Please I need help , I have my first cake request for fresh fruit on top of a chocolate cake, I assume I wash and let dry the fruit, Do I place a layer of butter cream under the fruit to keep the fruit in place?, can I place fruit on the night before , and it would need to be refridged?

Yes - wash all fruit before cutting. Spread a thin layer of buttercream or jam on the cake before topping with fruit. Apply a glaze when all the fruit is in place; apricot is most commonly used. If you add fruit the night before, the cake should be refrigerated overnight.

Thank you Mimifix...I wouldnt have thought about the glaze. saved me on that one, and lately I have not been feelling too confident on my cakes. Had two different three tier cakes fall after customer picked up. Think I am not going to do three tiers without delivering them ( for a charge ). I rebaked the first one on a mad crazy rush, the other one I didnt know about till a week later. * have done many three tiers so I dont think it was my stacking issue but still it deflates the confidence anyhow.\\

After washing the fruit, let it sit on paper towels laid on top of a cloth towel. The fruit must be DRY on its surface or else the glaze will slide off.

Customers who pick up stacked cakes should be responsible for the issues that develop after they leave your door. There have been many threads on Cake Central. Better to deliver them yourself, then you can be sure that the cake table at the site is level (yes take tools with you).

Customer wants to have cake for a 5pm party , what is the earliest I can add the fruit and not have to put it in the fridge? ( how long can it sit out with the glaze on it?) it is going to be a two tier and there will not be fridge available after I drop off cake. ?