How should I store a cake overnight?

[onedayimightforget]

I've just made the two halves of my daughter's birthday cake (chocolate cake). I'm going to assemble and decorate it tomorrow, I've wrapped each half in cling film, are they better to go in the fridge? Or stay at room temperature?

Room temperature is fine. I've got two sponges ready for making MIL's birthday cake tomorrow.

Second vote for freezing here. I do this when making multi layer cakes e.g. Rainbow cakes etc and it makes the icing so much easier.

I always double wrap in cling film, then one layer of tin foil then in a zip lock bag ( and reuse the latter two!)

I think it makes the cake taste more moist and it makes the dirty icing /crumb layer be less crumb-Y AND set faster.

I would have just put a sheet of baking parchment between the halves and stored them in a cake carrier/tin.

Please don't refrigerate it as it goes stale more quickly in the fridge.

The freezing idea sounds tempting but I don't have room in the freezer. I've got room in the fridge though - would that make it easier to ice over room temp? I'm not using fondant so I'm not sure it will make too much difference.

I don't suppose you're making a Monkey cake for your MIL purple so I could steal your ideas?

Oh that's properly made be laugh! I would love to make a monkey cake for MIL. This is going to be a much more boring plain white fondant with a rennie Mackintosh design on top. I really should have covered it this evening but I sat on the sofa instead.

X post. Not in the fridge then if it makes it go stale faster.

I've just added another layer of cling film for good measure.

I might be up all night waiting for cake to cool as I've got another one still in the oven (for the monkey's ears).

You're all so careful! I just leave the cake in its baking paper and pop it in a cake transporter. Sometimes I even leave it in the cake tin. I've never had a cake go stale overnight!

If you bake with butter, sponge cakes keep very well.

Don't you have a cake carrier or tin?

If you are using buttercream just do a thin "crumb coat" let it set and then do the top coat. You won't get any crumbs mixed in with the icing then.

No, I don't have a cake carrier or a tin. I'm not really a baker, I just want to make my DCs birthday cakes rather than buy them. This year I'm making two - one for her party with friends and one for the family gathering.

I'm using a grass nozzle to pipe the monkey's fur so it doesn't have to look too "perfect".

Did you get any plastic tubs of celebrations etc for Christmas because they make good cake containers? Obviously you need to eat the original content first.

That sounds fab. It will taste far nicer than anything bought. DD used a grass nozzle to pipe this cake. It took ages and she had to keep stopping because her hand started to get cramp.

That looks amazing. Good to know that it might take some time so I can plan for that. I've actually got to make two cakes this year, both of which will be piped with the grass nozzle - the other one is the Cookie Monster (red velvet cake with cream cheese icing coloured blue, and of course some cookies!) My hand will probably be dead by the end of it!

I've currently got a monkey's head in the fridge. It's been sworn at quite a few times while I was trying to get its bastard ears on.

How's your MIL's monkey cake going purple?

Put a bit of bread on it (unless it's GF) and it will be great next day.

Don't refrigerate sponge, dries out quicker.

HTH

Currently crumb coated in the fridge ready for fondant. I should have got it done earlier but have been hampered by all sorts of stupid things-wrong size cake board, discovering the jam was mouldy when I'd got back from shopping so had to go out again and I've just discovered I've run out of red colouring so trying to decide whether to go out for the third time or do blue/purple/pink roses instead. I am normally much more organised than this!

I did a Cookie Monster cake a few years ago-really easy but effective. Grass nozzles are great.

I'm currently piping the fur but it keeps coming out in a point rather than individual strands - is that because it's getting too warm after a while? I'm assuming so, so I've put the piping bag in the fridge to see if that helps.

What nozzle are you using? It should be a proper grass piping nozzle with lots of holes in it. Also, how did you make your butter cream?

We had to keep putting the piping bag in the fridge to harden up a bit because it took so long for DD to pipe her cake, and the buttercream became too soft.

Right, that's all sorted! And now I revert back to my original question, how do I store this over night? For the sake of the icing I would say the fridge would be best but everyone has said that it makes the cake stale. Here it is (in poor light and messy kitchen all around!)

Buttercream is fine at room temperature (an long as your house isn't boiling). Well done! I'm nearly finished with mine. I forgot to save some royal icing before colouring it for the black piping so I need to make some more to colour the leaves and flowers. It looks good but has been more hassle that is thought, mainly due to my own incompetence.

I'd love to see a photo of the finished article if you're happy to share.

I think it was just getting too hot in my hand, putting it in the fridge for a while did the trick. I'm quite proud of my effort. Now to start on the Cookie Monster cake.

Finished! I forgot the red ribbon for around the bottom so it's back to hobbycraft tomorrow but I'm pleased with the result. Hoping (for many reasons) MIL isn't on Mumsnet...

That looks lovely. I see you went out again for the red icing! Does MIL know you're doing her cake? Hoping there's a monkey hiding in there somewhere!