I'm doing a wedding in a few weeks, all tiers have perishable filling. The cake is iced with a non-crusting buttercream, with black piping.
Here's my problem, I have to refrigerate the cakes overnight, but the next day when they come out of the fridge to be piped, the black bleeds when the cake starts sweating. I tested it on icing that had not been refrigerated, and it did not bleed.
Oh yes, and it's been 90 degrees & very humid.
So, should I just wait for it to be dry enough to pipe? How long will that take, will it just keep sweating from the humidity?
Can I lightly dry it without messing up the icing?
Sorry so long, please help!!!

any suggestions???

I feel your pain with the humidity. I had a cake on the counter with crusting buttercream and an edible image. The BC never cursted and the edible image was glossy with moisture from the air. I have no idea what to do other than maybe a de-humidfier. Good luck!

So it's the humidity that is making it sweat so much?
If I put the entire cake together (torte, fill, ice, decorate) starting the morning of the wedding, with no need for long term refrigeration, would it still sweat?
Yikes, a lot of work for a 3 tier cake in 1 day!
When I tested it, it only sweated when it was coming back to room temp. When it started at room temp, it did not.
Please, help!

do not put them in the fridge after you cover them. there is a certain brand of fondant that can be refrigerated and I cannot remember for the life of me the brand.... I guess the only way to really prevent it is to prepare and keep in an air conditioned room. its hard dealing with humidity and making cakes in this humid weather, i just know that putting fondant in the fridge ruins the fondant, and i would ate for that to happen

if you are making a butter cream icing, use indydebi's icing recipe..it is heat resistant and it will still crust

I think you are going to have a bit of a problem. This time of year you will get some sweeting when you take the cake out of the frig. That will cause bleeding. You can put a fan on the cake to cause it to dry out faster.

You really might want to change to a non perishable filling so it does not need to be put in the frig.

I would not serve a cake that had set out all day with a perishable filling. If you start filling at 8 in the morning and it is served more than 4 hours later it could be a problem. You do not want to leave anything perishable out that long.

well i have had this problem plenty of times, and i think that the real problem for you is that your filling is perishable and if i understand right your using just an icing to cover not fondant, let me tell you what i have found best to do when is pretty hot and humid, i've notice that if you work at night it will be better since is not as hot as when the sun is up, also try and have your kitchen as cold as posible, if you have central air that is the best cuz if you have a a/c that has the water pump than that really is a problem since you are bringing the humidity inside your home, (think of it this way when you have a soda or beer cold in the refrigerator and bring it out to the hot wether it starts to swet right, so that is what happens to the cake) you could also put each tier in a cardboad box and bring it out, to come to room temp. since it wont be hit by the warm air all of the sudden the cake shouldnt swet (as much) thant when you think is ok to take out of the box you could and when you are done just put it back into the box and to the fridge, at delivery time make sure your car is pretty cold or the same thing will happen, i also hope that at the venue they have a/c or, well all i can say is good luck.

I hope that this helps you and that your cake come out pretty.

Thanks for the replies!
I am using icing to cover the cake, no fondant.
The icing is sort of a combonation of traditional buttercream & meringue buttercream. Rich, but not too sweet.
I'll practice with a small cake early this week. I'll try icing it, putting it in a box in the fridge overnight, taking it out, letting it dry with a fan and piping. I'll also try piping ahead of time to see what happens.
We'll see what happens, wish me luck!
Always open for any more ideas

OK, so I tried it out, keeping it in fridge overnight, put a fan on it when I took it out. it didn't sweat at all. I let it get to room temp & piped it. All went well.
The weather is cooler, not in the 90's like before.
So I think the fan is the key.
hope for fair weather the day of the wedding
Thanks for your help!
Jessica