Cake Outdoors all day - will it melt?

We were told that our buttercream cake should be kept indoors. I've never heard of swiss buttercream but I know fondant holds up better outdoors.

And I wouldn't pay for food that I had to throw away.

Definitely talk to your venue to get their ideas on the cake being outside all day. Where will the cake be placed? Is it in direct sun? Can the cake be discreetly delivered during the reception or perhaps right before?

Also, talk to your bakery about how the cake is constructed. Are there supports baked in, etc. This won't help if the buttercream starts melting off, but it may help the cake from toppling over.

I am a DOC and had an August bride who did not listen to advice from the bakery and venue... See photos. Fortunately, she understood and wasn't upset.

Yep, buttercream will melt outdoors. Why you may ask? Because the main ingredient is...Butter! Leave a stick of butter out and see what happens.

I wouldn't want to eat fondant that has been left out all day unchilled if it's fresh made (ask your baker), that means it's been made with egg whites.

If you really want that... get a small fondant cake you cut that's decorated just like your cake, and then the rest of the cake comes out of the fridge for everybody to eat...

The fondant I make doesn't have egg whites, so I would talk to your baker. I also hate fondant, so I was dreading choosing a cake. I am going with buttercream, but we will be able to refrigerate the cake. Talk to your baker, they'll know what to do!

ReneeCool's photo speaks for itself!

Well, swiss buttercream (in my experience) is less dense than American buttercream, I'd be worried about it melting if kept out for more than a couple of hours.

Not so fun story - FH was a DJ for a wedding in September, in a barn loft no AC or ventilation. The cake absolutely melted - But it had been sitting there since 12:30 for a 4PM reception.

It should be fine if your baker delivered it right before the reception, and it wasn't horribly hot, and you didn't have the cake cutting hours later. If not, id keep it inside until the cake cutting.

Thank you everyone for your responses so far... we don't have a baker yet, the one we tasted at suggested the swiss buttercream but we also didn't like the taste of their cakes. I've emailed our venue/catering team too for their suggestions. We wanted a small two-layer cake but people were suggesting we do a three-layer cake for more of a visual impact, but then we start hearing it's all gonna melt anyway.... what's the point for the extra $$$$$ ?

Do a 2 tier if that is what you want!

You can have a sheet cake in the kitchen if you need more than the 2 tier makes

^ this. Go to fondant with no dairy based fillings. Keep it as cool as possible and you are good to go.

Am I the only person concerned about bugs on the cake? If I spotted a fly on a wedding cake, you can be sure I wouldn't be eating it later.

My caterer is providing the cake and they said that they will set it out the last possible minute. Also go with buttercream so it doesn't melt!

@Sharon, I was wondering about bugs too. In that weather bees are probably going to be all over it. That's a deal breaker for me.

I work at a bakery and when we deliver for weddings, it's typically an hour and a half before the event. A lot of times in the summer we'll set up during dinner as we don't want the elements affecting the desserts. I've actually never heard of throwing the entire cake away...that seems like a huge waste to me. I'd definitely talk to you venue and see if there's a fridge you can keep your cake or talk to other bakeries. That's a lot of money to literally throw away.

@renee that melty cake still looks so delicious!

If you really want to keep the cake outside and having it hold up fondant is the way to go. Don't just throw money in the garbage. Another option: you can get a dummy cake to display with maybe one layer for cutting which will be cheap, the real cake can be kept indoors and cut up for guests. Guests will not know the difference the venue typically takes the cake inside to be cut so your guests will never know.

Absolutely. It happened to my father's wedding cake. Let me tell you that it's not a smart idea to have an outdoor wedding and outdoor reception in 93 degree weather.

I'm sorry but that is ridiculous! First off, 80's is not sweltering. Second, people can dress for a summer outdoor wedding and be just fine- it's literally done all the time! Third, while considering your guests is important that does not mean the day is not about you! The day is about you and your FH more than anyone else! Fourth, I don't know the time of her wedding but if it's an evening wedding like many, then it will continue to cool down throughout the night, not to mention you have no idea what kind of shaded/covered area is available. About the only thing I do agree with is that buttercream is not a good choice to let sit out. It will melt. How insulting that you would tell her she will not be a good host for doing the outdoor reception she dreams of...

Hi, OP here. My wedding was over a year ago. We went with the cake I wanted. It was delivered earlier in the day and kept indoors until after dinner. It was fine. It ended up being over 100 degrees that day due to a heat wave.