Caring for Your Fondant Cake
How to store, transport, and serve a fondant-covered cake so it looks the way it left our kitchen. Short version: cool and dry, never the fridge.
Fondant is a sugar paste rolled thin and smoothed over the cake. It gives that clean, seamless finish — and it has a couple of rules of its own.
Storing your cake
Keep it cool and dry, in its box. A fondant cake is happiest at room temperature in a cool spot, out of direct sunlight, in the box it was delivered in.
Do not refrigerate. Fridges are humid. When a fondant cake comes out of one, moisture condenses on the surface and the fondant turns sticky, dull, or spotty. Colors can bleed.
In warmer months, keep it in an air-conditioned room rather than a garage, porch, or hot car. Heat softens fondant and can make decorations slide.
Transporting it
Carry the box flat, holding it from underneath — never by the lid.
Set it on a flat surface in the car (the floor is more level than a seat) with the air conditioning on.
Go straight there. A cake left in a parked car, even briefly, can be damaged by heat.
Displaying it
Set the cake on a stable, level table out of direct sunlight. Sunlight fades colors, and even a slight tilt is enough to shift a tall cake over a few hours.
Before you cut
Check the cake for anything that isn’t meant to be eaten and take it off before serving. Some pieces look edible but are there for structure or decoration:
Name tags and cake toppers
Rhinestone or metallic decorations
Ribbons
Sugar flowers, and any wires, skewers, or dowels holding them
Internal dowels or boards between tiers
Keep removed décor away from children and guests.
Cutting for even servings
Our standard serving is 1" × 2". Cutting this way gets you the number of servings your cake was sized for — the steps are below.
How long it keeps
Your cake was baked as close to your date as possible. It’s at its best within 24 hours of first serving. After that, cover cut edges and keep it cool; anything eaten later is at your discretion.
Allergies
Everything we bake is made in a kitchen that handles soy, wheat, dairy, and nuts. Even a cake made without nuts may have come into contact with them. Please let your guests know.
Step by step
- Cut a 1" slice. Position a cutting board against the side of your cake and cut a 1" slice.
- Portion the slice. Lay the slice on your board and cut it into 1" × 2" dessert portions.
- Repeat. Repeat for the rest of the cake to keep portions even.
- Extra-tall cakes. Cut portions again through the middle for smaller servings.
Time: 15 minutes. You'll need: The cake box it came in, A cutting board, A long, sharp knife.
Common questions
- Can I put a fondant cake in the refrigerator?
- We recommend against it. Condensation forms on the fondant when it comes out, making it sticky and dull and sometimes causing colors to bleed. Keep it in a cool, dry room in its box instead.
- The fondant feels sticky or has a shine — what happened?
- That’s condensation from a humid environment or a temperature change (usually a fridge or a hot car). Leave the cake uncovered in a cool, dry room and the surface will usually dry out on its own. Don’t wipe it.
- Can I eat the fondant?
- Yes — fondant is sugar and is edible. Decorations placed on top of it may not be; check the list above before serving.
- How far ahead can I set it out?
- Take it out of the box up to an hour before serving if you want to display it. In hot weather, keep it boxed and cool until closer to the time.
