..... And how do I make it stop??? This has never happened to me before. I just made a four layer cake covered it with satin ice fondant popped it in the fridge and it won't stop sweating, especially when I take it out. Why is this happening? I live in Cali Pleeeeze help
i think you just need to let it sit out, the condensation will form, then evaporate, hopefully it will be ok. some people use a hairdrier to speed it up, but im not sure how well that works, or if it does anything to the fondant.
xx
Humidity. Fridge is a humid place. Just don't touch it or it will mar the fondant. It will evaporate in a few hours at room temp.
This has happened to me a few times. I live in the Caribbean and this usually happens on a very humid day. Don't put the cake in the fridge. The hair dryer works to speed up the evaporation. I usually put the cake under a heat lamp, that works really well.
I'm still a novice, so this is more a question than an answer. I thought I'd learned that fondant covered cakes shouldn't go in the fridge, because of the condensation problem. I thought you were to buttercream your cakes and could put them in the fridge until you're ready to cover them with fondant but once the fondant is on, it should sit in a cool dry place but NOT in the fridge. Are there exceptions? Does it have to do with the filling of the cake (one that would spoil if not kept in the fridge)?
Actually, the refrigerator is not a humid place. Refrigeration dries things. But this has nothing to do with condensation on cakes.
The reason for condensation is temperature difference. When the more humid outside air is warmer than something (a chilled cake, a glass of iced tea, etc.) that temp difference causes the moisture from the air to condense on the surface of the cooler object. The moisture is coming from the air, not the cake. So it's not really sweating the moisture out, it's attracting it from the air.
This is why you should leave frozen bread or cake or cookies wrapped or int their container when thawing. The outside air will condense on the wrapper/container, not the cake inside which is protected from the moisture in the outside air.
As for your current situation, you can put a fan on the cake to help the moisture evaporate more quickly.
Art -- will the condensation on the fondant, leave little water marks on the fondant? I've been wanting to try this, but I'm nervous about it.
Thanks!
What about fondant that has been airbrushed or hand painted with food coloring? Wouldn't the color run or be marred in some way by getting even just a little moisture on it?
Whether or not things will run or be left with marks depends on how much condensation there is and what the materials are.
I the condensation is only enough to cause small individual droplets to form, chances are you will have no problem, unless you've used something that is water soluble and not very stable. If the condensation is high enough that drops formed are large enough that they start to connect to each other and run down the sides of the cake, this will increase the risk of problems, again, depending on the material you've used.
So, in most cases, an undecorated fondant cake, colored with gel colors, will be no problem. It's when you start getting into moisture sensitive decorations, dusts and things that have not been 'set' into the surface, water soluble food paints, etc. that you can run into problems. There are sooo many possible things that can go on a cake these days, from gels to edible images, that there is no one answer.
I would say that if you're not sure, you can always do a small sample piece of fondant that has the same decoration/treatment as your cake, and test it before putting the actual cake in the fridge.
Actually, the refrigerator is not a humid place. Refrigeration dries things. But this has nothing to do with condensation on cakes.
The reason for condensation is temperature difference. When the more humid outside air is warmer than something (a chilled cake, a glass of iced tea, etc.) that temp difference causes the moisture from the air to condense on the surface of the cooler object. The moisture is coming from the air, not the cake. So it's not really sweating the moisture out, it's attracting it from the air.
This is why you should leave frozen bread or cake or cookies wrapped or int their container when thawing. The outside air will condense on the wrapper/container, not the cake inside which is protected from the moisture in the outside air.
As for your current situation, you can put a fan on the cake to help the moisture evaporate more quickly.
Thank you soooo much. This is very helpful. Quick question, do you refrigerate your fondant covered cakes?
I don't. But I never use fillings or icings that need refrigeration. I keep my crumb-coated cakes covered in the fridge until I cover them with fondant. After that I keep them out on the counter, covered, just like I do with bread or cookies.
So how long can you keep your cake out of the refrigerator if you're using non perishable fillings? 2 days? 3 days? Will the fondant start to harden or change? Will the cake start to sag or change?
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