Hey everyone! I could use some advice on an up-coming cake. My best friend is getting married in august. She asked me to do her cake. But.... I am also a bridesmaid, the wedding is outside in arizona heat, she wants buttercream, simple decoration (aka...flawless and almost impossible for me!!!) and the delivery would be over 2 hour drive from my house. How much trouble am i asking for if i do this?

Also, does anyone know how imbc or smbc holds up in AZ summer?

So long as your car is ac'd the delivery shoudl go fine. Sitting out in the hot hot sun might be an issue though, especially in AZ in August. SMBC/IMBC will hold up well into the 80 degree range, but after that it is going to be tricky. Is there anyway to keep it inside until closer to the cake cutting? If not I'd have to say it's going to be asking for trouble.

Also you'll want to check with the venue because some aren't going to allow a homemade cake in. Just to cover all of the bases. Of course if this is going on in someone's backyard that won't matter, but just to be on the safe side.

You would need to use an all-shortening buttercream, preferable hi-ratio, since it stands up to the heat the best. Even with that, an outdoor wedding in AZ in August?? The guests will be melting! LOL Unless maybe it's in the mountains, where the temp is a bit cooler. But if it's in the valley, (either Phoenix or Tucson) or anywhere else it's hot hot hot, I wish you good luck!

I had a 3 tier BC cake for an outside party in August - I transported it unstacked as I had a 1 hr drive in traffic. By the time I got there...it was soooooo soft - even with the air cranking so much that the kids were complaining of being cold. By the time the air got to the back of the Rav4 there wasn't much coldness left to it.

In the summer months I'm just going to have to suck it up and use a higher shortening to butter ratio...not as tasty but I dont think it can withstand the AZ heat. I mean, when its 110F outside....

In my personal opinion, there is no way I'd do a buttercream cake for an ourside reception in August in Arizona. No way! If you're in the valley, it's never under 105 degrees. Melt...melt...melt. I wouldn't even try a fondant cake for outside at that time of year. That's just me. I'd hate to see all the time, effort and expense in the cake to watch it collapse or melt on the table.

Not to mention, if you're a bridesmaid, you'll be all dressed up, need to be in photos and won't have time to mess around with setting up a cake or attempting to fix anything if it goes wrong.

If the cake can be held inside in the A/C until cutting time, then it might be ok for a very short time outside. Otherwise, I'd never risk it.

KimAZ

omg that makes me cringe just thinking about that LOL, I had my wedding at the end of september, I had a buttercream cake and while the cake was inside my friends ac had gone out and im surprised the cake stood that long LOL. I would def do the all shortening and flavor the crap out of it. I use all shortening for my cakes and no one has complained but I do make sure it has TONS of flavor, HTH and good luck

Like someone else mentioned... the poor guests too... eek!

you guys have just confirmed my initial thoughts. I am really not an expert cake decorator and even though it would just be a backyard wedding it would still need to feed 200+. I am not worried about the size, just the heat. I hate the heat anyway and the idea of doing a cake for outside is pretty scary. I think i'll try to persuade her to do fondant. It would just set my mind at ease to a certain extent!

The location is in the mountains, but i do think 90 degree weather is possible. yuck! I really really dont want to drive a melted buttercream cake up into the mountains.

Since you all helped so much, i am going to throw another question at you. How many days previous can i finish the cake? as a bridesmaid I will be busy at the rehearsal, etc. Can i complete it 2-3 days in advance and expect it to still be fresh? I usually do the day before if possible.

I'm in AZ too... there's no way; in Aug., to do IMBC, especially outside. Buttercream, without butter, may be OK... but you're still taking a big risk. IMO, of course >.<

I would reaallly reconsider using fondant. That scares the bejeezus out of me. I could see that becoming a droopy mess. I would only consider doing an all shortening buttercream and keeping it refrigerated, aka COLD for as long as possible up until the time of the wedding - and make sure it is is the shade. Will it be a nighttime wedding? You said up in the Mtns...where?

Arizona weather during the year.

http://www.arizonaguide.com/arizona-travel-info/arizona-weather

If the cake is going to be outside at all in August, I would not use a buttercream for the melt factor (even in the 90 degree mountains) but in the case of a monsoon storm whipping up as in August they are likely and unpredictable. You could have a cake full of dust or leaves (crusting BC or not, that isn't going to be good). At least with a fondant cake, it will have some deflection.

I did a bigger cake for a friend's wedding and drove it from Tucson to Sedona for an August wedding (5 hour drive). I used the SPS and stacked it onsite. (it is the chocolate one in my photos). I was going to get some dry ice to pack under and around the boxes, but ran out of time. I did use a layer of ganache under the fondant and a whipped ganache filling, which when refrigerated over night created a firmer cake than a buttercream. I secured blankets up in the back of the SUV to block the cakes from sun and heat coming through the window when on the highway and had the a/c going with the front vents closed and the back open to keep it as cold as possible.

as for time, this was my first cake this big and i very much underestimated my rate of speed for getting it pulled together. I couldn't imagine having BM duties and parties on top of that. But with some good planning, you can work it out.

Have you considered ganache under fondant? Thats what all the Aussie decorator's use due to it's resistance to the heat. I use it purely for how clean the lines are and it is so much easier to cover a ganache covered cake than a BC covered cake as it sets up really firm.

Personally I would love to use ganache and fondant. But the bride is pretty adamant =/

Oh, lorieleann! I didn't even consider the monsoons! Wow, that could be a mess with buttercream. I think i am going to show my friend a picture of a melted buttercream cake and tell her that this is a good probablility and if she still insists it is at her own risk! However, if there is no airconditioned space to store the cake beforehand i will refuse to do it (easier said than done!)

KakeMistress...what flavorings do you use in your shortening based buttercream?

for bridal white buttercream I use clear extracts, vanilla, butter, almond and then some creme bouquet, only a little of the creme bouquet cause its really strong LOL, and I just keep adding flavor till its to where I like it and I also add a tiny bit of salt to the buttercream as well. hth