Q: My friend said that you have to have pound cake for an outdoor wedding, but I don’t like it. Is that true?

A: You don’t have to have pound cake just because the reception is outdoors. In fact, you don’t have to have pound cake for your wedding cake if the reception is inside either!

The way that a wedding cake is constructed makes the type of cake irrelevant. Tiered cakes have a system of supports inside them that bear the weight of the upper tiers. A cake that’s properly constructed doesn’t need to be a certain type of cake to stand up. Of course, some varieties of cakes, like cheesecakes, need special handling although they can still be tiered.

The one thing to keep in mind for an outdoor wedding is that buttercream icing tends to soften up in the heat, and can get so soft it actually slides off the cake. This can result in the cake cutting ceremony needing to be moved up, or the cake could end looking melted in the wedding photos.

If you have a cake at an outdoor reception in the summer, even if it will be under a tent, the best choice for the outside of the cake will be fondant. This will stay nice-looking until time to cut the cake and you won’t have to worry about your cake cutting photos having a sad-looking melted cake in them.

-Kara Buntin, owner A Cake To Remember LLC