My disaster at the county fair bake-off made me change my whole buttercream recipe

So last summer I entered the peach pie contest at the Clark County Fair. It was 95 degrees outside, and my beautiful Swiss meringue buttercream on my practice pies at home was perfect. But when I set my entry pie on the judging table, the whole top just SLUMPED off the side in a sad, melty mess within like ten minutes. A judge walked by and just said, 'Happens to the best of us, kid.' I was so embarrassed. I went home and spent the next two months testing recipes that could stand up to heat. I finally landed on adding a bit of hi-ratio shortening to my butter, and now my buttercream is bulletproof even in summer humidity. Has anyone else had a total public fail that made you change a core recipe? What did you switch to?

3 comments

3 Comments

phoenix_lewis27d ago

Ever think shortening was just for cheap grocery store cakes? Your pie disaster story is exactly why I changed my mind. I do the same mix now for outdoor events and it actually holds up.

kimfisher27d ago

Honestly the real game changer for me was realizing shortening doesn't just add stability, it actually gives you a different texture that holds fillings better. Butter alone can get too soft and soak through, especially with juicy summer fruits. Using a mix creates this kind of barrier that keeps the crust crisp even when it's sitting out for hours. It's not about being cheap, it's about building a pie that can actually handle real conditions. Once I saw it as a tool for structure instead of just flavor, it totally changed my baking.

green.val27d ago

Is it really that big a deal if a pie slumps at a fair? You changed your whole recipe for a once a year event in extreme heat. Most pies are eaten indoors where normal buttercream works fine. Shortening makes things taste worse to me, so I'd rather just not enter a contest on a 95 degree day.