Hi all,

I'm doing a wedding cake for late June and the bride wants it filled with strawberry puree and covered in MMF. I'm worried about 1) the length of time out of the fridge on the day of the wedding if I wait to put the fondant on, decorate, transport, assemble all in one day and 2) the MMF sweating and getting gummy if I cover it in fondant and decorate, then take it out just prior to transporting it. I would like to deliver it to the venue late afternoon and it won't be eaten until sometime in the evening (she guessed around 7 or 8). It's 2 real cake tiers (and 2 dummy's) so if it was filled with just buttercream I wouldn't have any problem covering it with the MMF and decorating it the day of (it's fairly simple decorating. Gold flake and artificial flowers) but would that be too long out of the fridge for the puree? 

For some reason I am super stressed about this cake! I've never done a wedding cake with the real fruit filling so I'm unsure about how long is too long to be out. And I've also never refrigerated fondant. Would Satin Ice hold up better to condensation (I have heard that it does)?

Opinions?

Thanks!

I do agree with you, it is a treacherous gamble to make a wedding cake filling out of fruit puree! Not only I'll be concerned for the stability, but for the safety of a puree-based filling unrefrigerated for a long time... Strawberries are well known for getting spoiled fast. Could you attempt to talk about a strawberry-based buttercream or something the like? Otherwise, adding lots of pectin+sugar or agar-agar to the puree could potentially make the filling stable and safe enough. I'm not so sure how palatable the texture of the puree will result...Good luck!

when i did strawberry cakes i delivered two hours before the reception -- i mostly used satin ice when i used fondant -- yes like reggie said for the puree lotsa starch maybe -- just test it in advance to make sure nothing seeps or leaks --

I did ask her when she first inquired if she’d be ok with a strawberry buttercream for this very reason and she said that she would really prefer a purée so I agreed to it and I’m now regretting it a bit! I use quite a bit of starch and it’s fairly stable but I would feel a lot better about it if it was going to be in the fridge for more than half the day.

so would satin ice do better in the fridge than MMF? I’ve never used it before but I’ve also never refrigerated fondant at all! 

Starch is not stable in the med/long run, it will start losing liquid as it gets to room temperature and that can either make your cake moister...or a little unstable! I'll not take a chance. Also, starch is more susceptible to spoilage, bacteria and mold simply love it. Try using pectin and get a soft gel consistency, you will need lots of sugar, but using lemon juice or citric acid will give you the perfect balance... and hopefully peace of mind. Make a few batches to get used to work with pectin. Pectin is tricky because it sets after spending a couple of days in the fridge. If the consistency is not the desired one, put it back in the pot melt it and are more pectin. It will be more like a jam, but you will get that lovely and delicious strawberry flavor. And please, enjoy the leftovers with cream cheese and crackers!

As for fondant...I will use mmf, especially if you have never worked with satin ice before. Satin ice is picky, and you need to know how to handle it, it is not as forgiving and stretchable as mmf. The problem with fondant in the fridge is that it might sweat and get tacky if your area is hot and humid. But since your decoration is simple, that shouldn't be a concern. Well, sometimes a tacky fondant will be helpful securing some decorations. Do not put the flowers in the fridge! they will sweat and might be ruined. Put the cake covered in fondant in a box and covered all over with plastic wrap to keep the moisture out. Once out of the fridge, let the fondant dry until the surface is dull. Then, place your decoration as planned.

Be sure to layout your day precisely for the cake to spend enough time in the fridge before being delivered. Good luck!!!

sorry i misquoted you, reggie -- i meant the thickeners you mentioned -- i cooked down a tart apple, peeled & cored, with my berries for filling-- the apple was the pectin -- never leaked --