Well I just thought Id share my failure to help others, my 'keep-fresh' idea seemed sensible to me at the time- apparently not!

I had 50 cupcakes ordered with pretty simple fondant toppers but the customer wanted them for a Saturday night party and was embarking on her travels the Wednesday morning, I was concerned about them going dry! So I made them absolutely last minute and let the fondant firm overnight, they looked perfect So I boxed them early on wed and then thought I know; if I cling wrap the boxes that would keep the moisture in and they wont dry out so I did.... not a good idea.... got a call today after the customer opened the boxes on arrival to see her lovely cupcakes; the fondant had melted from the humidity, slid off and stuck everywhere- every cupcake is ruined! (...though I bet they still taste nice!)

I feel sick to my stomach as I cant just go there with more fondant and fix them, I cant bake replacements for her... it feels so horrible to have let her down and to be able only to offer a refund... sickening.

Sorry this happened to you , just one to chalk up to experience .
The stay fresh reason is why I will only do cupcakes out of mudcake , they will last anything up to two weeks or so and still be quite tasty , and moist. It gives me more time to decorate and bake them .I hate dry cake and feel that cupcakes that are made from ordinary cake should be eaten on the day they are baked.

The customer was taking a big gamble to pick up cupcakes on a Wed, travel with them and not serve them til Saturday. That is a long time to hold them, no surprise that there was some sort of trouble for her when she finally went to serve them. Personally I don't see why it is your responsibility to want to fix them, give a refund or rebake for her.

I agree with denetteb on all points. I'm not sure that the plastic wrap caused the problem anyway. If the fondant melted, they must have gotten very hot. If she left them in an un-airconditioned car for any length of time the fondant would get too hot. Anything above about 75 degrees can cause problems.

Of course the plastic wrap caused it. Fondant needs to breathe a little or decorations will droop and soften, especially if they were just made the day before. You should never seal cupcakes in an airtight container unless they're going in the freezer.

Sorry this happened to you. The good thing is that now you know what happens. On the other hand, not all of it is your fault. Customers really should be aware that cupcakes could get a little dry in a few days. That was her problem, not yours.