I only decorate as gifts, and I like my cakes served at room temp because I like the way they taste so much better. Many recipes say you can keep buttercream airtight at room temp for up to 2 days...I would consider cake and buttercream sealed under fondant as airtight...but don't want to risk anything! I can't see to find a hard and fast rule to follow about this question! Help )

Well, I don't see a question in there.
If there's not a filling inside the cake that requires refrigeration, then there's NO need to ever refrigerate a cake. It dries them out. It's a relative humidity thing.

My bc will keep about 3 months (not a typo) unrefrigerated, although I never push it past a week. The stuff in a bucket will keep 9 months (also not a typo) unrefrigerated.

Your cake will likely be fine at room temp for at least 5 days. In fact if you've purchased a cake from your local bakery it could be anywhere from day of to 5 days old when you bought it.

Butter, by itself, will keep at room temp (from 65-75 deg F) for a week to 10 days before spoiling. With the addition of the sugar, it will take closer to a month before it begins to spoil.

OK, so what about the eggs in the recipe...I think they are the main concern? I use italian meringue buttercream, so you use the hot sugar mixture to "cook" the eggs, but I went to a food handlers class that said if there are eggs in a product it can't be at room temp for longer than 4 hours...I am so confused. Please help.

Here's a link for you:
(mod edited for content.)

Just google: cake decorating 101, buttercream by S. P.

I checked google like you said...apparently if the recipe has eggs, it has to be refrigerated...*&^%%.
I love italian meringue because it is so stiff and stable. I don't know if I'll get that same result with plain butter/sugar, but I'll give it a shot if it keeps me from worrying all the time it's being served..LOL..the guys at the food handlers class scared me!

I leave IMBC out at room temp all of the time. Never had a problem with it.

I would think because typically contaminants live in the yolk and not whites, it should be fine, right? Anyone know for sure?

That and because the egg whites are now cooked plus the sugar helps with preservation.

I have pondered this question many times and I'm not yet comfortable leaving butter based buttercream or SMBC out of the frig for an extended time. While many people many times have left it out of the frig without problem doesn't mean it's safe. I continue to refrigerate my cakes with butter based icing even though I would love to be able to leave my cakes out. Good luck with your choice

Thank you )

Leslie you could always contact your local HD and ask them what is considered "shelf stable".

In MA we home bakers are only allowed to sell "non-perishable, shelf stable" baked goods.

I had to submit all of my recipes for approval when I was going through my licensing process. My HD would not approve any of the SMBC or IMBC recipes that I submitted, they didn't consider them to be shelf stable, so I can't use them.

Can you share a recipe they thought was shelf-stable? I think some people are freaked by the fact that there is egg in my recipe, not butter....I love my Italian Meringue Buttercream because it is so firm! Any ideas?

Most likely the people at the HD don't really know all that much about cooking. They just have a list of "no" ingredients and all they do is look at the ingredient list, if one of those ingredients is on the list, then the recipe get's a NO. Don'tcha just love government red tape?

I know and that's what's so frustrating about it....I'm sure they're not making the recipe and "growing" bacteria on it.... It completely stinks!