Don't say use a stiff dam before filling

This is the 3rd white cake I am baking tonight and the 2nd batch of strawberry filling just trying to make 1 cake.

They want white cake with fresh strawberry filling and whipped cream icing. I even used a stiffer whipped icing, piped a dam, filled and presto, volcanic mush. I just tried adding a ton of cornstarch to the 2nd batch of strawberry filling hoping to firm it up (hope it's not like rubber now) but I'm afraid without a stiff dam I'll have another batch of mush.

I can't use bc icing, it would taste weird with the whipped stuff because you can taste the buter (also I don't have a batch made).

Any suggestions??? PLEASE???

It sounds like you're having a terrible time! The only thing I can think of is to use less strawberry filling -- just enough to moisten the cake, so there isn't enough to run out the sides.

Good luck!

Sorry, use a stiff dam for filling.
Actually I find it best to use a dam with any filling and the secret to keeping that bulge line on the side of the cake from happening. I pipe the dam in regular thickness buttercream, I use Italian meringue but this works with any kind of Buttercream. Use a number 12 plain piping tip, pipe the dam just inside the edge of your bottom layer, fill and then put the top layer on. Now using the same piping tip pipe a line on the sides of the cake where the two layers meet, all around the circumference of the cake. Smooth this line with an icing spatula and then crumb coat and final coat as usual with icing. This really does work.

I have done the same with whipped Pastry Pride so it should work with whipped cream as well if it is a stabilized cream. Regular whipped cream begins to break down at room temperature and probably isn't able to hold in the strawberry filling. You could make a buttercream dam, fill and then ice with whipped cream. It would mean taking your cake apart, but I don't know of another way of preventing the filling from oozing out.

ok i just did this same cake.

here's my stabilized whipped cream recipe:

1 pint heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons insrant vanilla pudding

whisk all ingredients together then let set in fridge for 10 minutes.


unfortunately, piping a dam of buttercream is the only way to stop your filling from leaking out.

for my strawberry filling i just used strawberry preserves and then layered fresh strawberries on top.

hth and good luck!

I guess I should have said "don't say pipe a dam because I already did that and it didn't work"

It just seems like the dam isn't stiff enough. Maybe it was the filling too wet.

Okay, I'm going to try again. Looks like I'll be up all night

Thanks for the suggestions.

I haven't tried this myself - I use the dam method.

However, another CC'er advised that she actually created a depression for her filling by removing cake starting 1/2" (I think) from the edges.

I can't remember how deep, I guess as deep as you wanted the filling to be.

Just another option.

What about mixing the fresh strawberries with some of the whipped cream to make your filling? That way it should keep the strawberries from leaking.

I did that with a cake I made. Everyone loved the berries mixed with the cream too.

Joanne

I also remove part of the inside of the cake. I cut a circle right in the middle of the cake, take out maybe 1/2 inch of cake and put the filling in there. This way, nothing has a chance to leak out because it is surrounded by a dam of cake.

Now THAT is something I hadn't thought of...

Great suggestion!

Thanks everyone, hopefully this will be the last time tonight.

BTW, what is everyone else doing up so late? Well, at least it's late here, 2:00 am.

Well, at 3:00 a.m., we get to turn the clocks back an hour.

So I'm spending my extra hour on CC!

Yep! It's 1:20 here, Just sitting waiting to turn the clock back!

I really have nothing better to do!

HAHAHA!! I totally forgot this is the night to change the clocks!

I have been so busy with white cake and strawberry filling that I forgot all about it.

Thank you so much, I feel much better now about it being so late. I will have an extra hour to work on this cake!

The strawberry filling I just tried uses unflavored gelatin. This seemed to stiffen the filling once the gelatin set a little bit. Just a thought. Good Luck.

pumpkinroses,

Mind sharing the recipe?

OMG! I HAVE TO DO THIS EXACT SAME CAKE BY WEDNESDAY! (Well.....its 6 layers and it's white and strawberry cake with whip and filling (or maybe strawberries, my choice).

I just got done baking the layers and putting them in the freezer. I already got the filliing. I just didnt know how to put the cake together properly without it mushing out the sides. I was just about to post this exact same question. I know how to use the dam method, use it with buttercream all the time. This time i want to try something different. Maybe cut out a divet in every othr layer of the cake and fill that then put the whip over that. Hmm......maybe that will work, dunno.

I just want to know whats the best way to approach this without starting over. I really cant afford to go out and spend more time and money redoing this cake. It's a 10" on a 14" (one of those stacked present cakes)! So I gotta do it right the first time!


Oh, and what is the best way to store this cake? Seeing as it might have whip and strawberries, I dont want it to perish before anyone gets to eat it.

You could make a "fresh" strawberry filling by adding the pureed fruit to strawberry gelatine mixture which would then set in a cake pan.  But of course it will soften up at room temperature.  I don't think that fresh (raw) fruit added to a cooked cornstarch base would be any more stable.

Simple answer is, DON'T SELL THIS KIND OF CAKE unless you can keep it refrigerated at all times.  

Many ethnic bakeries make white/sponge cakes filled with sliced fresh fruit and whipped cream type of frosting, but they are assembled the day of sale and kept chilled.    The sliced fresh fruit is mixed with the cream and layered without a dam, and this filling definitely looks squishy the next day. Those fresh strawberry pies you see in season are also assembled at the last minute from berries and glaze in prebaked crusts.  They also get mushy if you store them.

Another suggestion, that I got from a CCer a couple of years ago: make the buttercream for the dam thick enough (by adding more powdered sugar) to roll out a rope by hand. Roll it out and place it around the edge of the cake. I've done this several times and there's nothing that can break through that barrier - unless you're filling your cakes with the monster that devoured Cleveland! I always stabilize my whipped cream with gelatin (a tablespoon of gelatin bloomed in 3-4 tablespoons of water and heated to dissolve per 2 cups of cream, measured before whipping). It's really hot where I live, but I have no problems with this breaking down, even at outdoor functions. I like the idea of adding a little gelatin to the fruit filling, too. I'm going to have to try that.