My buttercream choice turned a birthday cake into a science project

Vera Roberts · 2026-04-08T13:45:07.401049+00:00

I had to pick between Swiss meringue buttercream or American buttercream for my nephew's birthday cake. I went with Swiss because a blog said it was 'silky smooth' and 'less sweet'. Well, my kitchen in Austin hit 90 degrees last weekend and the whole thing just MELTED off the cake layers. It looked like a sad, yellow river flowing off the counter. I had to scrape it all into a bowl and freeze it for an hour to save it. Has anyone else had a frosting just give up on them in the heat?

jason735mo ago

Saw my friend's Swiss buttercream slide right off a cake at a July picnic.

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kaimiller2mo ago

Tbh the hybrid shortening trick works. I swapped half the butter out and it stayed put at 95 degrees.

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dylan2655mo ago

Swiss meringue is a diva in the heat. Next time try a hybrid with some shortening mixed in, it holds up way better.

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