I'm a regular lurker here at CC and a regular poster on another cake board. I posted this story there but thought I would share it with my friends here at CC. (very long)

I did this cake for the sweetest young lady in the world. She's just a doll. When she originally talked to me about the fact that the reception would be OUTSIDE... September 1st... in Mexico! Can you say... disaster waiting to happen (hot and humid).

So we decided to cover the cake completely in fondant to help "hold in" the buttercream. Then she wanted a wide ribbon and icing "dots" for decoration. She also wanted a raspberry filling. It was a 6", 8", 10", 12" plus two double layer 11x15s as "kitchen cakes" -- but also covered in fondant.

Yesterday I started to fill the 10" tier with the raspberry/buttercream filling and I could tell from the get-go that it was not going to hold up well in the heat and humidty so I went ahead and left the 10" with the filling but for the 6",8" and 12" I made the executive decision to fill them with only buttercream. I did, however, fill the two kitchen cakes with the raspberry/buttercream filling.

Well, after covering all the cakes with fondant and attaching the ribbon around the base of the tiers I made royal icing for the icing dots on the sides. I was left with the borders for the two kitchen cakes and since they would be hidden away in the kitchen I just put a buttercream border around the bottom of them.

Well, we crossed over into Mexico with no problems (the bridge is only 10 miles from my house!) and the place the wedding reception was to be held was about 6 miles further. The last 1/2 mile or so was down a very bumpy dirt road (thank the Lord for a husband who can drive slow and navigate holes in the road). As we were pulling up to the reception site we met the bride being driven to the church down the road -- we smiled and waved really big -- it was like she said, "there's my cake!"

I met our mutual friend who was in charge of receiving the cake. I said, "where does the cake go?" and he said, "right here under this tent..." but there was no table - nothing) He said... I'll go get a table... I'm looking around and I notice at the front of the large tent there is a long table set up with a cloth and so we walk up there and there is a cake cutting set lying there. He said, "well, the cake doesn't go here -- it goes over there under that tent - because if we leave it here it's going to get soaked" (sky was DARK and thunder and the whole bit...) So he moves that table and the cloth to the other tent -- I bring out the cake and set it up -- the humidity was so thick... ugh... I ask him where to put the kitchen cakes... he says, "I don't know... right there next to the wedding cake I suppose." So I'm trying to explain to our friend the concept of "kitchen cakes" (served and not seen) but he doesn't get it so we put them there on the table and decide to wait on someone to tell us where to put them.

It started to rain.

and rain and rain and rain and rain

Now normally, I would set up the cake and leave but I decided to wait this one out and keep an eye on the cake. The buttercream border almost completely melted off the bottom of the kitchen cakes. It was cool (probably in the 80s?) but it was SOOOOOO humid and pouring rain by this time.

The longer I policed the cake the more it started to lean ever so slightly. FINALLY the wedding was over and people started showing up at the reception. Our friend's wife arrived and I asked her about the kitchen cakes. They decided not to put them in the kitchen but to just leave them on the table next to the cake! (I was mortified.) So I'm trying to explain the concept of "kitchen cakes" to some lady who seems to be coordindinating things and she took these two flowers from a vase and put one on the top of each of the sheet cakes "to make them pretty". ... okay...

The cake was still leaning so my friend went to get a piece of wood to place under the cake boards to straighten it up! I stayed until the bride arrived. I didn't wait to talk to her or even get her reaction -- just the fact that she was finally there and the promised to make the cake pictures with them first! We headed out of there... I haven't received any phone calls so I hope all went well....

And now, that you've managed to read this epic novel let's see if I can post some photos!

First picture of the cake with my van in the background!



I made my hubby stand behind the table and hold up the table cloth to get this photo!



Kitchen cakes beside the wedding cake.



Melting buttercream on the kitchen cakes. I'm so glad that I had the foresight to use royal icing for the dots on the wedding cake rather than buttercream!



It's raining and the cake is starting to lean...



The kitchen cakes after they've been "prettified" (look how shiny/wet the fondant was)



A shot of the piece of wood placed to hold up the cake straight!



Lessons learned...

If anyone ever asks me for a buttercream cake and the wedding is outdoors I will absolutely refuse! I shudder to think what would have happened had this cake not been in fondant! It was so humid, in fact, that the fondant was shiny, wet & sticky, and the FONDANT was bleeding through the ribbon -- not grease from the buttercream! That was freaking me out!

I talked to my friends at church this morning and found out that the cake held up through the entire cutting and that only one 4x4 piece of a kitchen cake was left. They said it was delicious! (yay!)

Thanks for sticking with me! Hope you've enjoyed my little saga... and now... I've got to clean up my kitchen then I'm going to BED!!!

WOW! How nerve racking! Your cake looks beautiful!

Thanks so much for your reply, revel... wow... 67 views and only one reply? Is it because I said I usually post on another board? I thought it was a pretty good story and with pictures to boot! haha Guess I'll venture back into lurkdom! Thanks for reading anyway!

LOl..don't feel bad somedays CCer's are shy! BTW you do beautiful work!

Your cake is beautiful! And I'm so glad it held up for you!

I can so identify with this story - last weekend I made a cake for my sister's wedding. Yep, outdoors, high humidity, and it poured rain! It wasn't quite as big as yours, but it was tall and I kept sneaking looks at it, set up under it's tent, to make sure the cake topper hadn't blown off! (It was also very windy) And I kept waiting for a sheet of rain to pour off the roof of the tent and get blown right into the cake. Talk about nerve-wracking!

