Hello everyone!
I have a few cakes to do this month, and it has been stinkin hot here in Western Canada. I do not have air conditioning, and am anticipating some difficulty with the hot house, etc.

I would really appreciate some tips on what to expect, when I start working on the cakes (problems due to the heat) and how to prevent/fix/combat it.

I appreciate any tips you all have to share!

Thanks

I live in Arkansas, in the southern Central US. It has been over 100F every day this week, with a heat index around 110F, and humidity at 80-90% or more. Our summer starts in late March (or April at the very latest) and lasts into October.

So ...what were you saying about heat? Wanna trade? Just kidding!

I know without A/C, anyplace can be oppressive. Mostly, when it's hot, I bake at night to keep from adding more heat to the house during the day. On cake decorating days, I turn my A/C really cool. I know you don't have that option.

Perhaps some of your fellow Canadians will chime in soon, eh ?

we just moved from an air conditioned (rented) house to a non-air conditioned (our own) home. I miss the a/c, but the home is ours.....
I just need to know what to expect, and how to save it!

Best be prepared
Thanks for chiming in. Enjoy your A/C-tongue in cheek

You have my sympathy. There was a recent forum talking about AC and what temps people keep their homes because of the cakes--most said about 72-76 degrees.

The first suggestion is to only use IndyDebi's Crisco based BC recipe here on CC. Do not use butter, just Crisco. A lot of people have said that cakes with her BC recipe do really, really well in the heat.

A second suggestion if it is possible, put a portable AC in a small room that you can use for your cakes and decorating away from the hot kitchen where you bake.

Good luck! I'm a gigantic weenie when it comes to heat. I LOVE my AC!

thanks Apti!
We are not allowed a/c units in our townhome complex, but I will be sure to keep the cakes away from the ovens when baking....

Snowbuns.... im in alberta!!!! You can get small free standing AC units that will cool your kitchen at canadian tire. They are about 350.00.... best money i have ever spent though.... its been abnormaly humid for alberta too and the room a/c helped. (OH.... its a honey well)

don't they vent outside, though? I cannot have anything that can be seen or heard, from outside....

They do vent outside, but it's a small vent hole, like this: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000PBI3Z8/?tag=cakecentral-20 So if you have a window that opens onto a private patio or behind a shrub, it might be possible to hide it.

I used a dehumidifier when my AC didn't work in a rental I lived in and they wouldn't fix it. The dehumidifier doesn't have to vent outside and it will take several gallons of water out of the air each day. It does put hot air out into the room though.

I live in Ontario Canada, it's been really hot and humid here too lately. I do use Indydebi's buttercream recipe and it holds up great in the humid hot air. I also bake later at night so that when I decorate there is no added heat. If you have two windows that are across from each other maybe you can get a little breeze to flow threw with the help of a fan maybe, that might help also. When I deliver the cake I usually let the a/c run in the car for a bit before I put the cakes in. Hope that helps. Thats all I can think of right now.

thanks everyone!

actually... I bought one... an it indeed does not vent outside... it is different than the standard a/c unit.... very handy as i dont think much of having to install the new models that vent out your wall and cost about 3000.00. This was alot quicker and easier... out of the box n set up...push "on". I almost giggled something loose when it started working....

bfisher2: what make/model is it? Where did you find this little gem?
Thank you!!!

I live in Texas and it is hooooooot, I couldn't imagine not having a/c but for my cakes that I know will be outside I too use the indebys and it holds up great.

off subject... why is it you can't have an a/c?? that is just crazy! I thought a/c were mandatory or something lol

Soooooooooooooooooo.... hubby tells me that I should vent it outside.... showed me the stuff that was ignored in my excitement to cool something...... ooooooops.... my bad.... well this is why I dont install air conditioners or run with scissors....... (whispers)... ive had it on for a week now with no venting and it worked fine.... lets not tell hubby though...

Hi everyone. I am a newbie to the board. I live in the Virgin Islands. It's hot all year round. Despite the year-round heat, the only time I have icing issues is when it is humid. I use Crisco instead of butter and I have substituted Almond essence instead of Vanilla. It gives the icing a really nice flavor. I also use a small quantity of Crisco in comparison to the amounts required in regular recipes. Again, the icing does really well and does not cracks when dry, but sometimes melts in the humidity.

I don't have a/c either, and had this problem a couple of weeks ago...I could not get my icing to behave and had 3 cakes to do....I finally packed everything up and went to my moms house with a/c, which was a huge p.i.t.a. But everything went smoothly as soon as I got there.

I'm in Eastern Canada and we don't have a rep for hot and humid weather but this summer has been something else!! Crazy humidity. We don't have a/c but window fans are my best friend They just snap into a window, you plug them in and voila! No water to collect, no holes to drill. And cheap, like $40 at Canadian tire.

