Fondant icing this weekend - 35 degree heat!!

[PiratePetespajamas]

My DC’s birthday is on Sunday. It’s supposed to be 35 degrees or hotter! The whole party is giving me kittens now but I’m particularly worried about the cake - making it, storing it, transporting it - and need all the advice I can get.

The cake is supposed to be covered in fondant icing - is this just a fool’s errand in a domestic kitchen with no AC etc? Planning on doing it late at night when it’s coolest. Once iced - if it’s even possible! - I need to store it for 24+ hours before the party. I think usually it’s recommended not to refrigerate fondant but in this case, since it’s going to be so hot…? If I don’t touch it once I bring it out, will it be okay - given it’s coming out into seriously hot and possibly humid conditions? If I don’t refrigerate how can I help it not to melt/get sticky etc?

any other advice for making/storing in such heat?!!

I’d probably stick it the coolest place you can with a fan on it. And if it looks like it’s struggling still, stick it in that fridge. And keep a fan on it as much as you can.

Making it…. Keep it in the fridge right before you’re going to decorate. Wash your hands with cold water regularly to keep the cool. Don’t keep at it… fondant as quick as you can, quick smooth down, and leave it.

I’m trying to remember what my mum has said about fondant in the fridge (she’s who has taught me to bake)… I think it’s the condensation that causes a problem? So I’m thinking small intervals in the fridge might be ok?

Really love a middle of the night baking conundrum. Good luck OP!

@ReeseWitherfork Thank you for your replies! That’s a good idea about keeping the cake itself cold beforehand - I’m not hugely experienced with fondant so I’d never have thought of that! And maybe I could mostly leave it in a room with a fan on…am starting to wonder whether anyone I know has air conditioning!!!

Fondant should be fine, it doesn't melt. Once you have made it, it isn't sticky, it should be rollable and a bit dry.

If it reassures you, I did my wedding cake in buttercream for my wedding. Sat out all day in same sort of heat and it still held it's shape. So I'd have a lot of confidence that fondant would be better. Icing is amazing stuff.

Fondant won't melt in the heat but the filling inside will which can cause problems.

What cake are you using inside and is it a simple design?

Yes @AYearOfCushions it’s a simple design - really just covering the cake in one plain sheet of fondant. I was planning on it being chocolate with buttercream - but I am flexible and could do something else if that would likely stand up better to the heat? But isn’t it best to buttercream crumb-coat under fondant? Again, I’m not very experienced so happy to be corrected!

@AnnaMagnani this is reassuring!!!

I made my buttercream with half butter, half Trex because of the heat. You have to make sure the buttercream is strongly flavoured - I think I did lemon, but no-one could tell and there was no wilting except on the part of the bride as I was dressed in a shit ton of polyester.

@AnnaMagnani 😂

Chocolate cake is quite a soft one. But I reckon as long as it’s not four layers high you might be ok 🤞 definitely stick it in the fridge when it’s cooled, do a crumb coat when it’s cold, and then fondant when the crumb coat is set. I’d prefer to do fondant than buttercream in this heat personally.

Get some Trex like @AnnaMagnani says
and substitute 50% of the butter with it. Will be fine for chocolate buttercream just add a bit more vanilla to it.

Fill and crumb coat, chill for an hour then you can brush a bit of water on the outside so your fondant will stick.

It will not melt with Trex! It's not the greatest of ingredients but it's an essential in very hot weather