How far in advance can you make cake components?

DD is turning two in two and a half weeks! I'm so excited, but so behind in planning because it'll only be a small family affair, and that same week we'll be in Adelaide twice for the poor munchkins teeth.

So seeing as that week will be quite full, I'm wondering how far in advance I can make the cake parts? It'll be a standard butter cake, and I want to freeze it before carving it anyway, but could I do that the weekend before and then re-freeze the carved parts?

I'm also making a marshmallow fondant, how long will that last for? I need three colours so would like to make them as far in advance as possible. But if I keep it in the fridge it's going to go really hard, how can I store it safely and then have it easy to roll out when I need to?

And lastly, if I put it all together on Thursday will it last ok until Saturday?

Make the cakes whenever and freeze. You can make the fondant store in a ziplock bag. Then nuke for a few seconds before kneading. I have coloured fondant that I've made and kept and lasts for ages.

Thursday to Saturday is a bit too long IMO. It really depends what you put under the fondant. I use buttercream and ganache so I wouldn't do it that long in advance. A day maybe but not 3.

Yeah I'd be using buttercream underneath. Only problem is we have a follow up dentist appointment on the Friday. Might just need to stay up late that night and get it done I think!

So with colouring the fondant, do I make it all firstv and colour it later? I need some of it to be a dark red, so I just need to add lots of colouring or is there a particular type I should use that will work better?

Thanks for all the tips, they're great :)

Due to your time restraints I'd be considering a mud cake cause it matures with age so you could finish it on the Thursday and it'd be real good by Saturday as long as it's covered in the fondant. I have heard that marshmallow fondant doesn't last as long though.

With red fondant it takes time for the colour to catch in, I've heard that you should add the colour to the fondant 24 hours before I need to use it.

Also use Gel colours :-)

I don't think a mud cake will 'go' quite so well for what I want to do, plus I like to keep DD away from chocolate lol. I reckon I'll be fine carving it and freezing it early, then putting together on Friday night.

I'll go to the bake & brew on the weekend and look for gel colours, thanks :) I reckon I might make the fondant on Thursday, then on Friday I can soften it a bit and colour it.

I did cakes for DDs 1 and 2's birthdays a few weeks ago. I made the cakes on Wednesday, did the buttercream on Thursday and refrigerated them. Did the fondant covering and decorations of one set on Friday for the party Saturday. Covered the second set with fondant on Saturday for a party on Sunday. They were all fine, very fresh and lasted another couple of days. I threw one lot out on the Tuesday and the other I'd put in the freezer on the Sunday night after the second party.