Cake in a heatwave: what survives summer and how to get it home in one piece

Summer is the best season for a party outdoors and the hardest test a cake ever faces. Baking since 2012 has taught us exactly which cake handles thirty degrees in a garden and which one needs to stay cold until the last possible minute. Here is the short version.

Which cakes handle heat best

Every cream behaves differently in warmth. From the toughest down to the most delicate:

• Chocolate cakes with ganache. Belgian and French chocolate hold their shape in heat, and a ganache finish is the most reliable thing you can put on a cake in July.
• Cakes with buttercream. The decoration stays put. Figurines and flowers hold their shape far longer than they do on a lighter cream.
• Cakes with seasonal fruit. Raspberries, strawberries and blueberries taste like summer. We add the fruit as late as we can, ideally on the day of the party.
• Whipped cream and dairy creams. Light to eat and the fastest to soften in direct sun. Bring the cake out only just before you serve it.
• Raw cakes. The cashew base and coconut fat need cold. They last a short time out of the fridge, so do not choose one for an all-day party outdoors.

Getting the cake home intact

Most accidents happen in the car, not on the table. Four rules that work:

• Put the box on a flat surface, ideally the footwell in front of the passenger seat. Not on the seat, and not in the boot.
• Run the air conditioning and point the vents away from the cake. You want a cold car, not a draught blowing across the icing.
• Drive straight there. A cake in a hot car ages by the minute.
• For a longer drive, ask us for a cool box, or bring an insulated bag.

Storing it during the party

The cake should spend as much of the day in the fridge as possible. Bring it out when you are ready to cut it. Stand it in the shade, never in direct sun and never next to the barbecue. It cuts best cold, with a clean, warm knife. Whatever is left goes straight back into the cold.

What to order for a summer party

For a hot day outdoors, a lighter cake with seasonal fruit or a well-chilled cheesecake. If the cake will stand out of the fridge for a while, choose a chocolate sponge with ganache, which takes heat better than anything else we make. Everything we bake is free of preservatives and artificial flavourings, so the taste stays clean even in summer.

If you are planning a summer party or a wedding outdoors, the online calculator puts a price together in a few minutes. We deliver across Bratislava and the surrounding towns, with at least 48 hours' notice.