Can I Decorate This The Day Before?

Decorating By Jbrock1225 Updated 11 Jul 2015 , 5:40pm by SquirrellyCakes

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Jbrock1225 Posted 10 Jul 2015 , 1:07pm
post #1 of 6

I am making a 3 tiered wedding cake and have to deliver 2 hours away. The cake needs to be set up by 3:00 pm saturday. All 3 tiers have filling. I will be putting a thin layer of butter creme and then top with lemon curd, orange filling and raspberry filling all on separate tiers. Question: can I do this and cover with fondant 24 hours ahead of time and it be ok?? 

5 replies
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SquirrellyCakes Posted 10 Jul 2015 , 1:40pm
post #2 of 6

It depends on your fillings. Specifically the orange and the raspberry. What is in your orange filling? Is the raspberry filling fresh raspberries? Berries tend to bleed out liquid. The lemon curds are usually ok. Some are also room temperature stable. You will need to refrigerate the filled cakes and transport them cold in a cool vehicle, possible surrounded by ice sheets. 

Normally these kinds of fillings mean that the cake is refrigerated until shortly before serving unless they are commercial room temperature stable fillings.

I would normally do a test cake with anything like this that I am not sure of. But if you mean this Saturday as in tomorrow, you don't have time.

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Jbrock1225 Posted 10 Jul 2015 , 4:08pm
post #3 of 6

The raspberry is a seedless jam. The orange is one I made with orange juice, orange zest, butter, lemon juice. Are you talking about bleeding onto the fondant?

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SquirrellyCakes Posted 10 Jul 2015 , 9:34pm
post #4 of 6

No, I was talking about using fresh strawberries and raspberries and as they sit, the moisture bleeds out or runs out and makes a mess.  

The seedless jam should be ok normally. I don't know how stable  the orange one would be but normally that is something we would refrigerate. 

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leah_s Posted 11 Jul 2015 , 10:50am
post #5 of 6

Jams say right on the label that they must be refrigerated.  It's really not a good product to use in a cake that will be on display (and transported) before being cut.  Try the shelf stable fillings.

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SquirrellyCakes Posted 11 Jul 2015 , 5:40pm
post #6 of 6

leah_s is correct, most jams should be refrigerated to be food safe even if they are stable at room temperature. Stable at room temperature just means that something won't breakdown or leak or get reabsorbed back into the cake.

The cakes could be filled and covered with fondant 24 hours ahead as long as the filling is stable. If the filling is stable and requires refrigeration, then it should be refrigerated once filled and covered. At the venue, once it is set up at room temperature - a jam filling can sit out for up to 4 hours. That is unless the food safety regulations in your area are different. There are jam fillings that could sit out longer but they must be tested and certified.

There are lemon curd fillings that are room temperature stable and food safe. It doesn't sound like that orange filling would be either.

If you are selling cakes it would be a really good idea to take food safety and handling courses that are offered in your area. 

Some places even make available for a small fee, recipes that are safe at room temperature.




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