To refrigerate or not to refrigerate? That is the question.
Years ago, when I began learning fondant, I scoured the internet for information regarding whether or not to refrigerate fondant. Not finding any satisfactory information, I decided to just experiment. Having made fondant cakes trying a variety of methods, I have discovered that the single most helpful thing I learned was to refrigerate fondant. Cakes bulge, sag and change shape. It can be a terrifying prospect for a cake decorator (see article Battle of the Bulge on preventing Bulging). But chilling a cake can avoid almost all of these issues.
There are some rules and guidelines to refrigerating, though.
1. Certain types of fondant respond better than others. Some don't do well all at all. Wilton is an example of a fondant that does not do well with refrigeration, while Satin Ice does very well. The best way to find out about your fondant is to experiment.
2. Bakeries use low humidity commercial fridges that run at the right temps. This is not to say that you cannot just use your fridge at home… but you will want to test out your fridge before you do any huge creations. If your fridge is too cold, it might freeze spots of the fondant which creates dark splotches. Keep your tiers or cakes clear of anything that could touch/drip on it or of any inside fridge vents. They'll need a little space.
3. Immediately after you lay your fondant, get it in the fridge! This will solidify it in its intial shape and prevent cake bulging. If you need to decorate it, do so after it has chilled and then return it to the fridge.
4. Most fondant types will "sweat" after being removed from the fridge. Do not panic. This is normal. It will dry and be back to normal, usually 15-20 minutes after being removed. Bringing it out into an air-conditioned room with circulating air can help the process along. The main thing to remember is NOT TO TOUCH IT. While it is in this sticky state, anything touching it will smudge it permanently. On the other hand, its a perfect time to add decorations that you want to stick to the fondant, but be careful… once you put a decoration on you cannot pull it off or move it.
5. Remember to give your cake time to sweat and dry before it needs to be at an event. I usually give it 1/2 an hour before delivery or "unveiling".
*Putting your tiers in a cake box before chilling them is very helpful (thanks for the reminder Alisa!)
If you have any questions feel free to email me (email is in the right side bar under 'Contact Me'). Happy decorating!
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This is very helpful information. I kept thinking I was doing something wrong. I was getting so frustrated with the sweating… I think I am just not allowing myself enough time to let the cake do it's thing before I decorate it. I did find that putting the cake inside a cardboard box, then in the fridge, helps keep it from sweating so much. Luckily, I have a fridge that is only used for cakes so I have the room.
You are so right Alisa! I almost included that. Putting your tiers in a cake box before chilling them is very helpful.
You give excellent instructions. Maybe I might try something….
Well, send me a pic if you do!
Great tips Kathryn!!! I agree with Alisa – I keep my tiers in bakery boxes in the fridge, and then try to allow them some time to sweat in the boxes when I take them out. And – Satin Ice rocks
Amen Kristen!
Hi,Kathryn:
I had emailed you last week to ask the same question, and the info you gave me was invalubale, i did just as you suggested with my last cake. I made marshmallow fondant and put it in the frige over nite, it did sweat a little,but not much, i put a fan on it. By the time the customer came, it had stopped sweating. Not knowing i could refrigerate fondant had stopped me from adding fruits or jam between the layers, i tried that also with the last cake, it worked great!!! So from now on, i will refrigerate my fondant covered cakes.
thank you
monica
So glad! It makes a world of difference. And the shape stays so much cleaner too. Its good to know that the marshmallow fondant refrigerates well. Thank you for the comment!
Hi Kathryn,
Not sure if this would be a good spot to put this question, but I will try!
I have a customer that needs a fondant covered cake for Saturday, but I can't give her the cake any earlier then Wed. night. Do you think the cake would be fresh after 2 days? I've never done this so i dont know what to expect.
Any thoughts would be great!
Fondant acts like tupperware in that it seals the cake so the cake will still be fresh. It would be best to refrigerate it the entire time though (especially depending on what fillings you are using.) If you don't have a filling that will spoil, leaving it unrefrigerated will still probably be okay.
Thank you so much for the very detailed advice. I am up at midnight trying to figure out whether to refrigerate my daughter's birthday cake for tomorrow. And your instructions about Wilton fondant not liking refrigeration and very cold refrigerators helps immensely. It's 60 degrees or less in my kitchen and I'm thinking based on your advice, I'll leave it on the stone slab and cover loosely. I'm not sure whether I'll never use fondant again, or that I need to use it more.
Hey! i bought Wilton fondant and you mentioned that it will "sweat" after being taken out of the refrigerator? Is there any way I can keep it for 24hours? I'm thinking of using icing + jam for the fillings, will they go bad if I keep the cake outside? Thanks for your help!!
