Daughter gets married in less than 2 weeks now! I am making the cake....4 layers of chocolate cake with buttercream between the layers and icing. Very plain because their cake topper is the 'wow' piece.
I think it would be OK to make the cake today and freeze it? And I am going to freeze them unlevelled aren't I?
I'm making Takaka ginger slice as well as caramel slice and lolly log to cut up very small and have with tea and coffee after dessert. I can make the bases and freeze them? I've never frozen lolly log before...can it be frozen?
Thanks for any advice! Gosh this is nerve racking!

Edited by shepa1 at 3:15 pm, Mon 1 Apr

shepa1 - 2019-04-01 15:14:00

Lolly log can definitely be frozen

bubblegirlblack - 2019-04-01 16:03:00

Thanks for that. I will start with lolly cake. But I must not pick at the lollies as I have a dress to fit into!
Edited to ask, so I make it as usual and roll it in coconut before freezing I assume?

Edited by shepa1 at 4:44 pm, Mon 1 Apr

shepa1 - 2019-04-01 16:43:00

Make lollycake as usual and cut up then freeze.
I think the caramel slice would be best made a few days before. I don't know what Takaka ginger slice is, sorry.
I don't see any reason that the cakes cannot be frozen also - sponges freeze and defrost fine. Just be aware of any ice crystals making the cake wet, maybe ...

bisloy - 2019-04-01 16:56:00

Make the cakes up to 10 days beforehand, chill, then do a "crumb crust" of a thin buttercream layer before freezing them (very well covered). You can level, if needed, before the crumb crust.

The thawing should be done carefully, preferably in a spare room, and well covered by "tea showers" or similar held well up from cakes. Make sure there's no excess "bloom" or apparent liquid before starting to finish the cake (pat very gently with paper towels, if need be).

Edited by autumnwinds at 5:56 pm, Mon 1 Apr

autumnwinds - 2019-04-01 17:55:00

I'm going to make the lolly log, but won't be cutting it up....far too tempting I'm afraid!

shepa1 - 2019-04-01 18:23:00

I have had no issues freezing cakes, I cover in a layer of gladwrap and then 2 layers of foil make sure they are tightly covered. Thaw them on the bench slowly day before you want to decorate. Check for exess moisture but I have not found any on the cakes I have frozen (includes a chocolate mudcake, lemon velvet and a vanilla cake are the most common ones.) Can do all the usual crumb coat and decorating after they are thawed, leveling can often be easier while still frozen. This has worked for me several times. If you are unsure make a cake and do a test run, freeze and thaw etc, often that is the best way to try first. :) good luck and yep nerve wracking for sure.

madj - 2019-04-01 18:25:00

Yes just make it as usual. I would freeze in a log rather than cutting it. It's quite easy to cut from frozen

bubblegirlblack - 2019-04-01 19:00:00

Thank you everyone. Lolly log is in the freezer (except for one log which 'disappeared' )
Takaka ginger slice is a recipe I thought I got off here. Sorry to the original poster for no credit....
TAKAKA GINGER SLICE
Yep, some okay, some not very nice and a couple quite good.

My end result and now currently favour this recipe for the base but another recipe for the topping (both below), so to share and it came from here in TM...

The Base is from TAKAKA OATY GINGER CRUNCH from The Wholemeal Cafe, Takaka, Golden Bay. Unsure where the Topping came from but was TM also.

Melt:
150 gm butter
2 Tablespoons golden syrup (try to be precise - hold the spoon in boiling water before measuring golden syrup)
3/4 cup brown sugar

Mix together:
3/4 cup coconut
1 & 1/2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup flour
1& 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1& 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

Combine wet & dry mixes
Press into 20 x 20 cm pan
Bake 180* C for 25 minutes
When cool, ice

Now the Topping....
150g butter
60ml (4 Tablespoons) golden syrup
300g icing sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons ground ginger

To make the topping, put butter and golden syrup in a medium saucepan and heat until just melted.
Add the sifted icing sugar and ground ginger and cook for a further 1-2 minutes stirring constantly until smooth.
Remove from the heat and pour over cooled base.
Cut into squares when set but still a little bit warm.
Leave to set and Enjoy!

I'm pretty sure it would freeze without the icing for a few days? Wedding is on Friday 12th

shepa1 - 2019-04-06 16:04:00

Wedding is over! Went brilliantly, except it wen too fast and I want to do it all over again :-)
I froze the cakes and cut them up/buttercream iced them on Wednesday evening for Friday wedding and they were great. Got many compliments about the wedding cake so that was a relief.
Only thing that went wrong was the freezer was on coldest setting possible so the ice cream for the icecream sundaes was rock solid. Never mind, most people had another drink and waited til they softened a wee bit.
I did my usual and totally over-catered but never mind. Have enough icecream, icecream sauce and fizzy drink to cater another wedding but I'm sure we;ll manage to munch our way through it!
Oh and the lolly bar went down extremely well Was funny watching trendy Wellington hipsters filling up their pink organza bag with sweets.

shepa1 - 2019-04-15 16:32:00