Why not to cover wedding cakes in buttercream during the summer (with photos)

by Danielle Andrews Sunkel

For years we have been telling you to steer clients away from Buttercream for their Wedding Cakes when it is warm outside. I had never seen an example, but I could just imagine.

Well, back in 2008, I took the Wilton Cake Decorating Courses and for the Course II final project, we created a basket weave cake with Royal Icing flowers. It happened to be the end of July.

Here is the result of transporting the cake for 20 mins in the air conditioned car:

Top of the cake, the only thing that basically remained intact.

And the horror begins…

Can you imagine this happening to a couple’s cake on their wedding day?

So advise your clients to stay away from buttercream on their wedding day if it will be warm outside (even sunshine from a window can do this).  They can choose a fondant covered cake (just don’t put it in the refridgerator or it will look like it is sweating or crying) or they can choose to have a “Naked Cake“.