Hi, I have a cake order but will be out of town for 10 days before the party. I told my client it would be best if she gets someone else but she is insisting she wants me to do the cake. It's a buttercream topsy-turvy 2 tier with royal blue diamonds, white pearls and red hearts made from fondant. I'm just so afraid that when it begins to thaw, the colors from the fondant will run and bleed. Anyone have any experience with this? I thought about having her place the trim herself but this just won't be good. It'd be a mess. :)

Place completed completed cake in a cardboard box and seal box with tape. Wrap box in saran wrap & foil.  Freeze.  24 hrs. b/4 serving place wrapped box in refrigerator.  Several hours before serving, place wrapped box on the counter.  Right before display/serving, remove cake from box.

This method allows condensation to go to the box and not onto the cake.  If the cake has reached room temp while sitting wrapped on the counter, there will be little to no condensation on it.

I've done this many times and when the directions are followed to the letter, everything works perfectly.  That said, I, personally, wouldn't trust a topsy turvy cake to a client.  Those I deliver and set up.  If I were making this cake, it would have to be a straight stack.

Thanks maybenot. I feel much better about it now!  I think I'll do it and tell her that she has to follow your directions to the letter and I won't be held responsible if she doesn't and it's a mess. I totally agree on the topsy turvy part too. I'm not thrilled about that. This order and circumstances has very real potential to be a mess. LOL

I hope it works out for you.

I'm pretty stern with clients when they want something that I have a very bad feeling about.  I know that even though I warn them about the potential problems, if there is a problem, they'll still blame me for it. 

That's why, if a client insists that I ignore my expertise and gut feeling, I tell them that I'm not the person for their project.  If they won't accept my expert advise, I'm happy to let them go.  I don't need to open FB on Mon. morning and see a collapsed cake with the title:  Cake done by Maybenot  and obviously missing the important part of "that was delivered in perfect condition and I SCREWED IT UP!"