You could keep it out, but you will get more sagging and buckling. Its a gamble. It could be fine. I refrigerate to take the stress out though
thanks for this post. I've been making buttercream cakes with fondant decorations and have been keeping th decorations off and asking the customers to place them on. this will allow me to present them with the finished product so they don't have to stress.
Hi, i have a cake that i did today 5/13/2012 for my best friends baby shower. she caught a cold and is too sick to have the shower today so it was potponed until next sunday the 5/20/2012. it is a 3 tier cake 6' over 8' over 11' covered in fondant and already stacked with gumpaste flowers attached.
Will the cake be great still if i refrigerate the it until then? will it dry out? i heard the fondant acts as a good sealer for the cake so it will still be moist and fresh….is this true?
Gumpaste doesn’t refrigerate well. What I would do is tear off the fondant and gumpaste then freeze the filled cake layers (my cake freezes really well as it’s wrapped real well). Then bring to room temp and redecorate the following week.
Hi, just stumbled onto this site and it's really helping me out. I have a custom cake and cupcake business in Northern Ca and have a question: I have a 5 tier wedding cake that is to be decorated in white fondant and then stenciled with black royal icing. I have to deliver it by noon and the travel time is about an hour. Did I mention that this will be in July in a notoriously hot city? I know that the cake has to be chilled before the delivery and have had lots of expeience with "cake sweat"…my concern is that if I stencil the cake and then refridgerate, that the black royal icing will bleed during the sweating process. I'm thinking the only answer is to get up at about 4 in the morning and do the stenciling after the cake has sweated and dried..Any advice?
Danielle,
I am curious as to what you did, I have the same situation coming up and the temperature has been consistently 90 to 100 with alot of humidity
Thanks!
This website is great! I'm a little confused though. You say to refrigerate definitely if you are using perishble filling. But aren't all perishble? I plan on making a cookies and cream filling and I'm nervous about leaving the cake outside because of the whipcream I'll use. I'm using Satin Ice fondant and you said based on your experience that it refrigerates well. So I guess, I'll just put it in the fridge at home. Also I want to stick cake pops all around it. Is it better to do that right after I cover the cake or after I refrigerate the cake? Thank you so much
Not all fillings need to be refrigerated. Buttercream is a classic example. If its a buttercream filling, you’re fine leaving it out. I’d let the cake refrigerate, sweat, dry then put on the cake pops.
Hi Kathryn,
Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. I have baked a cake a week too early and need to freeze it. It is covered in ordinary fondant (what we call petinice in South Africa). it is coloured black and red. We also have fairly hot weather at this time of the year. Can I freeze it and then defrost it in the fridge. If it sweats can I just put it in front of a fan or should I just leave it to dry on it's own?
Thanks in advance
Venessa
Hi Kathryn,
I'm making a 3 tier cake 8' over 10' over 12' covered in fondant. If I make it on Thursday will it be ok in the fridge until Saturday? Should I cover it? Where can I find a cake box of that size? Last question…If the party starts at 4:00 what time should I remove the cake from the fridge? Thanks for your help! This site is awesome!!
It should be fine that long, but you will have to keep an eye on fridge condensation. Michaels and Joanns have big cake boxes, you could also try party supply stores. Good luck!
Hi there– Thanks for the info its a lifesaver. I have battled the bulge (ha ha) and finally figured that using an all butter buttercream under my MMF is the best way to go. Cold butter holds its shape nicely. I have a MMF bday cake (2 tier) to deliver tonight after work and I have the cake – not stacked yet – in the fridge for the day. Also to protect it from my nosey kitties. So many articles say NEVER fridge fondant and I really didnt think that was right. Whew. Feeling better now!
Hi there I was wondering how long Swiss meringue buttercream can sit out without going bad? Thanks
Thank you so much for this info. Do you refrigerate you tiers before you put on the fondant too, and do you put a layer of buttercream underneath? I tried refrigerating the tier first, and it made putting the fondant on easier, but it began to get tacky so quickly I wasn't able to smooth it very well. The non-fridge method is definitely not working for me as I'm constantly fighting "the bulge". Could you tell me step-be-step, and with a timeline how you would do one tier with fondant? For example: two days ahead bake, cool and refrigerate, next day fill and frost, etc. Does that make sense? Thanks in advance for your help.
Never mind my comment above, I just found your cake basics posts and they answered my questions. I will give this a try on my next cake. Thanks again for being willing to share this info!!!