That time a wedding cake almost sank during a heat wave

I had a big wedding order for a four-tier cake last July, and the air conditioning in my shop broke on the delivery day. The buttercream started to slide off the bottom layer while I was driving, and I had to pull over and use a cooler of ice packs to firm it up. It held together for the photos, but I spent the whole reception waiting for it to fall. Do you think fondant would have held up better in that heat, or is there a better buttercream recipe for hot weather?

3 comments

3 Comments

kevin_harris7829d ago

DUDE that is TERRIFYING. I have a buddy who runs a bakery and he tried to take a cake to a beach wedding last August, and the heat was SO bad the cake literally started to SLIDE off the board while he was walking it to the table. He had to stop and have someone hold a sun umbrella over it while he scraped the buttercream back into place with a spatula. @terry_carter15 is spot on about Swiss meringue though, my friend switched to that recipe after that disaster and says it handles the heat WAY better than American buttercream ever did. He still hates fondant with a passion, says the texture ruins the whole cake even if it holds up. So yeah, I'd say you're lucky it only almost sank and not fully collapsed.

terry_carter151mo ago

Oh man, that sounds like a total nightmare. Swiss meringue buttercream usually does a bit better in the heat than American buttercream. Fondant would probably survive, but then you have to deal with fondant.

lilykelly1mo ago

Actually used to think fondant was the only way for hot weather, but @terry_carter15 is totally right about Swiss meringue holding up better. Made a cake last summer that sat outside for hours, and the buttercream was still perfect. Fondant might survive, but the taste just isn't worth it.