AI need damage control. I have a four tier white IMBC iced cake, with a piped Indian Henna -type design in orange, pink and gold. Orange and pink are ABC and the orange is beginning to bead up. It is not yet running down the cake. I am wiping away some beads with a small paintbrush and dabbing cornstarch. Trying to remain calm, but I spent a lot of time piping it into the wee hours. It's raining and humid on the SC COAST. The cake really needs to stay in the walk-in, but I'm afraid of more weeping. Advice please!!!

put it back in the walk-in and then hold that temp -- let it warm to room temp as slowly as possible -- get corrugated cardboard boxes ready to deliver in -- the cardboard will hold the temp -- 

it might still weep once you get it on site but you just want it to warm to room temp as gradually as possible -- i hope the venue is super cold --

so are you in a warm bakery? 

you could even coax it to room temp gradually by trotting back & forth in & out the walk-in -- but still you want it pretty cold for the delivery -- humidity is just not a friend to cakers

AThank you Kate for the quick reply!!! It's actually a little cool(to me) in here. The ovens are not on yet. I guess the walk- in is too humid? I don't usually pipe in strong colors like this. I took one tier out to add a little more detail. It's an in- house pastry dept so I never box anything. I just walk the tiers over to the venue and assemble. Going to scavenge for boxes now!

ACake is to be set up in 4-5 hours.

ADo you think the cornstarch would help anything?

AThe beads on the orange are popping out IN the cooler. I'm considering piping a small line of white BC under each orange paisley shape to catch the drips. Does that sound plausible?

yes i think the cornstarch is a good idea but when i think of henna man that's a lot of detail -- and if you can get some on without it disturbing the color -- fabulous --

and that's good that it's a local thing-- i think i'd just coax the cake in & out of the walk in -- or in & out of the cardboard boxes -- just as gradual as you can do it -- i think you got this -- 

ATHANK YOU!

If you are using ABC for the piping, it probably crusts right? Could you take a sheet of paper towel and dab the ABC veeeery carefully and gently to absorb the beading at all? I would lay the sheet across the side of the cake and run a smoother over the top gently. Try it on the back first to check you don't smudge anything. Not sure though if your ABC is crusting at all if it's bleeding so badly but could be worth a try. 

AIt should be crusting, but it isn't. A paper towel laid over would smoosh the piping, but I may try to suck up the beads with the corners of paper towels, so thanks for that! They are now nestled in some cardboard boxes, hopefully behaving themselves. ;-). Working on the next cake right now: white on white!

Q-tips/cotton ear buds if you have any would work too. Hopefully the boxes will absorb some of the moisture but you've not got much time left, so I would try and remove as much as you can. Good luck!

Can't remember the name of the stuff I am thinking of, but it is in the little packets they put medications, they are supposed to absorb moisture, so the medication, does not break down, or deteriorate  so must be non toxic, to put in a box with your cake,.  If you could use this it might help with your problem. Just looked at the time of your post, and I am afraid this is way too late, but it is something you might want to  try if the situation ever occurs again.

silica?

A[IMG]http://www.cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3287375/width/200/height/400[/IMG] Yes! Silica packets may have helped. Hopefully I won't encounter that situation again. The cardboard seemed to have helped, but when I was stacking, the top two tiers started wanting to bleed. And now not just the orange, but the pink wanted to join the fun. Hopefully it survived the evening (5 or more hours) until the cake cutting. Thank you all for your help in my time of PANIC! Does anyone know if this is more likely to happen with certain colors or certain brands of coloring? Or was it purely moisture/ humidity? Ugh.

ACoulda just been exacerbated by the walk-in itself those things can be plenty water logged -- idk you need it soft enough to pipe and starchy enough not to leak -- yoiks you need to go north and south at the same time -- maybe some meringue powder next time or the ever faithful cornstarch or even go with royal icing next time when the humidity is raging--

Beautiful beautiful work!

Thank you.  Can I pipe royal on buttercream?  I've never done that.  It makes sense that meringue powder would stabilize the ABC.  If this comes up again, I am sure as heck making my colors way in advance and TESTING!

Humidity here is always raging.  'Round here it's a big deal when a day is NOT humid!

Thanks for your help.