How Does Buttercream Hold Up To The Summer Heat Of About 90+ Degrees!!!
Decorating By Sharis Updated 18 Jun 2013 , 12:31am by lorieleann
I have a wedding cake due next weekend and just found out that my buttercream grooms cake and wedding cake is going to be outside in the late of the day heat. The wedding cake is cream cheese buttercream and the grooms cake will be chocolate buttercream with chocolate shavings. My concern is that these cakes are going to melt in all the heat and was wondering if you had any suggestions on how I should handle this. I'm thinking keeping them in the fridge until the last minute is the only answer.
My daughter got married in Florida and the the buttercream frosted cake came out of the fridge for fifteen minutes so they could take photos. The hotel stored it for us until the next day and it went straight into the fridge in our apartment. It was a bit blurred around the edges by then , so I can't imagine what is would have looked like after a few hours in the heat.
I spoke with the bride and showed her the video posted on here and warned her about the heat. She is now going have the cakes inside with the temp around 70 degrees. Thanks so much for all the advice, I can now rest assured the cakes will be safe from the heat. I am interested in the IndyDebi's recipe if anyone has it tho.
I spoke with the bride and showed her the video posted on here and warned her about the heat. She is now going have the cakes inside with the temp around 70 degrees. Thanks so much for all the advice, I can now rest assured the cakes will be safe from the heat. I am interested in the IndyDebi's recipe if anyone has it tho.
Yippee! Here's the Indydebi recipe that she has graciously shared with so many people, and also a second recipe from my cousin, Ricki:
Here are two SUPERB high-heat, high-humidity recipes. I have used both and prefer the Indydebi recipe. However, I live in So. California and is is NEVER humid here. Ricki's recipe may hold up better in hot/humid conditions. Important: Even though both recipes say "Crisco", these recipes were used for 30+ years BEFORE Crisco changed their recipe to NON-TRANS-FAT. The current Crisco does NOT perform the same way it did 2 years ago.
Where the recipes call for Crisco, substitute (if possible) the following:
BEST BY A MILE: High Ratio Shortening (this is only available from specialty cake stores or online. You cannot find this at a grocery store.)
2nd BEST: Grocery store brand white vegetable shortening that still lists 2-3 grams of trans-fat on the ingredients label
Use only as a last resort: White Crisco (not butter flavored). It will still work, and nobody else but you will know that it is a little grainy and not as smooth as it would be with one of the products in 1st or 2nd place above.)
INDYDEBI CRISCO-BASED BUTTERCREAM--(Excellent for hot/humid areas):
(IndyDebi is a very experienced decorator/caterer: http://cateritsimple.blogspot.com/)
Single Batch Recipe:
1-1/3 cups Crisco (BETTER: store brand shortening with 3 grams of trans-fats, or BEST, a specialty cake supply product called high-ratio shortening. As of 2010 Crisco no longer contains trans-fats.)
1/3 to 1/2 cup milk, depending on consistency needed
3 Tbsp powdered Dream Whip (powdered whipped topping mix made by Kraft Foods)
2-3 Tbsp clear vanilla, depending on personal taste (optional: almond extract, or lemon extract )
2 lbs. powdered pure cane sugar
IndyDebi says: “There's no wrong way to mix this. I usually mix all but the powdered sugar & milk for a minute or two, then gradually alternate the sugar & milk, but the only reason I do this is to avoid the "sugar-splash" factor. The longer the mixer runs, the smoother it gets. Sifting the powdered sugar before blending helps with smoothness but is not necessary.”
NOTE: Based on recommendations from other users of her recipe: 1) I make a double batch so the beaters are totally immersed to avoid air bubbles, 2) I beat the shortening, milk, Dream Whip, and vanilla for 10-15 minutes BEFORE I add the powdered sugar. I refrigerate or freeze leftover icing.
My cousin RICKI'S CRUSTING BUTTERCREAM that she's used for 30 years in hot, humid Kansas:
Ricki's Crusting Buttercream (high-heat, high-humidity)
1 cup + 4 TBSP water
2 cup Crisco (use high-ratio shortening if you have it)
½ tsp popcorn salt
1 tsp butter flavor
1 tsp almond extract
2 tsp clear vanilla
8 tsp meringue powder
4 TBSP cake flour
1 cup corn starch
4 lb. C&H sifted powdered sugar
The recipe above is a double batch. Any leftover icing will be ok in the fridge/freezer.
I swear that after this weekend I am just going to turn away high-heat/summer outside buttercream cakes! My preference is SMBC, then secondly a majority-butter ABC--and I like to keep it cold and hard when working on it and when delivering! But I agreed to doing an outside cake for today with the concession that I would use more hi-ratio in the ABC for the heat stability. I like to do the upside-down frosting and it was squishing and sliding! I just don't think I want to keep altering my methods and techniques for unreasonable requests -- like keeping a cake outside in 105 degree heat! So if you are looking to change your buttercream, be ready to have the workability change a bit too and a little learning curve.
Kitchen is 75 degrees.
I have been slowly breaking up with hi-ratio shortening in favor of SMBC, ganache, or 3/4-Butter ABC (at the most), so the lesser performance with upside downing is just another nail in hi-ratio's coffin 
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