To Refrigerate Or Not To Refrigerate....
Decorating By adven68 Updated 14 Nov 2005 , 5:21pm by MommyEdzards
Hi guys....I made this practice cake yesterday....I didn't go all out on the decorations cause I was pooped but I have a question...
The top half of the cake is covered in fondant...the rest is just chocolate buttercream....
doesn't the buttercream need to be refrigerated? If so....what about the fondant? I know you're not supposed to refrigerate that, right?
Please clue me in....thanks!!!!!
) and still be just fine. I think you're right about the fondant though, that it shouldn't be refrigerated.
I just made a buttercream cake and made my first attempt at a BCT - I wasn't totally excited about my skills but thought it would be nice for my neice's birthday tonight. I pulled it out of refrigerator today to put a border on it and it looks all dried and horrid. Are you not supposed to refrigerate? Will it look better when it gets back to room temp? I have four hours to party.
Thanks!
I am like edencakes...I have left my BC cake out as many as 4 days and it was still good...
If my cake has fondant on it, I set mine away from any light, as light tends to make my fondant crack. I think it should be fine left out of the fridge and away from direct light.... 
Oh, your cake is just stunning!! Love the decoration
Beth
I'm not sure about the refrigeration part , I would think it would be ok just sitting out for a few days as long as it wasn't too hot in your house. I just wanted to tell you I love your cake..
Liz
I always put my buttercream cakes in the icebox. I find that they stay fresher that way. I have heard that fondant should not be put in the icebox. I would think your cake should be ok for at least a day or two if it is not too hot and humid. Does anyone know if you put fondant accents on a cake(like star cut-outs,hearts,etc...) is it ok to put those cakes in the icebox??? Will the refrigeration mess up the fondant decorations????
traci 
I would think that if your butter cream has any dairy products in it that you should refridgerate just to keep them from going rancid. I use a to die for BC that is all Crisco but is light and delish!, so I don't have to refridgerate. In fact, from what I understand, if you use all Crisco BC, you can keep it in an airtight container for weeks.
Debbi
I would think that if your butter cream has any dairy products in it that you should refridgerate just to keep them from going rancid. I use a to die for BC that is all Crisco but is light and delish!, so I don't have to refridgerate. In fact, from what I understand, if you use all Crisco BC, you can keep it in an airtight container for weeks.
Debbi
i agree with debsuewoo. if the BC has any dairy it should be refridgerated. I have also done the same w/ fondant and haven't had a problem. I normally take the cake out an 1 hour or so before just so the fondant can soften up a bit at room temp. and it tastes just the same.
Thanks to everyone for your replies and sweet comments about my cake. So now it's a day later....I think since my family will be the one eating this thing....I will refrigerate it and let you guys know what happened. I guess after it is cut, a cake should go in the fridge no matter what....cause at that point who cares if the fondant ruins...you already made your presentation, right?
Take care!
I would be very curious to hear about how the fondant did. That's part of the reason why I haven't tried fondant yet is because I like refridgerating my cakes. I don't mind leaving them out either but I just feel better when they're refridgerated.
Great cake by the way. Great design and AWESOME execution.
I would think that if your butter cream has any dairy products in it that you should refridgerate just to keep them from going rancid. I use a to die for BC that is all Crisco but is light and delish!, so I don't have to refridgerate. In fact, from what I understand, if you use all Crisco BC, you can keep it in an airtight container for weeks.
Debbi
i agree with debsuewoo. if the BC has any dairy it should be refridgerated. I have also done the same w/ fondant and haven't had a problem. I normally take the cake out an 1 hour or so before just so the fondant can soften up a bit at room temp. and it tastes just the same.
A common misconception, ordinary buttercream with butter and some cream or milk as the liquid added, doesn't have to be refrigerated according to Wilton, 2-3 days at room temperature under 75F, even long, I find.
Butter will melt at 83F, shortening at between 89 and 99F.
In a commercial bakery you must refrigerate these types of icings mainly because the air temperature is not constant.
