Tips for Summer and Hot Weather Baking

Here are some practical tips to keep your kitchen cool and ensure your bakes turn out perfectly, so you can swiftly return to enjoying the summer weather!

😎 Be prepared to get up early or work into the night: Schedule your baking sessions for the cooler parts of the day. Early mornings and late evenings tend to be less hot, making the kitchen more bearable and having less effect on your ingredients.

😎 Bake Recipes with Shorter Cooking Times: Opt for baking recipes with shorter cooking time, Often shallower cake cook quicker.  This will minimise the length of time your oven is running helping to keep your kitchen cooler. 

😎 Minimise Oven Openings:Only open the oven when absolutely necessary to prevent hot air from escaping and heating up your kitchen further.

😎 Refrigerate Doughs and Frostings: Keep any doughs or frostings in the fridge until you need them. This prevents them from getting too warm and becoming difficult to handle.

😎 Block Sunlight and Use Fans: Close blinds or curtains to block direct sunlight from heating your kitchen. Place ice in front of fans to circulate cooler air around the room. 

😎 Dowel Your Cakes: To prevent cakes from slipping, dowel your cakes, even if they are single-tiered.

😎 Manage Your Piping Bags: Fill your piping bags with smaller amounts of buttercream or frosting and refill more often to keep it cool and prevent melting from overhandling.

😎 Avoid Refrigerating Sugar Paste Cakes: Sugar paste covered cakes will sweat if kept in the fridge. Instead, keep them in a cool, well-shaded area.

😎 Cool the Car Before Transporting: When transporting cakes, ensure the car is cool before placing the cake inside. Use air conditioning and place the cake on a flat surface.  Enlist an extra person to help with stabilising the cake during transit. 

😎 Keep Buttercream Cakes in the Fridge: Store buttercream cakes in the fridge until 20 minutes or less before serving to prevent decorations from melting.

😎 Consider Using Ganache: Ganache can be more stable in the heat compared to buttercream.

😎 Firm Up Your Buttercream: Add royal icing powder or meri white to your buttercream to make it firmer .

😎 Knead Less: Your sugar paste will likely need less kneading in warmer weather. 

By following these tips, you can enjoy a successful baking experience even in the summer heat. Happy baking!