So i've been watching a lot of cake shows either on TLC or the Food Network. After they butter cream it and then fondant it, they put it in a room that is cold enough to chill it. I thought Fondant wasn't allowed in the fridge? Has this rule changed?

The bakery where I've taken classes puts fondant covered cakes in the fridge. As long as you don't touch the fondant while it is damp when you take it out, it will be fine. The condensation will evaporate while the cake comes back to room temp. If you touch it while it is shiny, it will get fingerprints.

Kristy

It depends who you ask. I always put mine in the fridge.

I always refrigerate fondant cakes, never had a problem

And I never put a cake in the fridge.

I'm guessing it also depends on the area. If you live in a humid location, I don't think it's a good idea. It's very dry where I live and I've put several fondant covered cakes in the fridge with no problems.

Very, very humid here.

I have always put mine in the fridge, until recently. I read that some of the top posters on here never refrigerate their cakes, so thought I would try it. Well, I am going back to refrigerating them. Both of the ones I didn't cool were extremely hard to work with in the detail process and in transport, well, they almost crumbled.

I think it just depends on your own style, skill level, and speed. I am way too slow and it is too hot here, my cakes need the extra support that cooling seems to give them. Of course, I am new to this, so it could be me!!!!

From when I had food science classes in college, the refrigerator is the perfect environment to make cake and bread dry out and become stale. The instructor suggested either room temperature or freezer-well covered. It was Florida and it does not get much more humid than that.

I made a wedding cake for my FIL a couple of years ago, it was one of my first cakes. I asked the caterer if it should go in the cold room and she said yes it should be refrigerated, so in it went. After we took it out the draping was more like a goopy waterfall, and there was ALOT of condensation on the main cake, it was quite slimy!
It also had calla lilies made from gumpaste, so you can guess how they were!

Since then I will not put a fondant covered cake in the fridge!!
Oh, and I almost forgot to add - it is quite humid here too.

well it may be that the icing and fondant "protect it from drying out, but why chance it? The taste buds are better at detecting flavors that are closer to room temperature anyway.

I always put my cakes in the fridge! I too noticed that a lot of people don't so I figured there must be a good reason & gave it a try. Actually, I tried it 2 times. Both of those cakes are the ONLY time I've ever had an issue with bulging. I couldn't figure out what the problem was because I hadn't changed the recipe or the fondant or anything. I use real butter in my frostings, so I chalked it up to hot summer day = buttercream that got too warm & soft. But they were both on my kitchen counter, plenty cool. Then I realized that the only thing that was different was that I hadn't put them in the fridge. BINGO.It's really (REALLY) humid here, and I think keeping them cold helps to keep my buttercream from getting really soft and creeping.

It really must have something to do with the humidity, because I don't have problems. I put completed cakes with gumpaste flowers, and they stay fine.

No choice here, all my cakes require refrigeration due to type of icing and filling. I'm in the Seattle area, and I always refrigerate. Only once have I had one come out looking a little wet but it still dried out just fine.

is there such thing as a fridge dehumidifier, and have/do any of you use them? I've always been taught to keep cakes refrigerated.. but then again I've also only been taught to do buttercream finished cakes, sometimes with fondant accents added at the last minute. it does get stressful, though, if you have several cakes that all need last minute details and having to worry about things melting under refrigeration.

any thoughts?

I always put my cakes in the fridge and have never had a problem.

I'm in California and have always put my cakes in the fridge, fondant or otherwise. There is condensation so care must be taken not to touch the fondant until it is dry again. I always put my cooled cakes in the fridge overnight so all the settling they will do occurs then. Once I put the cakes in the fridge they are there till they leave. And I find it is an advantage when I'm attaching decorative items to the cake with the condensation.

I never put my cakes in a fridge as think it effects the sponge. I have found that the sponge is softer in texture having not been refrigerated.

I think my only concern is i am doing a cake in the shape of Thomas the Train. The client works with me so i have to have it ready for tomorrow and the party is on Saturday. I'm just trying to figure out how long it will last on the counter vs. the fridge. It basically a buttercream that has butter (no other dairy), it's a lemon cake with a raspberry filling in the middle.

I always refrigerate everything for a few reasons:
1. The health department likes it that way, which is probably why they do it in the bakeries on tv.
2.Perishable fillings should be refrigerated.
3.Any moisture on fondant will evaporate relatively quickly after sitting out of the fridge for a while, no big deal.
4. Cold cakes are easier to move around without slippage during delivery.

Cakes should be at room temp when they're eaten, but the texture shouldn't be affected by having been refrigerated overnight. Sometimes I do leave the gumpaste flowers off until before I deliver them, those can be affected by going in and out of the fridge, sometimes, not always.