I have a question about pudding as a filling. I assume it needs refigeration, even the pudding cups as I understand....so I don't mind refridgerating overnight, but I don't want the buttercream to be hard by the time the cake is served. I also have fondant flowers to go on top and they probably shouldn't be in the fridge either....what do I do, or how long can it be out of the fridge for my buttercream to not be hard? thanks

you can leave the cake out for up to 5 hours, so put your flowers and what not on. Most people will disagree with this time frame, however; I actually swabbed and cultured to find out for myself the bacterial load.