My very fabulous cousin is getting married in the middle of August at a beach resort in southern California. The bakery doing her cake says that the all butter cream three tiered cream filled cake can stand up to 98 degree heat for 4 hours or more. Now I am no expert, ive only been doing cakes for a few years but I would never leave a cake out in that heat for that long. I would be very worried it would not only droop and melt but wont that effect the butter cream and filling, maybe make a few folks sick? Let me know what you think all, I would sure hate for her to find out the hard way that that is too long to leave it out. If you have any sources for your info that would be great as well so I can site her examples if it turns out it is a no no to do. THANKS!!!!!!

If memory serves, according to servsafe, if something is <41 degrees when you take it out of the fridge, you can keep it without temp control for 6 hours as long as you either serve it all or toss it at the end of that period of time. (I'm doing this from memory without looking it up, so cut me some slack....I never do this, my stuff doesn't require refrigeration) I can look up the specifics later. At any rate, if they are saying that, they must know what the specs of their product are and what the guidelines are or they'd be putting themselves in one heck of a dangerous position.

They probably use a hi-ratio shortening, not butter, in their "buttercream". Butter would melt at 98 F.

kara, the rule is four hours. And that's four TOTAL hours - including the making, decorating and display time.

I live in So Cal and would NOT leave a buttercream cake out for anything over an hour AFTER being in the fridge. A gal bought a 3-tier from me last summer...a very hot summer...I told her not to leave it out. Well she did and called me screaming that the whole thing fell over!! Why did I not put supports inside? Hmmm. Some people.

I made a large cake for my mother-in-law's birthday using 1/2 butter and 1/2 shortening. It was July in GA and though it was always in air conditioned rooms, it still looked a bit droopy to me.

I never use more than 1/4 butter from April through October now. Just my 2 cents worth. But they may very well be using Hi Ratio shortening like others mentioned and then it probably would be alright.

I took a two-tier buttercream cake to a birthday party last summer which sat out in 90+ degree temps for at least three hours before I cut it. I was worried that it would melt, but when I cut it, it was still cool in the middle and the icing didn't show any breakdown at all, much to my relief.

I use Sweetex in my buttercream and no butter, so it's much more stable. I'm always amazed at how cold the cakes stay after they've been chilled through overnight.

Regardless, I always recommend to brides that they find an indoor spot for their cakes just to be sure they don't get too warm and/or have melting icing. If they will have it outside I tell them they need a spot out of the sun and wind, and warn them it could get too soft. I also have that disclaimer in my contract.

It is very arid here, too, which causes icing to dry out and get crusty more than melt.

Doesn't IndyDebi's icing withstand the hot summers? I cannot remember exactly what her specifics were, but her's is the only one I use now, and it held up fabulous for my sons cake and cupcakes last July!

Yes, Indydebi's buttercream holds up very well in these circumstances. I live in Arkansas and our summers are very hot and very humid. I have no problem with her buttercream under these conditions.

They must be using Crisco Creme, no real butter or cream in that stuff! Higher melting point, and it holds up better in heat. I still don't believe it will hold up for that long and still look good..

Thank you all for your info!!! I will pass it on!