Ok so I'm making a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting for my friends birthday party... I have the main cake, which won't feed everyone due to the design. So I'm making a simple one on the side so everyone gets a piece. My plan was to decorate the simple one on Friday night, the main one Saturday and deliver them Saturday afternoon.

So my question is, do I have to refrigerate the cakes if I'm using cream cheese frosting?! Every forum says something different! If anyone has a recipe, that would be amazing.

Ps, I live in Scotland so it's not like it's warm weather here!

There are reportedly shelf stable cream cheese frosting - they are super sweet.  If you're not sure if your is or not it would be safer to put it in the fridge.  You can Google shelf stable cream cheese if you want it.

I think to be technical, yes, cream cheese frosting is supposed to be refrigerated.  With that being said, years and years ago before I ever got interested in the decorating aspect, whenever I frosted sugar cookies (or anything for that matter) I used cream cheese frosting and never once refrigerated anything.  I've also never had an issue with being sick, mold, etc.... I've heard some theories that since there's so much sugar in the frosting it acts as a preservative.  The recipe I use is 1 stick butter, 1 package cream cheese (8oz), 1 tsp vanilla, and roughly 4-5 cups powdered sugar depending on consistency needed.  If I need to thin for any reason I use whipping cream. 

I Googled shelf stable cream cheese frostings, and most of them either have loads of sugar or a cheese cake flavouring, which I can't get here :(

I want to refrigerate it just ti be safe, but don't want it ruining the fondant :( if I absolutely have to keep it cold, it will have to stay in my car over night I think as I have a really small fridge. 

Thank you for your recipe, I will give it a try :) xx  

Here's my cream cheese frosting recipe:

1 cup butter or crisco (I use butter, however, my grandma swears by shortening)

8 oz brick cream cheese

1 tsp. almond extract (can use vanilla)

1lb powder sugar

Cream the butter/shortening until light and fluffy.  Add in room temp cream cheese and extract and whip until incorporated.  Gradually add powder sugar until the whole bag is gone.  I never refrigerate my frosted cake.  

I have also had success using a butter/shortening combo, use equal amounts of both butter and shortening and proceed the same as above.

Good luck :D

Thanks so much! I'll try get my hands on some shortening (we don't have crisco here) and will do the half and half version! Thanks :) xx