How early can I make/decorate a birthday cake?

[hophophippidtyhop]

I usually make the cake and decorate it either on the day or the day before, but I am working the day before dd's cake is needed and have a party that night too! The cake is needed for a sunday, can I make and decorate it on the friday? It will be sponge covered with fondant icing. Would a madiera sponge keep better? I am facing the challenge of a rapunzel tower cake.

Madeira will definitely keep better. In fact, in my experience, Madeira is better if kept for a day or two. Good luck.

Up to four days before is usually OK; it will be fine if you cover soon after baking and then do the fiddly bits later. I would favour a rich chocolate cake over Madeira, which I think could go a bit dry.

I made 2 huge birthday cakes this weekend, princess castle and an in the night garden one, made them both the day before and they got cut the day after the party... no madeira cake.. just a standard 'everything the weight of the eggs' mix, they were still so moist you'd swear they'd just been baked. Add a layer of buttercream/jam in the middle and cover them in buttercream, then the fondant acts as a seal and keeps them fresh for a good few days.

Thanks for all the advice, I'm going to bake the cake in the morning and basic cover in the afternoon when dd2 is asleep. Then I'll do the fiddly/ fun bits after both dd's are in bed. planning on doing some costume changes to a couple of playmobil people to make flynn rider on his horse and the witch. going to stuff a farm girl in the tower window and have an icing mane of hair flowing from her head!

What I've learnt to do is make the cake the day before I want to ice it and then freeze it overnight. It's much easier to put on buttercream and icing when the cake is hard. You can apply pressure without worrying that the cake is too delicate. It's also a lot easier to carve the cake into a shape with a serated knife when it's frozen - if you're doing that at all.

Once the icing is on it seals the cake from the air do will keep perfectly well until Sunday and beyond.

Happy baking!

That's a good tip re: freezing, especially for the tower bit, thanks.