One of the largest concerns for any wedding cake maker is ensuring that the cake survives and continues to stand throughout your celebration. With the recent warm (or should that read very hot!) spell of weather, it felt more important than ever to address how the heat can affect your cake.

If you think about it, heat is the nemesis of cake! Most cakes contain buttercream in some form, either on the outside, between layers of sponge, or both. And what happens when butter gets warm? It melts! This can obviously affect not only the outer finish of the cake but also the internal structure. That being said, certain types of cake are more susceptible to the heat than others so let’s take a closer look at how you can make sensible choices regarding your cake if you are planning a summer celebration.

How the heat can affect your choice of cake

Naked

Naked cakes are just that – naked! Although they may have some decoration such as fresh fruit or flowers on top, they don’t have any icing on the outside. Naked cakes can be particularly susceptible to the heat. Without the moisture provided by the buttercream, the outer edges can dry out quickly. It is advisable not to leave the cake out on display for prolonged periods. If possible, place it in a cool, indoor space.

Semi-Naked / Buttercream

Semi-naked cakes, in contrast to fully naked cakes, have a thin layer of buttercream on the outside. Cakes with a buttercream finish have a thicker buttercream layer on the outside so that none of the internal sponge can be seen. With both of these types of cake you, again, want to try and keep them as cool as possible. Placing them in a warm marquee or in direct sunlight (please never do this!) can cause the buttercream to start to melt. This not only could ruin the finish of the cake but also make it susceptible to internal slippage and collapse!

Fully Iced

Fully iced cakes are typically more polished and traditional in their design and finish. There is good reason why this type of finish never goes out of fashion – the outer icing protects the cake inside ensuring that it is as moist as possible. These cakes are the most robust although you still want to try and keep it sheltered from the heat as much as possible!

How to ensure your cake remains pristine and fresh on a warm day

Set the cake up in a cool location

Try and set the cake up in an internal room as opposed to a marquee or tipi if the weather is looking particularly warm. Ideally it should always be kept out of direct sunlight.

Cut the cake earlier or later in the day

Why not cut the cake earlier in the day to avoid it getting too warm? Or leave it in a cool location until the time comes to cut the cake at which point it can be brought out for all to see.

I just wanted to add, as a final note, that all of the recipes I use for my cake flavours and also the internal structure that I build to support the cake are exactly the same no matter what the outside finish.

Do you have a backup plan for your day if the weather is hotter/colder/wetter than you are expecting?

HEATWAVE! How soaring temperatures can affect your beautiful wedding cake