Source: seriouseats.com via Cake on Pinterest
Dear CakeSpy,
I am in dire need of a recipe for frosting for cupcakes that wont melt in California summer heat.I don`t want to use shortening. Ick. The party will be outside at a park and it's in June. Can you help?
Love, Toasty in California
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Dear Toasty,
Unfortunately, while my favorite buttercream frosting recipes are delicious, they are not delightful in the height of summer heat. You kind of want to stay away from a typical American style buttercream or a cream cheese frosting, unless you're going to serve them for immediate consumption or have a shady place or cooler to keep them. Sorry!
However, that doesn't mean your life must be devoid of frosting. You've just got to explore some other options. I hit up the best crowd-sourcing tool I know (um, Twitter) and got some suggestions for you.
Here are some ideas:
Source: cakespy.com via Cake on Pinterest
A toasted marshmallow frosting would work nicely on a hot day (disregard the Thanksgiving picture, it's just to give an idea of what it could look like!)
Seven minute frosting will hold up better than buttercream on a hot day, too.
Source: sweetapolita.com via Cake on Pinterest
Swiss or German meringue buttercream (swiss meringue, pictured above) are going to work better, as well.
You could try enrobing a regular buttercream frosting in a chocolate shell, sort of like a mallomar--but while these might hold for a little while, you are going to want to devour them quickly.
Although strictly speaking I'm not a huge fan of unfrosted cupcakes, what about filling the cupcakes with buttercream, and then topping them with a crumb topping or a glaze?
You could also make doughnut muffin type cakes: make cupcakes, brush them all-over with butter, and dust with cinnamon and sugar. Lots of sugar.
You could deep-fry your cupcakes on a stick.
One word: CAKESICLES!
Got more ideas, readers? This isn't necessarily my area of expertise, so these ideas largely came from you. Tell me more--leave a comment!