As to what to expect with cakes, I stick with indydebi's bc. I avoid mousse and perishable fillings (I don't like the cake sitting out even while I am working on it, and I learned that in and out of the fridge causes major sticky issues!) and I work early a.m and late at night.

Fondant is a different beast in the heat. For ex, I was doing a pink cake with brown stripes and dots. Every time I would put on a brown dot, it would start to slide down the cake! And leave a lovely brown trail. WTF!!! Nightmare. This is when I stopped using the fridge, btw. Then I had to do a wedding cake for a friend under the same conditions (black and white in my avatar) I was SCARED!!! But I did it early a.m, made sure the cake was dry and not sweating and it was fine.

Moral of the story: it is different caking in heat, but once you plan and adjust for it, you'll be fine. Hats off to all of you bakers who deal with hot conditions regularly!

And congrats OP on your new home!

speeking of stickey fondant... I have used satin ice for years and you, at one time could put it in the fridge, freezer without problem but this year is a different story!!!!! The product dosent go on nice like it has preformed in the past and sweats like crazy when you take it out of the fridge!!!! Has anyone else had this problem?

I'm in the coastal South which means we really only have two seasons...1. Blistering hot, and 2. Not Quite as Hot. Temps have been at or over 100 degrees for weeks now, with humidity averaging between 93% and 97%. That's the bad news. The good news is that it's too flippin' hot for outdoor events, so I haven't had to worry about a cake surviving the outdoors lol !

I too only bake at night, and I've considered a portable A/C unit as well, even though we have A/C and keep it turned down ridiculously low. But I've wondered about a de-humidifier? It's so humid and wet here...wonder if that would help with my RI, gumpaste, and fondant pieces holding up better?

I live in Arkansas and the climate that Sassy74 described is just about the same here. It has been over 100 degrees for weeks now with no relief in sight. I bake late at night and I do all of the baking for the week on that one day. My central air runs 24/7....literally....I dread seeing my electric bill this month but I have got to be comfortable no matter what the cost.

Well the up side to the heat is when were all freezing our tookies off at -40 we will wish we were there and you will be glad your not us....*LOL*

[quote="Bfisher2"] Well the up side to the heat is when were all freezing our tookies off at -40 we will wish we were there and you will be glad your not us....*LOL*[/quote

No kidding. I went to visit my son in Alaska in February one year I don't think I've ever been so cold in my life. I still visit but only in the summer.

ok so sounds like I need to work early morning, and late at night. If the fondant gets sticky, can I just add cornstarch or icing sugar to fight the tackiness? And what about buttercream. I use indydebi's buttercream... if it is too soft, just add more sugar?

Thanks for everyone's chiming in!

thank you!!!!!

[quote="mamawrobin"]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bfisher2

Well the up side to the heat is when were all freezing our tookies off at -40 we will wish we were there and you will be glad your not us....*LOL*[/quote

No kidding. I went to visit my son in Alaska in February one year I don't think I've ever been so cold in my life. I still visit but only in the summer.

Wow.... yup... I wouldnt want to be in Alaska in Feb either I have heard its beautiful in the summer. So close but have never gone.... some day though.... I'll go scare the wild life n bring cake too!!!

[quote="Bfisher2"]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mamawrobin

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bfisher2

Well the up side to the heat is when were all freezing our tookies off at -40 we will wish we were there and you will be glad your not us....*LOL*[/quote

No kidding. I went to visit my son in Alaska in February one year I don't think I've ever been so cold in my life. I still visit but only in the summer.

Wow.... yup... I wouldnt want to be in Alaska in Feb either I have heard its beautiful in the summer. So close but have never gone.... some day though.... I'll go scare the wild life n bring cake too!!!

My son's birthday is February 9th or that would have never happened I love him dearly but if I ever see him on his birthday again it will be if he comes to Arkansas or we meet somewhere in the middle Yes it is absolutely beautiful in the summer, but I no desire to ever go back in the winter months...ever.

I don't have central air, either. Yes, working in the morning and evenings help. Fans will keep the air moving. Keep your curtains shut to keep out the heat and start paying attention to what time of day is best to have which windows open. I have 2 windows that let hot air in the house by afternoon so I either shut them or turn the fan around so it still moves some air but it doesn't draw more heat into the house. Also, put fans in the window as early in the morning as possible to blow in the air while its cool.

Other than that, I try not to do too many cakes in the summer because I just don't know if the weather is going to allow it. There have been a couple of times I've decorated a cake while it's sitting in the fridge. Not fun.

that sounds like a nightmare... decorating while it is in the FRIDGE!?? OMG, noooo!!!