Most fondants don't do well when refrigerated although chocolate fondants do. There is a fondant sold by www.creativecutters.com, I believe it is called ML fondant, and this can be refrigerated.
If you place rolled fondant cutouts or flowers on buttercream and refrigerate these cakes, the decorations will get a slimey effect.
If you are refrigerating a buttercream covered cake, make certain it is boxed and in fact, I usually enclose the box in a bag to trap in the moisture and stop the icing from drying out. But it isn't necessary to refrigerate at all.
Sugar and, the salt in butter if salted butter is used, preserve your icing even when dairy products are used as long as they are only a minor ingredient. In the case of say a stabilized whipped cream icing, yes this must be refrigerated. When you are only using a few ounces of milk or cream, no you don't need to refrigerate.
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes
I refrigerate all my fondant covered cakes, because I always have cream fillings. Either uncovered or stored in a carton box, it works well for me.
I think the results of refrigerating fondant covered cakes varies a lot depending on what fondant is used and how it is made. It doesn't work well for the majority of types, at least from my experience. Most definitely not well with Wilton, nor Satin Ice from what I am hearing and many from scratch fondants too.
Hugs Squirrelly
I also refridgerate all my cakes.. I won't deliver them without being chilled overnight because I deliver the cakes fully assembled... I use Satin Ice exclusively and I've never had a problem with condensation. I guess that's one of the positive things about living in the dry heat... 
I recently bought some of Creative Cutter's fondant, but I haven't had a chance to use it. It will be interesting to see if there's any difference.
I also refridgerate all my cakes.. I won't deliver them without being chilled overnight because I deliver the cakes fully assembled... I use Satin Ice exclusively and I've never had a problem with condensation. I guess that's one of the positive things about living in the dry heat...
I recently bought some of Creative Cutter's fondant, but I haven't had a chance to use it. It will be interesting to see if there's any difference.
Let me know, I haven't used it but a cake pal who lives in the same climate said it worked like a dream and I know that here, Satin Ice doesn't.
Incidentally overnight is usually the max time allowed if you absolutely have to refrigerate a fondant covered cake.
I find that not only do they get shiny and dull spots but the fondant gets quite slimey and the texture is awful.
Hugs Squirrelly
All Crisco buttercream - made in advance just to use for decorating - I thought I read it could sit out for a few weeks in an airtight container - after all Crisco stays fine in an airtight container for months.
So I experimented - mixed up a batch about 2 weeks ago and stored it airtight on the counter. Just opened the container to check - it smells rancid. I will toss this batch and freeze next time...
i refriderate all my fondant cakes because i like them to be as sturdy as possible for delivery. i used to use wilton fondant and noticed that the fondant would be "tacky" to the touch immeditely after i took it out of the fridge, but once it sat for an hour or so it would be fine. now i used mmf and never had this happen. i do keep my fridge a bit colder than normal, don't know if this has anything to do with me not ever having any problems with refriderating it.
All Crisco buttercream - made in advance just to use for decorating - I thought I read it could sit out for a few weeks in an airtight container - after all Crisco stays fine in an airtight container for months.
So I experimented - mixed up a batch about 2 weeks ago and stored it airtight on the counter. Just opened the container to check - it smells rancid. I will toss this batch and freeze next time...
Crisco smells rancid? I have never heard of crisco smelling rancid. It does not have the same properties as butter that will allow it to smell that way. Is it possible that it picked up the odor from the container you store it in instead?
I had a 2 batches of All Crisco icing that I left in airtight containers in my basement. I know one is at least 2 months old. They don't have any odor to them other than the vanilla flavoring that I used. The other batches that I froze it's the same thing.
To the original questions it's fine to leave a cake that's frosted with butercream out for a few days as long as it does not contain any perishable fillings. Even if the buttercream is made with milk it's fine. The ratio of butter to sugar and sugar to milk is such that it will not spoil in any hurry. The cake and the filling will spoil much faster than the buttercream frosting.
I have refrigerated my cakes with MMF decorations and they have all been just fine.
Your cake looks beautiful by the way. I love the brown on pink.
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