How Long Can You Leave Buttercream Out ?
Decorating By linarez Updated 16 May 2014 , 8:58pm by UTexasHeather
I am making a 3 Tier wedding cake for my aunt and would like to know how long can I leave the cake out after it is iced with buttercream and can I leave it at room temperature ? also do I have to cover it with something or does it have to be refrigerated? I am wanting to have it iced the night before to leave time for any mistakes I may make!! Thanks!!
It will be fine out on the counter at room temp for several days as long as you are not using a perishable filling (i.e. fresh fruit or mousse). You should have it in a box (you can order boxes large enough to contain a 3 tier stacked cake from www.countrykitchensa.com) just to keep dust off of it and will make easier for transport.
Can I ask what your recipe is? Some buttercreams should be refrigerated.
Butter, crisco, and PS are all basically non-perishable. Combining them together doesn't suddenlty make them perishable. The high sugar contact acts as a preservative for any liquid you add (such as milk etc). I leave my on the counter for days and days (covered). If I need it longer than that I will refrigerate or freeze it. HTH! 
l80bug79
your recipe is fine being stored at room temp for well over a month
thanks. I normally ice/decorate the night before but that's not an option for this one.
we're just down the road from each other. i'm in griffin.
as far as im concerned, the mbc, should not be left out at room temp, a few hours is ok, but after that in the frige they go!!
I agree. Would you ever make scrambled eggs, leave them on the counter, and eat them the next day? Bacteria begins to grow and multiply as soon as hot foods cool or cold foods warm up. Condensation is a key factor in bacteria growth. American BC uses all room temp ingredients and has a good amount of sugar, as a preservative - different story than any MBC. OP, I would err on the side of caution if you're not using a standard American BC. JMHO though!
When I make a cake with buttercream, I leave it out until we eat it all (about 4 days) and we never get sick
Overnight I think is fine but after that I always refridgerate.
MBC is short for Meringue ButterCream. There is Swiss, Italian, and French versions (SMBC, IMBC, and FMBC). They are basically made using granulated sugar and egg whites (yolks in the case of FMBC), cooked according to directions, cooled, then whipped along with butter and flavouring. Very buttery, silky smooth icings - they do not crust. I use Martha Stewart's recipe, but I reduce the sugar slightly.
American buttercreams (made with tons of powdered sugar, fat and a small amount of liquid/any liquid) are shelf stable (no refrigeration required) because the sugar (which is hygroscopic or water absorbing) controls the water activity in the liquid, be it water, milk, cream or non-dairy coffee creamer, etc..
Here's the science.
Water activity & microbial growth:
(Prolonging Bakery Product Life.)
http://tinyurl.com/ya8po4z
WJ Scott in 1953 first established that it was water activity, not water content that correlated with bacterial growth:
http://tinyurl.com/bmsato
Formulating for increased shelf life:
(Decreasing water activity results in hostile environment for bacteria.)
http://tinyurl.com/csu2b9
Cream cheese frosting & sugar as a "preservative":
(Includes shelf stable cream cheese recipe.)
http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-621145-.html
HTH
Sugar acts as a natural preservative. http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/special/2001/comforts/preservation.html
My grandfather is a butcher and would preserve meat with salt.... never needed refrigeration.
Okay, I wave the white flag on this thread. I will say this and argue no more. I believe that a meringue buttercream should be refrigerated after no more than a couple of hours out for decorating. It just makes sense. Eggs ARE perishable and there are warnings everywhere that any recipe containing eggs should be refrigerated promptly. My recipe for SMBC states that it is "safe at room temp if using withing a couple of hours, any longer refrigerate". I follow that without fail.
If I ordered a cake for my young child's birthday party, I would need to believe that the baker would follow the safety standards in place for recipes containing eggs. There is a lot of research out there that says this recipe can develop bacteria that is dangerous for both the very young and the very elderly.
If my baker put both my children and grandparents at risk for food poisoning, how is that okay? I just want everyone, especially the new bakers out there, to understand that it's not all black and white. While some believe it's okay and no one that they've baked for have ever gotten sick, there is much evidence to the contrary out there. Personally, I'm not taking chances with anyone's health.
I leave my basic buttercream ( made with butter and powdered sugar with water) on the counter covered for days. I always have butter on the counter as well ( much more spreadable )
Many countries don't wash eggs and the protective coating remains. In North america we do and they should be kept in the fridge.
the argument about scrambled eggs doesn't make sense. I cook with eggs in my baking and leave the cake out..... That is probably a better analogy. That said ,I don't know if meringue based bc should be in the fridge.
the argument about scrambled eggs doesn't make sense. I cook with eggs in my baking and leave the cake out..... That is probably a better analogy. That said ,I don't know if meringue based bc should be in the fridge.
I wasn't supposed to argue anymore, lol, but I can't resist. Actually, my analogy about the scrambled eggs was puposeful. Comparing eggs cooked with a bit of sugar and then mixed with uncooked, room temp ingredients is a much better analogy than comparing cooked eggs with eggs mixed with both wet and dry ingredients (changing the composition) and BAKING all the ingredients together until cooked through. Don't you think? Anyway, I was really just trying to make a point. I think this thread has become a runaway train. I think the OP is just using regular American BC and probably doesn't care much for the rest of this info.
hi I'm a new baker I am more about design then baking but this is what I do cannot be any easier buy a store chocolate butter cream adding 4 sticks of butter , never had a complain I even freeze it. Taste not much deferent then the complicated recipe from my country ( Slovakia) what my mother use to make. I have a problem just about now Im making a big Bellagio cake for my husband 40birthda and my fridge is not big for this cake the party is next Saturday please help. have 3 kids not much time and don't want to poison anybody.
Thank you for sharing that incredibly useful information!
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