I'm sorry I know this has been answered a million times already, but I'm having a terrible time with the seach function today!

I just need to know...I have a cake that was made late last night (around 8pm) it has mousse in it (the inst. pudding&heavy cream) and buttercream (with butter)

It's on a huge board and won't fit in the fridge so it sat out last night, which I felt ok with. Now I'm just realizing that the customer is picking it up today but not eating it until tomorrow. So it'll be sitting out tonight too.

Is this okay? Is the mousse going to be okay? This scares me because I ALWAYS refrigerate all of my cake.

PLEASE tell me I'm not going to make anyone sick!!!

The FDA Food Code classifies milk and milk products as potentially hazardous foods, which means that if it is not stored properly (refrigerated at below 40 degrees F), then there is potential of becoming unsafe.

You only have about a 4 hour window where the mousse would still be safe to eat if it was above 40 degrees F in temperature. Beyond that - it becomes potentially hazardous, because any bacterial/virus/mold that may have been present will rapidly multiply to contamination levels after that time window.

Food poisoning is especially dangerous and potentially fatal for anyone that has any kind of compromised immune system - small children, elderly, anyone with a chronic disease or poor overall health, etc.

Reference: ServSafe Coursebook, 7th edition, National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. ServSafe is considered the gold standard in food safety education. I have had my ServSafe certification since 2005 and am starting the process to get certified to teach it.

Just a note out to ANYONE who wants to run any kind of food business - take the time to get your ServSafe certification. It's available at any college (community or 4 year) that has any kind of culinary or hotel and restaurant managment program. It will totally change how you look at food safety.

what about all the talk around here about sugars stabilizing milk based products. Or the preservatives in the pudding.

I DEFINATELY need to take that class. I'm very surprised that I wasn't required to to get my license.

No mention of sugars/preservatives negating the necessity to properly refrigerate products that contain a significant portion of milk/milk products in ServSafe.

Look at it this way. If you made the mousse with the heavy cream, let it sit out on your countertop for 2 days - would you confidently and comfortably serve it to a 3 year old?

I know I wouldn't.

I could be wrong but I believe that the talk about sugar stabilizing dairy based products (like icing) also has to do with the fat content. So, that's why icing made with butter can stand on the counter. A little milk in the icing won't compromise the safety; as HerBoudoir said, it's not "a significant portion" so the sugar-to-fat ratio is sufficient to inhibit bacterial growth for a while.

Another way to look at it is: you can keep butter on the counter for several days and safely eat it. However, whipped cream (or whipping cream) or milk, you cannot.

I'm so sorry to say it but if I was the customer and had any idea my mousse filling had sat out for two days, I would be quite concerned to eat it. Of course my post comes at the end of the day, I'm sure you already had to make your choice, so this is just for future reference. Best wishes with whichever outcome you chose!

I am sorry, I dont think I would eat it after sitting out that long.

HerBoudoir,
Thank you so much for all the info. The cake gods were definately looking after me! Th customer called to tell me that they had to change the party from Sun to Wed and wanted to know if she could pick up the cake then. I absolutely said yes! And I'll be rebaking her another cake tomorrow, and making sure this time that I make the board smaller to fit in my fridge!

I have another question though, you mentioned that 4hrs is the max time that is should be left out. Now if it takes me 2hrs to decorate then it goes back in the fridge overnight, does the "clock reset"? When the customer picks it up, does she have another 4hrs to serve it?

Thanks again for you help!

Yes, the "clock resets". Just chill it thoroughly to below 40 degrees in between.

on this same note, does anyone have a mousse recipe that is "safe"? (I have been using the whipped buttercream recipe as my 'mousse" as I avoid any kind of milk products in my wedding cakes. They often sit out for hours!

You'd have to have something that was more chemical than dairy base, unfortunately. I suspect the whipped buttercream is probably the best way to go.

I think the closest thing you could do would be a mock mousse with something like Pastry Pride (but I don't know if you can get that stuff on the east coast). I agree, whipped bc or maybe milk-chocolate ganache, that stuff's supposed to be quite light and airy (compared to regular bittersweet choc. ganache like I always make).

Duplicate post, please also see:

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-580877-.html

HTH

that particular recipe (heavy cream/instant pudding) was tested by a food scientist...turns out it needs to be refriderated. there was another recipe tested that also used heavy cream but that one was deemed fine by the FS at room temperature for a couple days. i would post it but all of my stuff is in storage as we are in the process of moving.

i, too, took the servsafe course and discussed this with my instructor. she said if the actual recipe has been tested by a FS than it would be okay to leave it at room temp. of course, you would have to follow the recipe to a tee and not add or take away any ingredients as this could change the recipe from being safe to unsafe...

Thanks for all the responses.
DAILEY, I am anxiously awaiting that recipe!
That's good to know about the "clock resetting" thing.

I'm wondering though, I know Costco sells cake with mousse in it, and I don't remember seeing anykind of warning on there cakes about a 4hr limit. I wonder what their mousse is made out of?