I have an outdoor wedding reception coming up and am not sure what to do about setting up the cake. It may or may not be warm out in a few weeks. Does anyone have any suggestions about keeping the cake cool enough to not melt?

well, you'll have to base your icing recipe on the weather.....or you could keep it refrigerated until just before the reception starts! That will give it some time before it thaws out and starts to melt. Your safest bet would be to use an icing with less butter and more shortening so it would withstand the warmth......where are you??

If it is too warm, ask them to set up a tent and use a fan to help keep it cool.

Also, add some meringue powder to your icing to stabilize.

My icing is made entirely with shortning instead of butter, and I do use meringue powder. I'm just concerned because I will probably start constructing the cake and adding decorations about 45 min. before the reception starts. I don't know if it'll start melting in that time. I live in Indy. Right now, we are having some warm and some cool days. Yesterday was 82, today is 62. I won't have any idea of the weather until at least a few days before.

Teena-you should be okay, but be sure to give yourself plenty of time. 45 minutes sounds like a lot, but not if something has gone wrong and you're trying to fix it before people show up. Good luck to you! I predict the weather will be perfect in Indy and if it isn't, stick around a minute-it will change! (Coming from a former Hoosier!)