Howe to keep a cake cool outdoors

annev25 · May 2012

We're getting married outdoors at a State Park on June 23. We're ordering a cake with Italian buttercream frosting and raspberry preserves between the layers. It would costs $90 to have the cake delivered, so friends offered to pick it up on the way to our wedding. The cake will be unrefrigerated for at least 4, possibly 5 hours. The cake decorator suggested using dry ice in a container beneath the cake to keep it cool once it's at the site. But she was not specific in how to do this. Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks!

AdeleDazeem · May 2012

Honestly - this is going to be troublesome.

My friends were married in Upstate NY on a hot June day. Their cake had been outside, under a tent, for at least an hour by the time the reception started. Mid-speech, the best man informed everyone that the cake was falling. Several groomsmen ran to hold the cake up while the bride and groom raced over. Cake was cut and it was immediately removed.

I'd pay the $90 fee to have the cake delivered at the start of the reception.

livelifelarge24 · May 2012

I am trying to figure this out as well. I have to make our cake myself because I have celiac disease and we don't have gluten free bakeries near enough to do our cake. I want to have the cake out on display for all to see but we are getting married in the valley on July 28! I have no idea how to go about this without the cake falling apart. I have seen some really cool cake stands available through bakeries, maybe you can ask yours if they have one for rent? they kind of look like an upside down tray. If they are metal and you put dry ice under I could see that keeping it cool

kmmssg · May 2012

That is not the 90.00 to try to save. If something happens to the cake during transit you have no one to fix it and it is your problem/possible disaster. If the baker delivers it/sets it up, anything that needs to be fixed can be. The baker is also a pro at delivering/transporting. Don't go this route, this is 90.00 well spent.

Avion22 · May 2012

I would pay the $90, and try to have the cake delivered closer to when you plan to serve it, or at least keep it inside somewhere cool until right before it's served. You might also consider not having the layers stacked on top of each other, but placed on stands. As long as the buttercream is only between layers that's probably okay....all-over buttercream for an outdoor wedding is a bad idea (I would go for fondant).

jess9802 · May 2012

My husband and I picked up our cake (two layer, buttercream frosting) the day before the wedding and transported it one mile from the bakery to our reception site without any issue. However - the cake remained refrigerated until an hour before the reception was to start, because any longer than that and the baker said it would start to become unstable. Ask your baker how long the cake can go unrefrigerated. I bet four or five hours is too long. You won't be saving $90 - you'll be wasting the hundreds you're likely spending on the cake.

Get it delivered.

rascal17 · May 2012

Spend the $90 to get it delivered. Buttercream is just like butter so if its hot it will melt and fall. If your dont have fondant then 4-5 hours is way to long the keep the cake on display. So I would either find a way to keep it refridgerated or pay the $90.

AdeleDazeem · May 2012

I just want to point out that underneath fondant is a layer of buttercream. Fondant won't magically hold the cake together. It might last slighty longer, but in the end, if the buttercream melts, the whole cake goes.

QueerFemme · May 2012

we are doing buttercream... our bakery said it will be fine at "room temperature" for many hours. But, if it's HOT, it will melt. So, if you are going to be outdoors, I would make sure you have a canopy/tent or something to cover the cake and keep it out of sunlight. And, if the temperature is above 70 degrees or so, you could end up with a melty mess.

Either way though, I'd spring for the 90 bucks.. I wouldn't want to worry about someone trying to transport a tiered cake.

TheShadyYvonne · June 2012

our baker is going to delivery the cake just as the ceremony is ending - she also will have us put dry ice under the cake stand to help keep it cooler. she also suggested that where ever we put the cake table - should be under shade if we can. we're doing fondant - but she's suggested we do all these things in case it's hotter than anticipated.

are you using a cake stand or just putting the cake directly on a table? a cake stand has room under it for dry ice - if you have room for it in yor budjet - you should look into it, and also to have the cake delivered.

Howe to keep a cake cool outdoors

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