last night i made an 11"x15" wasc cake and everything went fine, it baked up nice and smelled amazing i took it out of the oven, set it on cooling racks on my counter, then went to work on homework (mind you, it was already close to midnight). i was super stressed with my homework (senior level concrete design for engineers lol), got fed up, took a shower then went to bed. i woke up this morning, went to make coffee to finish my hw, and there was the cake still sitting on the counter i couldn't believe i had forgotten to take it out of the pan and wrap it! ugh i'm so mad at myself

sooooooo my question is, is the cake still good? like i know its not rotten or anything, but will it be super dry? i can't exactly cut a piece off to taste it, but i am going to shave a bit off the top to level it. i can taste that, but if its only the top layer that dried thats what i'd be tasting. anyone have this experience before? i have time to rebake, i just really don't want too

I'd look up simple syrups and try using something like that on it.

I've left cakes uncovered all night. Once you get the frosting on, it moistens it up again.

Your cake is more than likely fine. If it was still in the pan it was protected. If you still are worried, then yes, use a simple syrup on the cake when you fill and frost.

I am with everyone else...use some simple syrup and then frost the cake. Should be as good as new

thank ya'll so much! i think i really just needed reassurance that it was ok to use it i may mix up a simple syrup and brush it on just to be safe- i hadn't thought of that! ya'll are great

I often bake my cakes the night before and decorate in the morning. I don't cover them. Have never had a problem with them being dry. I use box mixes.

I've done it before too. It will be fine and probably won't require a syrup. I've never brushed simple syrup on a cake before for any reason.

The top layer will be dry, but the inside won't be. Make a simple sugar syrup and brush it just to be on the safe side.

I've left my cakes out on the cooling rack over night before. Never had one dry (i do modified box mixes) I wrap them up in plastic wrap until i'm ready to decorate. Then i decorate and the cake will pull some moisture from the icing too. No worries.

like some of the other posters, i often bake and night and allow the cake to cool overnight before i frost the next day. i have not had them dry out, though i have never made a wasc cake. i bake from scratch or doctor up a mix. hope this helps.

Also when you use a buttery buttercream, some of the butter tends to further moisten (it soaks in) the cake as the icing sits on it. Good luck!