Hello Cake Central, 

I have a questions, I want to cover a Red Velvet cake in fondant, the general advice is to fill with cream cheese frosting, then either ganache or buttercream under fondant... NOW my question is, if cream cheese frosting needs refrigeration and fondant cannot be refrigerated without harm them how does it work?

I would REALLY appreciate your ADVICE on this one :)

Hi Foodiegoddess! Cream cheese frosting does require refrigeration. White chocolate ganache doesn't need refrigeration and is a good alternative if you're wanting to cover the cake in fondant. I put one of my first ever fondant cakes in the fridge & when it came out condensation did appear, but I left it to come back to room temperature (without touching anything on it) and it turned out fine. HTH :)

You can refrigerate fondant covered cakes.  I use a lost of perishable fillings, and have never had a problem.  As it warms up, there will be condensation, but it goes away. Just be careful and not touch it while it's damp.

My cake over the past weekend had some sweating issues, but even with navy royal icing piped on it, the color never dripped or ran on it at all.

AI read that you can wrap fondant-covered cakes in cling film before refrigerating...apparently the condensation will form on that as opposed to the cake when you take it out. I've never tried it so can't say if it works but guess the theory is sound!! :-)

Oh dear, wrapping in cling wrap would probably make a mess. Box the cake in a cardboard box in the fridge if you're worried about condensation. I fridge all of my cakes, and if it starts to sweat upon returning to the room that I work in, I'll aim a fan at it and wait it out.

Aif you don't want to refridgerate, you can fill and ice with white chocolate ganache. i did this recently and it was delicious

I always fridge my cakes, buttercream and fondant. always. like AZ said, put it in a box and just let the condensation evaporate while it comes to room temp.  

A@AZ Couture - thanks for the tip, will cross that one off my 'things to try' list!

Thanks everyone... another little quesions.. how long do you think you can keep a cake with cream cheese frosting out of the fridge?

I don't know what the 'official' time limit is; but I'd start to get nervous after an hour or two. If you're in a hot climate you might want to eat it sooner rather than later.

--the official time limit is 4 hours total for hazardous ingredients like cream cheese to be held between 40 degrees and 140 degrees (that is out of the fridge and not in the oven) if my understanding is correct--so if the cream cheese was handled properly from factory to truck to store to grocery shelf you have 4 hours before the bacteria builds up to become danger producing--not that it goes rancid but peeps with sensitivities like elderly, young and infirm will feel the effect--so if it took 45 minutes to get it off the grocery shelf and driven around the store in the cart, get checked out, ride in the car home, and finally into the fridge --you have 3 hours 15 minutes left.

--i try to preserve at least two hours for the table time at the celebration and i inform the bride of the time sensitivity--i deliver the cake way late--like within 30 minutes of the party.

--i carry mine home climate controlled with ice packs in a cooler

--i also try to be real careful when letting it get to 'room temp'--

-- i probably should have used the microwave a bit but last time i had to sieve it through a strainer..twice-agh! because i tried to use it when it was too cold--that was a huge pain but i was real careful on the time--

--and in fact a man in his late 20's who i know has crohn's disease asked me how is the cake held--it felt good that i was able to be knowledgeable and that i was as careful as i knew how to be.

--and besides all that i really hate red velvet--just not a user friendly cake for weddings imo--but sucha popular flavor

Thanks for your detailed replyK8memphis :)

you're very welcome, foodiegoddess, may all your cakes bake sweet and tall and your icings never separate ;)

thank you

♥