Rant: A wedding cake order in Phoenix taught me a hard lesson about humidity

I had a big three-tier vanilla cake booked for a June wedding at a venue with an outdoor patio. The buttercream started to melt and slide within twenty minutes of setting it up, even in the shade. I had to rush it back inside and prop it up with dowels from my emergency kit. Has anyone found a frosting recipe that can actually hold up in dry heat?

3 comments

3 Comments

william_carter17d ago

That Phoenix heat is no joke for buttercream. I've had good luck with a Swiss meringue buttercream recipe that uses a bit of shortening.

william_carter17d ago

Nice! I've used that same trick with shortening, it really helps hold up.

perry.phoenix17d ago

Shortening in Swiss meringue buttercream? That's a wild move. The whole point of SMBC is that silky smooth texture from the butter. Adding shortening seems like it would wreck the mouthfeel, making it greasy or waxy. Honestly can't imagine sacrificing flavor and texture just for a bit more heat stability. There are other ways to make it stable without going that route.