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Hi everyone, there has probably been similar questions asked before but I can’t trace them, just wondered if someone could please give me a guide for use by dates on sugar paste covered cakes with (I) buttercream and (II) ganache
Many thanks!

Well I suppose because sugar paste locks in moisture it can keep cakes fresher for a little longer. If you make a simple syrup by boiling equal quantities of sugar and water for a minute of two, cool and brush onto sponge layers, it will prevent staling for a few extra days. If you use a little glycerine in madeira cake batter it will make the cake moist and also extend shelf life by a few more days. How and where you store a decorated cake also plays a part in it’s freshness, and of course if you use any fresh fruit in your fillings the shelf life is considerable reduced to perhaps just 2 days providing the cake is kept refrigerated. That’s how I see it, I’m sure other members will add their valued opinions too, it’s good to have lots of perspective.

Hi natalie_kingsmill

Butter cream is good left out for several days and ganache for a week or more in a cool environment. The cake is the issue as most sponge cakes will begin to stale between 3 – 5 days. Paul’s moist choco cake has shelf life of 5 days, it will last longer, madeira cake at least 2 weeks and most mud cakes 10 days. The chocolate mud cake in this blog http://www.cakeflix.com/blog/how-to-make-chocolate-mud-cake has long shelf. If you boil 1 teaspoon of glucose with the cream for the ganache you will extend the shelf life, alcohol will extend it by a further week. If you use alcohol reduce the cream by the amount used. Really it isn’t necessary unless you’re intending to leave the cakes out for weeks rather than days.
Hope this helps. If you need more information please post again. x

That’s great thank you! I’m guessing its a bit of a myth then when I’ve heard that once a buttercreamed/ ganached cake is covered with sugarpaste it lasts for much longer than mentioned above?