Luckily, everything held up. I have a recipe for a good buttercream that was supposed to hold up in high heat/humidity. I guess this was the ultimate test! The cake was covered in a layer of moisture (especially the back), but the icing did not sag or drip or fall off. I was completely amazed (and grateful!) I only wanted it to hold up long enough for my sister to see it, and then I could relax. She loved the cake, we served it later, and all was right with the world...

I had to laugh at how the kitchen cakes were "prettified!" Great story, and you did a wonderful job on the cake.

Thanks, choc&pb - I can only imagine how you must have been sweating it the cake being for your sister! I'm so glad that everything worked out for you. When we were driving off from the reception the other day the last thing I saw was a man holding up a mop above his head and pushing up the tent to get the water off -- it was sagging so much from the weight of the water and the water was literally pouring off in sheets... thanks for your comments! I really appreciate it!

Your cake is just beautiful! Oh my I would have been so stressed. You did just great. That is too funny abou the kitchen cakes. I guess they don't quite have that concept yet!

Thank you for sharing this story! I thought my first fondant cake was shiny/sticky because I did something wrong! It also melted a bit, saged here and there, and bulged in places.... although I had a base of buttercream underneath.

I was in a panic because it was my first "big" cake (the boat cake in my photos) and the first time I worked with fondant.

I was almost in tears when I delivered it because the buttercream (piped on top as blue waves) literally melted off the fondant and onto the cake board. Thankfully, I learned from other cc conversations that a decorator always takes a repair kit to the delivery site, so I had a piping bag full of blue icing.

Even here in Massachusetts we get 90% humidy in July and August. It's brutal.

Oh, mycakesandmore, a comment about the cake...it's gorgeous! I love orange and had the same colors when I got married last May.

Great story and beautiful cake!!!! I bet you're relieved that one is over!!! What a lot of stress!

As for your cakes not getting commented on, don't fret...it happens all the time, and yes, it's super disappointing!!!! Don't go back into "lurkerdome" though! Here's a link to another thread on CC where your cakes are bound to get appreciated and commented on............


http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopicp-4930333-.html#4930333


Thanks for posting!!!!!!!!!!

awwwww, thanks y'all! Yes, I was just super excited to tell my whole "story" to people who would appreciate it! I told this whole thing to my best friend - who hasn't a clue about cakes - and she kept saying things like.... fondant? buttercream? kitchen cakes? -- she even said, "sorry, I don't know the terminology" hahahahaha and I always LOVE reading everyone's "stories" so I wanted to share my own -- and was just impatient waiting for replies! Thanks so much for making a lurker feel welcome!

Well I think your cake is beautiful and that the kitchen cakes don't look that bad. Just being covered in fondant seems to "dress up" a cake. As for the situation, when I read the subject for the thread, I cringed! And as I was reading, I found myself holding my breath for you. I live in New Orleans, and we have some of the most horrible roads around here. I have more than once found myself going down a road white knuckled holding on to the steering wheel and all but crying praying for it not to fall. As for that weather, rainy, hot, humid days with any cake make me nervous. Much less with a tiered wedding cake that you want to be just right! I'm glad it all worked out and I'm sure the bride understood the whole situation. Unfortunately we cannot control the weather, though boy do I wish I could so many times.

with all the problems that you had, you cake does look very beautiful.!!!!!!
you should be very very proud. !!!!!!!!!!!
....and it was almost all eaten.
good for you !

Your cake looks great!! you can't even tell you had any problems!!

You did a great job in a difficult situation....smart cookie to document the ordeal so thoroughly. Thanks for sharing and letting us all know that we're not alone in some of our 'challenges'.

oh wow, what a story Glad that it ended well. I'm glad I don't have to deal with the heat/humidity as much as you. I have a friend down near Brownsville, by the way. Is that where you are?

It was a lovely cake and I'm glad it didn't fall or anything. I'll keep in mind to have fondant for outdoor weddings!

Thanks everyone for your comments... I really do appreciate all the posts! LaSombra, I'm in Harlingen (about 20 miles north of Brownsville).

You did a nice job! The cake looked really pretty-sorry you had so many obstacles to overcome! My Grandma lives in Harlingen half the year-too hot in the summer!!

Thanks so much for your comments! How neat, your grandma is one of our (so affectionately called) "Winter Texans" !! South Texas is such a wonderful place to be in the winter!

Hey, I would love to do a cake for your friend anytime! You can find my website w/contact information here. If she ever does need a cake and you tell her about me tell her to be sure and mention that you are her friend! cool

i have a similar story except the reception was inside during the winter. i was told to place the cake on the cake table as normal and left to take care of other things in the kitchen. when i returned to make sure everything was ready to my horror i relized the cake table was directly under a heating duct. the icing had just started to slide off when everyone started to arrive. thankfully the bride was willing to advance the cake cutting. moral never let someone else deside placement without looking up at the ceiling.

Thanks Jenny! I love meeting people around here and finding out what a small world we really live in after all, right?! I have a good friend here and she and her family are moving to Eugene, Oregon in the next month or two... I don't know what part of the state that is located but she's going to be a lot closer to you than to me!! Her husband is originally from Seattle, I think.

Very nice cake!! And yes here in Mexico people are starting to get the concept of "kitchen cakes", it hasn't cuaght up with everybody yet.

Thanks so much, Solecito! ... the friend of ours is actually from here in Harlingen!!! He's the manager of a kind of a "mission campground" facility there where they held the reception. His wife knew what I was talking about but they had already decided to just keep the cakes out beside the wedding cake instead of trying to carry cake back and forth from the kitchen with all the rain going on.... it all worked out fine, though!