After I finish decorating a cake

Why is it in the refrigerator? Refrigerating can cause cake to dry out. Room temperature is best as long as you aren't using perishable fillings.

Unless your filling is perishable, you can leave a fondant covered cake out all night. It's protected by the fondant and sugar is a preservative.

If you must refrigerate it, put it in a box and wrap that box with plastic wrap (or a garbage bag). Take it out several hours before you need to deliver, take the plastic off and let it come to room temp while still in the box. This will avoid condensation issues. But if your cake is a bit sticky...don't touch it and it will dry fine.

I always deliver cakes at least an hour before an event.

What kind of fondant are you using? Refrigeration doesn't make it hard (unless it is still cold when cut).

Depending on the humidity in your area, I take mine out a minimum of 2 hours pre-event for the condensation to dry. If it's foggy or rainy, 4 hours. If for some reason there is still an excess of condensation, a hair-dryer speeds things up quickly.

The fondant also helps keep the cake from drying out. The only time a box is necessary to protect it is if you are putting it in the freezer, in which case it should be thawed overnight in the fridge while still in it's box.

Refrigeration does not cause a cake to dry out as long as it's covered in either buttercream or fondant. I have to refrigerate my cakes because the BC is real butter. No dry cakes here!

I've heard real butter BC doesnt need to be refridgerated?

I also have cream cheese in my frosting...also I prefer my cake be cold and the buttercream hard when I deliver a cake. It travels better. If it gets bumped it's not a catastrophe. I usually deliver at least an hour before an event and since it's often several hours before it's cut it has time to come to room temp slowly. If I have a lot decoration on it I want to make sure that it holds up...particularly if it's in a warm room. So far...so good!

Refrigeration sucks the humidity out of the air and can cause cake to dry out faster than leaving at room temperature...
http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=672154&highlight=refrigeration+refrigerating
http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=709172&highlight=dries
http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=683932&highlight=dries
http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=675012&highlight=drieshttp://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=668747&highlight=dries
http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=657004&highlight=dries
http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=642577&highlight=dries
http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=638381&highlight=dries

Here's a list of at least 35 CC members who agree...
http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=714804&highlight=humidity

I respectfully disagree. Many cakes, if covered with a thick layer of buttercream and then sealed again in fondant, will be perfectly fine in the refrigerator. I have refrigerated both box mix cakes and scratch cakes and never had an issue. It all depends on the recipe. A lot of butter recipes don't have the same texture when refrigerated, so their texture can easily be described as dry if one were to eat it straight from the fridge.

Here's a link from Ron Ben Israel http://nyccakegirl.com/2011/08/26/there-is-a-hurricane-coming-lets-discuss-delivering-cakes/

He also delivers cakes cold. I have been following his recommendation and it works for me.

It takes approx. 90 minutes for a cake to come to room temperature. I use swiss meringue buttercream.

Every single one of my cakes gets refrigerated and I have never had issues with drying out, hard fondant, or condensation ruining anything.

You learn as you go what works best for you. It's not always possible to travel with a cold cake, so figuring out the best method of support for it's structure is key.

You can send all the links you want, CWR41, but I know what works. As I attend most of the events that I supply the cake for, I can tell you without a doubt that my cake is not dry even after being refrigerated! I learned what I know by working at a successful bakery and following what they did. Maybe shortening based frostings don't have the same kind of protection that real butter has...I don't know. I can't imagine that it wouldn't...all I know is what works for me, and I'm sure lots more CC'ers.
I've had one caketastrophe...and that was this summer delivering a topsy turvy cake in 108 degree temp. Had it been cold and hard like I normally deliver, it would have made it. Even though my car was as cold as I could get it, the heat was such that it got too soft too quickly and collapsed when I turned a corner and hit a bump. That's why I refrigerate and will continue to do so. Besides, if it's good enough for Ron Ben, it's good enough for me!

I agree

I also refrigerate my cakes and never had any issues either.

What works for some people doesn't always work for other people, there isn't just one way to store a cake. You just have to find a way that works for you and keep doing it

Ok just for giggles I actually skimmed those links, and ONE person in all of them (the same person) says that refrigeration dries out cakes. I believe that person also does a lot of buttercream cakes so those cakes would not have the fondant to help seal in the moisture.

Also in you list of the 35 people on cc that don't refrigerate cakes, that's all well and fine- but you could find another list just as long with people who always refrigerate cakes and they are not dry. It's funny you sent those links because in that last one people were arguing the fact that their cakes are not dried out by putting them in the fridge- and one person was arguing that they dry them out. Either way it doesn't matter- to each their own. If refrigerating dries out your cakes, don't refrigerate- if it doesn't dry them out, all the better.

Personally I refrigerate all my cakes as long as they are fondant covered. I agree with the people that said it helps in transporting. I have never had a delivery mishap (knock on wood) or anyone who has picked up their own cake, and I strongly feel that it is in strong part to the cake being chilled therefore more stable. Most people don't eat the cake at the beginning of the party anyway, so it has time to come to room temperature, and I also let the customer know just in case.

I also think that baking timeline is off- I do custom cakes out of my home- no big quick assembly line baking here, and the earliest I will bake is Wednesday. If I need a large cake, or one that will take a lot of time to decorate and I don't have much time, I make the batter ahead of time and freeze it- then all I have to do is thaw and pour into the pans. I don't think there should be any reason to bake on Monday for a Saturday cake.