How far ahead can I make iced sugar cookies and cupcakes?

M

mariadnoca

Moderator
It's a tradition now that I make every kid in the family sugar cookies shaped like their birthday number. I tend to end up icing the day before and the icing often isn't quite set for stacking/travel by the next day. (Plus, by then I hate that I offered to make them b/c I forget icing is such a pain.) However, I'm always worried about freshness, so tend to make this same mistake over and over. I want that to stop. Plus, we are thinking of putting them in goodie bags this time, so ahead of time so we can pre-bag them up with ribbons would be better. What is the magic window where these will be fresh, but firm enough for travel?

I'd like to do them as far ahead as possible this go round because I'm almost ready (90%) to offer to do cupcakes as well, which with my bad feet and need to pace myself is likely crazy. Nothing new there though.

I'm thinking I can make the cupcakes ahead, freeze them, then iced them - what? the day before? Is that too soon? Too late? I'm going to have to find some sort of way to transport them in boxes b/c I'd need to make at least 50 and I don't have much flat trunk space so firmer set up icing would be better -- so should it sit up a day or so? (This party is in a pubic park 20+ mins away and I've also been asked to come a few hrs early to help set up.)

FYI, once done nothing will fit in the fridge.

 
How wonderful that you have this tradition. Can you possibly go in the other direction, bringing the

components to the party and icing them on the spot? The kids could help. You wouldn't get the professional-looking results you would do on your own but it could be a fun experience for the group and take some of the pressure off you.

I'm assuming there would be picnic table space if not fridge space.

 
RE Cupcakes - I just made 60 for a birthday party at the safari. They

were fine. I made several different animals. I made the cupcakes way before and frosted them
the day before. I used buttercream frosting - several different colors as per animals.
The buttercream hardens up very quickly. I didn't
put them in the fridge at all because I did not
have room for 60 animals there. So as far as the
cupcakes go - I would use buttercream.

I have been trying to get pictures up but haven't succeeded this time.

Good luck.

 
Maria, you'd do well to invest in one of those cupcake carrier/stacker things - you can get them

pretty cheap at JoAnnes fabric store or Michaels using their weekly coupons.

Your local cake supply store (and I think Michaels carries them now), are the cupcake carriers - basically a big white bakery-type box with a cardboard insert where each cupcake will be held upright and apart from each other. They look like this:
http://www.cupcakeboxesdirect.com/24-window-medium-cupcake-box-2-15-pc-x-25units.html

You don't want 24 boxes, but you can buy them individually pretty cheap.

As for the cookies, I make them ahead and freeze. Let sit out of the freezer until room temp, then frost two days ahead if I'm bagging them - 1-1/2 days anyway, to be sure it's set well.

 
I do have one cupcake carrier that holds 24, but I'm thinking it will be 50+

in addition to the cake for the 1 yro old to destroy. Not sure if the double-decker holder will allow for tall icing though - and I'm too cheap to buy boxes just for travel. I'm thinking bus trays or cardboard soda case boxes will work for the rest. I'm just worried because the bucket style seats tilt, which has been the downfall of many a food item in my life.

If I can find a push printed cutter like the one in the video at 1:40, I'd like to add fondant butterflies as garnish on top of a swirl icing (did I mention it's a fairy theme?) I haven't been able to find anything like it online - I normally never do fondant. Anyone have a source for this kinda thing?

http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-use-fondant-cutters

 
If they were older it could be a fun project...

but it will be several ages with the birthday girl being only 1 yro. Plus, they have an actor in a fairy costume coming that will do projects/balloons animals/face painting/etc to entertain the little ones. Also, an adult would need to supervise all that, and I love them all, but that's not going to be me.

Most here will be adults, and I'm going to want a glass of wine!

PS
That number cookie thing is something my mom started with the grandkids and I copied her for DDH's side of the family, but wow the kids keep coming - we've got 4 generations going now in his family.

 
Oh that sounds fab and good to know about the cupcakes; Caramel Cupcakes w/Caramelized Butter Icing

These are one of the cupcake recipes/flavors I was thinking of making (recipe/pixs at the link). Not sure haven't talked to SIL about that yet.

Also, I don't actually bother to make royal icing for the cookies. I just use sugar/milk or water/almond flavoring. I do have meringue powder but it's a bajillion years old and I have no idea how long that stuff is good for. So maybe that is why the icing doesn't set up completely hard by the next day (the top is hard but it smooshes).

If you upload your photos to photobucket it will give you a HTML link that you can copy/paste directly into the text boxe here and poof, a picture.

See like this:

Local vineyards...

http://i788.photobucket.com/albums/yy163/4ebay_bucket/Get%20Local/vineyard.jpg

http://www.sugarlaws.com/caramel-cupcakes

 
Maria, is it possible your icing is just too thick? I like Sugar Baby icing thick for dams

around the edges, but then thin it out for flooding. It always hardens within the day and never smears in the bag.

Another option is thin fondant, cut with the cookie cutter to it's the same shape.

 
Maria, I know about the tilted car seats...I roll up a thick bath towel and put it under the edge

of the box when I transport. If it's a large cake, I put the towel down in the back of the car where it's flat and place the box on it, then roll up the 4 edges around - it never moves.

 
The little white plate with dips in it is super cheap at Michael's - it's for mixing paints

Very clever to use it for shaping the butterflies!

 
I saw those! - it's killing me they won't come in time so I have to pay more

I'm going to check with my local cake store when they open tomorrow, otherwise I'll have to try one of the places in the USA that are charging a LOT more for the same thing. The party is on the 23rd, so can't chance them not getting here.

Aren't they cute though?! Good luck bidding! After watching a few of the videos at that site, I'm liking the idea of some fondant more and more. Especially for a garnish.

 
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