How far in advance do you bake?

[SilentBoob]

Okay, scones are very last minute. Is it Mary Berry who says you should start making scones as the first guest rings the doorbell?

But what about cakes? Biscuits? Traybakes?

If you were having people for tea at 4pm, would you do any baking the day before or does it all need to be done on the day?

Are some things better for being done in advance? I wonder if ginger cake or banana bread might be?

Is that right about scones?

I would do biscuits on the day, but several hours in advance to make sure they have time to cool. Anything light and airy I'd also do on the day to prevent it drying out if I were having guests (but I'd happily eat any leftovers myself the next day). Heavier, moist cakes, like ginger bread, banana bread, spice loaf, parkin or even a lemon cake actually benefit from being made a day or so in advance in my experience, especially the spiced ones - the flavours mingle better.

I'd never ice anything in advance, though. If needing to work ahead I'd make the cake in advance but leave the icing till fairly last minute.

Well, perhaps not quite as the doorbell rings! but yes, scones are best very fresh out of the oven. Not hot, but still slightly warm. Mmmmm.

Interesting Naoko. How about Bakewell tarts?

Right.

Chocolate fudge cakes in the freezer. An experiment.
Icing in the freezer. Also an experiment.

Ginger treacle traybake in the freezer. I am assured it is actually better for being frozen.

Bakewell tarts the day before? You think?

Lemon crunch cake on the morning.

Scones an hour before they arrive.