Had a total fail at the county fair bake-off that changed my frosting game

I was at the Sonoma County Fair last month and entered my chocolate cake with a standard buttercream. The judge told me my crumb coat was too thick and my frosting was too soft for the 90 degree heat. She said 'you need a crusting buttercream that can hold up in warm weather.' I went home and tried an ermine frosting with more powdered sugar and it didn't slide off the cake. Now I make sure to test my frosting in the actual room temp I'll be serving in. Has anyone else had a frosting disaster at a competition?

3 comments

3 Comments

abbyf7912h ago

Oh, I'm gonna go the other way on this one. I actually find a super soft, non-crusting buttercream way more forgiving in heat because it melts into the layers instead of cracking or sweating off the cake.

kai83910h ago

Wait, you actually want your buttercream to melt INTO the cake? That sounds like a nightmare scenario to me. I'd be terrified it would just turn into a sad, greasy puddle.

fisher.jessica6h ago

Oh man, @abbyf79 I totally get where you're coming from with the "melting into the cake" thing. I had a similar disaster at a state fair years ago where my buttercream just slid right off the sides in the heat, and I ended up with this weird greasy mess that looked like a cake had a meltdown. After that, I started adding a little more powdered sugar and a splash of corn syrup to my regular buttercream, and it helped it hold its shape without getting too crusty. Your mileage may vary, but that's what worked for me when I finally figured out the right balance for warm weather.