I've got my first order for a wedding cake. We are doing a basic two tier round cake with fall colors.

My concern is that we live in South Carolina and the humidity can be so thick here. We are still deciding on fondant or buttercream. Which do you think would be best?

I also would like to know how to store this cake the best way before the wedding so the heat doesn't get to it. At some point and time it is going to have to be moved outdoors.

Any ideas would be appreciated. I'm so nervous about this and have been practicing like crazy for the past couple of weeks with the fondant and buttercream recipes.

I know what SC is like (Parris Island in one of the hottest summers on record-YUCK!) I prefer b/c and have never done a wedding cake or fondant, so I hope someone else will chime in for you on this one. I'll tell you what I know so far. If possible keep the cake in a fridge until the last possible moment. When outside see if you can put a fan blowing on it, unless the humidity is on the higher side. Place in the shade and cut it as soon as possible! b/c breaks down at I believe around 83 degrees and fondant around 85 degrees (I might be a little off on these). I would do a high ratio shortning if possible because it begins to break down around the 98 degree mark. good luck!

I would use the buttercream with all shortening and butter flavor. I think that the fondant would melt and regular buttercream would melt. I made a cake for a baseball team and it was in the mid to upper 90's with a humidity to match and it survived sitting outside in the shade for about 2 hours. The icing looked great and it tasted good. Just my opinion

I'm here in Knoxville, and the last month we had record temps AND that lovely humidity, too!

I'd suggest a buttercream covered cake, using high-ratio shortening and butter flavoring with vanilla. The reasons being, the high ratio will hold up even better in the heat, AND with it being a buttercream type icing--if it has to go from fridge/freezer to the heat--it's going to stand up to the condensation factor even better!

I don't work with fondant personally, but I believe it can't handle the drastic condensation factors as well as buttercream.

You should see these people flocking here from all over...they love to get married on the hottest day, with a storm brewing (humidity), in the bright sun, on a lake--well--you get it!

Been there, done that--you'll be fine, and your cake will be beautiful!

HTH,
--Knox--

I did an outdoor wedding cake this past July in 85+ degrees, and 95% humidity! The cake I did was iced in buttercream, but it held up beautifully. I set the cake up at 3pm, and returned to the venue at 10:00 that night to pick up. The dummy cakes that were still on the main table had no melting effects at all, other than the soft chocolate sea shells! I used an all-Crisco recipe, and added meringue powder and cake flower to it. The recipe follows:

2 cups Crisco
1 tsp. vanilla flavoring
1 tsp. butter flavoring
pinch or two of popcorn salt
1 tablespoon meringue powder
1/4 cup cake flour
4-6 ounces water (I usually use milk, but not for the high heat/humidity!)
2 pounds 10x sugar

I start by mixing the Crisco, flavorings, salt, meringue powder, and cake flour until smooth. I then add the sugar and water. I made sure to make the icing somewhere between medium and stiff consistency...I usually use medium to ice my wedding cakes, but decided that a bit thicker would hold up better.

Tina