 eggs
6tblsp brown sugar
6 tblsp plain flour
half tsp baking powder

Cut large fruits up, mix with other fruit.
Beat eggs
and add fruit and nuts
Add dry ingredients, stir well.
Bake in greased loaf tin at 180C for 45 minutes.

This is marvellous, either made as the recipe shows or leave out blackberries and lemon and replace them with glace cherries and almond extract. (No icing for cherry & almond, I put nibbed sugar on, but probably not something in most people's cupboards.)

Gingerbread good too, better for keeping for a few days than making it and cutting it.

Carrot cake also really good - I use a Hummingbird recipe.

I would do a tea bread/loaf, a Victoria sandwich, a chocolate and a lemon drizzle. Tea bread and chocolate best done 24 hours before, others better fresh but can be done in 30 minutes each.

Which ever recipes you chose, presentation is key! Nice plates and cake forks...

Have just realised I didn't actually add link ...

www.puddinglaneblog.co.uk/2014/04/blackberry-yogurt-cake.html

AnnPerkins how long do you microwave the clementines before? I've wanted to do that cake for ages, but been put off by the need to boil the clementines for hours.

Nigella's ginger cake

Mary Berry's cherry cake

I third Nigella's clementine cake. It is absolutely delicious. It's also gluten free - extra brownie points for you. Just microwave them til they're soft and squidgy. Start with 5 mins maybe? Take pips out but that's all.

To be really decadent you can pour melted dark chocolate on top.

Definitely better at least one day old. Very easy!

This is great made the day before www.olivemagazine.com/recipes/baking-and-desserts/raspberry-custard-cake/, you don't have to use fruit and flaked almonds. I use 100g of dark chocolate chips with ready made soya custard and it's amazing the next day (fits in Lakeland traybake tin).

Also, ginger cakes and Parking, both better if made a day or two in advance.

op your going to be the star of the event with all these gorgeous cakes and bakes lol

I make cakes for a local tea room that has a relatively older customer base and strangely enough, they rarely order chocolate cake. They go mad for coffee and walnut which they freeze filled. And lemon and poppyseed is v popular.

out of interest, several comments are about cakes that are best 2-3 days old. Why?

Why are they best after 2-3 days or why are they being suggested?

OP needs to bake her cakes a few days in advance. Moist cakes like the ones suggested above improve in texture with a few days keeping.