Lustre Dusting a Cake

Refrigerating fondant covered cakes, is a no – no. Even without dusting with lustre, once refrigerated & it is taken out, the cake is guaranteed to sweat like crazy! Condensation is the culprit and it is best avoided!!

Thank you Xclusive for your advise. Actually I always refrigerate my fondant cakes and they do sweat after I remove them, about 20 minutes, and as long as I don’t touch them at that time, they dry up and still look fabulous. It’s only when I applied lustre dust that I thought it looked a little slimy after it dried.

I’d think that as long as you don’t refrigerate after you dust it (and of course the sweating has dried), the cake should be fine.

I use luster dust all the time on fondant cakes and they all go in the fridge. I have never had any “sliminess” with my lustring (I love that word!). How do you apply your luster dust? I use PGA to apply mine – it’s 190 proof so it evaporates almost immediately after I paint with it. Also, have you ever tried bagging your cakes? When the cake is nice and dry, put a trash bag loosely over the top of the cake and tape it down in a few spots to the cake board. Remove the bag as soon as you take it from the fridge and it should really minimize the condensation greatly. I only do it on cakes that I’m afraid might run (hand painting, etc).

I always refrigerate my cakes, including fondant covered. Yes, if it is a humid day condensation will form, but will evaporate with no ill effect as the cake comes to room temperature. Just last weekend I did a cake that had been completely lustered. It was incredibly humid when I took them out for delivery, so I did notice quite a bit of condensation… but by the time I got to the venue they were dry…

thanks for all the great tips!! I think I need to just wait it out longer after I take it out of the fridge and I should be ok.
Jenniffer, I had to look up what PGA stood for but I found it, LOL – actually its illegal to sell in in California if you would believe that. What is the consistency of the mixture when you apply it to the cake – runny, pasty? Do you have a formula?

Thank you!

What is the consistency of the mixture when you apply it to the cake – runny, pasty?

It’s more runny than pasty, although it depends on how much alcohol you use. I will mix it depending on what I am trying to accomplish. Runnier if I am covering a large surface, thicker it I am hand painting some detail. Sometimes I will dip my brush in some PGA and then just dip it in the dust.

I did know that PGA was illegal in some states, but I don’t know why. Any high proof alcohol should work just as well. Lemon extract is REALLY high proof, but it is expensive, and it does leave behind a slight lemon flavor.

Thank you Jenniffer!

I always refrigerate my fondant cakes – especially if the filling is perishable. It will sweat but it dries after an hour or so – I’ve never had trouble with the luster dust,.