I am seeing such mixed emotions on this subject, but I really need to know a consensus on this topic! I am making a cake for Saturday for my babys first birthday, and I dont want to tempt fate... I am making a 3 tier Chocolate cake, using Buttercream dream buttercream with Banana Pastry filling, and covering it with Rhondas MMF. DO I REFRIGERATE THIS AT ANY POINT! IF SO WHICH STEPS? Help me Cake Divas, your my only hope!

I freeze directly from the oven, then never cold again. But that's JUST me... best of luck Happy Birthday to your sweetie!

You will still get mixed replies to your post! Some people do, some people don't, I personally don't refridgerate since I believe cakes don't need it, and if I did refridgerate I'm not sure I could be bothered to wait until it comes to room temp to decorate. UNLESS you have a perishable filling or other ingredient on it/in it, I wouldn't bother chilling at all.

I'm also curious about this. I just bought for the first time a pre-made strawberry filling pastry sleeve. I usually make my own. Does anybody else use these? Should I refridge. a cake with this in it.

, using Buttercream dream buttercream with Banana Pastry filling, and covering it with Rhondas MMF. DO I REFRIGERATE THIS AT ANY POINT! IF SO WHICH STEPS? Help me Cake Divas, your my only hope![/quote]

Everytime I use buttercream dream & refridge. I get weird issues.

I'm with Dayti, if you have perishable element to your cake, i.e. some type of filling, then you need to refrigerate otherwise there isn't any reason that it should be refrigerated. The only other reason I can see is if its hot out and your a/c is broken dates changed and now it needs to keep longer.

If you do have to refrigerate just remember to allow time for it to come back to room temperature and just be prepared for some condensation.

I'm not a cake diva, but hopefully its still alright that I responded

Bulging is a different problem than refrigeration. Check out page 5 of this thread http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=608252&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=60

Thanks for the info on the pastry filling. I'm not sure about the PS for the BC dream. Last time I used it I had issues with condensation in the BC & yes it bulged & had air pockets. I had everything cake wise & filling set out for the approp. time. So I don't think it was a moisture issue there. It's everytime I use BC dream.

I always refridgerate, but I am not familiar with the BC Dream or the pastry fillings discussed. But, I also happen to have an extra fridge in my garage just for cakes and because I have a regular 40 hr/wk job, I often have to make some orders 2 or 3 days in advance and I worry about letting the cakes just sit around. Also, my fridge is kinda like a security measure for me, it keeps my husband and kids from opening up the cake box to take a peek and having an accident or orders getting bumped into etc... Another thing too, is that I LOVE my cake cold so I just assume that everyone else does too,lol. When my cakes are picked up though I always tell the customers they do not have to refridgerate(unless there's something perishable about the cake)
Dayti, is right, chilling a cake is alot about preference so I guess you can expect mixed replies!

I refrigerate all the time and 99% of my cakes are fondant, but I use all natural products make all my own icing and fillings using butter and eggs and milk, so i find that if these ingredients need to be in the fridge before i use them then they should be in there after. I also find that a cake with a butter icing firms up like butter does in the fridge and is perfect for transporting. Fondant does sweat out of the fridge due to condensation but if you leave it alone it dries and is back to normal. HTH

I can't seem to find the answers I need regarding refrigeration either!......
Swiss Meringue buttercream - fridge or not?? since it has egg white??? Then again, so does Royal Icing?....

Well I think I am going to leave them out, I opened two windows and its going to be 39 degrees tonight, so........ The buttercream dream is setting up beautifully so far and my dam is holding. Im a little peeved that I put the stupid banana filling on then I tasted it after and I hate it, it tastes nothing like bananas, isnt that just perfect! Hopefully the cake will be so pretty nobody will notice! FAT CHANCE

I'm always curious on when folks decided that cakes were perishable and needed to be refrigerated? Never in my life did we ever put a cake (or bread, or donuts, or brownies or any other baked goods) in the refrigerator.

Perishable fillings .... yes, of course, refrigerate.

regular cake with icing? Nope. never.

By the way, I always use the sleeve filling specifically because they do no require refrigeration.

see pastrylady's post on this thread re: Cooks Illustrated on refrigerating cakes (page 2 of the thread): http://forum.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=608252&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=cooks&&start=15

when I worked for a large grocery chain bakery, we never refridgerated anything either, but then again the 5 gallon tub of BC had a shelf life of 30 days and the cakes themselves were good for 21 days, lol. But I think that cr8zchpr is right that if something is being used that came from the fridge before than it should stay in the fridge afterwards... I actually had a customer who left her pudding filled cake out and ate off it for a week afterwards, by day 7 the cake was completely spoiled, Luckily she didn't get sick and laughed about it later, ever since that episode, I always tell my customers to refridgerate the leftovers that have perishable ingredients.

I use IMBC and fondant and refrigerate but recently have had problems with my RI piping and stencils running due to the condensation...it doesn't always happen...depends on the moisture and warmth of the day.

I'm considering not refrigerating but I'm concerned about transporting 3-4 tiers stacked at room temp. I use SPS unless it's a topsy turvy cake. Any advice on this?