Welcome to the Cake Decorators Q&A

I have been asked to make a wedding cake for my sons wedding. I have made a few wedding cakes in the past and always use ganache and fondant icing. However my future daughter in law wants a textured cake with what I assume from the picture to be buttercream/Swiss meringue buttercream.
I think I will have to do the final textured coat once the cake is assembled (at the venue) as any attempt to transport, lift and stack it once covered could prove difficult!
The venue is a marquee at the end of June and I am also worried about temperature – I don’t want it all to melt and slide off!!!
I was thinking of covering the layers with white chocolate ganache for easy transport and stacking then applying the final coat at the venue.
Does anyone have any experience of this or can anyone offer any suggestions? Also will the buttercream/ Swiss meringue adhere to the ganache ok?
Fondant would be so much easier for me but I want to give them what they want.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Hi annie58

I’ve not done a buttercream textured wedding cake, however I can make a few suggestions about the type of buttercream to use. I am assuming that your are located in the Uk. Although our June doesnot necessarily flame away, the temperatures in a marquee can still sizzle!
From personal experience, Swiss meringue buttercream doesnot stand up well to heat. I find the same also for French and Italian. They are all pretty much alike, however I found the Italian fared better when I have used it on cupcakes for garden parties.
I’ve read in lots of different forums how people in hot humid climates combat the buttercream problem. Most use high ratio shortening or half butter and half shortening. Since our temperatures don’t reach as high as those in the tropics I would think using trex would give similar results. Adding a tablespoon of meringue powder to buttercream also helps with stability, some people add corn flour which is also said to extend the melting time. Here’s a discussion on using corn flour to help buttercream stand up better to heat:
http://www.wilton.com/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=7&threadid=141802
To see high ratio butter cream discussions and recipes google ‘high ratio buttercream’
For using meringue powder in buttercream google ‘how to use meringue powder in buttercream’.
The discussions will give you an informed choice.

Ganache is more my territory. Since you are using white ganache I would recommend making 4:1 ration chocolate to cream instead of the regular 3:1 ration. White ganache doesnot set up like dark ganache and will soften in the heat of a marquee. Ganache quantities chart here:
http://www.cakeflix.com/blog/how-to-ganache-cakes-without-gnashing-your-teeth

Another suggestion would be to inquire from the marquee company for a table top cooler on which the cake can stand. I know these exist, my nephew hired similar equipmet when he catered for an outdoor pop concert.
The equipment looks like a table with a cavity in which ice is stored. It has a lid which acts as the top to stand food on. If this is not possible perhaps you could hire a tabletop cooler (available also from marquee company) in which to display the cake until cutting time. Hiring costs are not too exhorbitant especially if you hire from the same company as the marquee or someone which they can recommend. If you could hire a cooler, the meringue buttercream would be an option.

Hopefully other members will have some more suggestions.

EDIT

As long as the buttercream has set up really firm it will be fine to transport the cakes individually. Take a repair kit or buttercream with you and go over any bits which you may accidentally touch when stacking.
Theres a recipe for crusting buttercream on site, look under the ingredients tab here:

Rustic Wedding Cake

The tutorial also shows how to do the texturing.