My brother is getting married next month. It's a destination wedding in Ireland. Very small, maybe 25 people. I'm trying to decide if it's possible for me to bake the cake for them. We're staying in an AirBnB, so I'll have access to a kitchen. But I talked to the host and she doesn't really have any baking equipment in the house. Cake pans and small tools can be acquired. The only thing I'm not sure about is trying to make Swiss meringue buttercream without a stand mixer. Is it possible? Will it take days of mixing with a hand beater? Am I crazy for trying to bake a wedding cake while I'm on vacation in another country??

crazy? yes probably but I get it — put it this way — I would not try to make it without a mixer — it takes what like a good five minutes in the ‘planetary’ mixer to get the volume you want on the meringue — then you gotta whip in the butter — no way would I do that by hand even if I didn’t have ra — 

i’ve had it on the mixer for as long as thirty minutes the odd time or two that it curdled on me — 

omg — use American and get some white balsamic vinegar to go in there to tame down the sweet — comes out like cream cheese icing without the hassle —

i don’ know exactly what you can fly with but i’d figure it out — or maybe ship it there but by the butter locally — and/or call a local bakery there and see if they make smbc and will sell you some —

y’know you could buy a hand mixer there not a stand mixer but a hand held one to plug in — that would work

or buy one here and get an international plug conversion thingy for ireland’s electricity

make a batch of 'Lauren Kitchens buttercream'.  It's almost as good an will work easily with a hand mixer.  You're traveling overseas, someone could cut you some slack.

Thanks, all. I might do a test run at home with a hand-held mixer and see how that goes.