Hi everyone!

I am new here - and just wondering. For fondant covered cakes, do the cakes always have to be of such a dense and heavy variety? I am thinking it is because of the weight of the fondant... I tried a nice Brown Sugar Vanilla cake recipes but once I had it layered, filled with custard and then covered in fondant, it turned into a very dense almost unbaked tasting cake (even though the test cake came out so perfectly yummy!). I have been watching shows like Sugar Stars on the Food network and when they cut into her cakes they look springy and fluffy, not heavy and dense.... Can anyone suggest a vanilla and chocolate cake recipes that are good for fondant cakes that aren't so heavy?

PS - I have also been using Buddy Valastro's Vanilla Cake recipe which is nice but again very heavy,

Thanks so much!

Good question..

Using a pudding filling weighs down the cake because there is more moisture and the water vapour saturates the cake layers.

Using a standard cake mix gives you a cake that tastes good if you add additional real extract to it but NOT the WASC/variations.

Using a buttercream or ganache in reasonable layers (like 1/4" max) for the filling will also help. Chilling the cake after the crumb coat and after the finish coat (before fondant) will firm the cake up enough to add a reasonable layer of fondant (again 1/4" max).

Thanks for the tip!

I thought I posted a reply to this last night but........
It sounds like it's not the cake that's your problem but the fillings you are using. I seldom use pudding type fillings - mostly fruit jams or b'cream variations. I think maybe your fillings are much too moist and soaking into the cake.
I have covered cakes made straight from boxed mixes and lots and lots from this recipe: http://cakecentral.com/recipe/the-original-wasc-cake-recipe

If your fondant is weighing down your cake at all, you are rolling it too thick.

Thanks for the replies everyone - in regards to the fondant being too thick - I am using Satin Ice and I found that if rolled too thin, it was getting "elephant skin" when I placed it on the cake, so I turned to rolling out thicker. I don't know how else to get rid of the elephant skin problem - and I do work very very quickly to avoid the fondant drying out.

BakingIrene: Do you mean that you don't recommend the WASC recipe? I see that alot of people seem to use it but I have always kind of shied away from it because I try to do things from scratch. Are there any "from scratch" recipes you would recommend for a Vanilla or chocolate cake?

Much appreciated!!
Rhea

I didn't imply any judgment of the WASC except that it has a poundcake-ish texture. I use the Hershey chocolate cake recipe and it always turns out great.

So, if you have someone asking for custard filling in a cake but the custard is affecting the integrity of the cake, what do can all of you out there recommend? For example, my girlfriend ALWAYS wants custard as a filling but what can use that will not be so moist as to make the cake heavy and unbaked tasting?

You can spread a thin layer of buttercream to waterproof the cake under the custard.

Or use an old bakery trick and brush a very thin layer of melted chocolate on top of the cake just under the custard. White chocolate works OK too.

I use custard buttercream a lot so I promote that instead of a plain custard. People LOVE it because it's not as sweet as regular buttercream. But you have to keep that stuff chilled, so I don't know how to advise anybody else.

Custard buttercream? That sounds wonderful! Are you willing to share your recipe? So appreciate the chocolate layer idea as well - it would add a nice treat to the treat!

Custard buttercream: cook custard recipe of your choice (using eggyolks or not) that will stiffen up well when cooled. Use 3 tablespoons cornstarch per cup of milk/cream. Don't add any sugar yet. Chill well.

Measure 1-1/3 cups cold custard. Start creaming 1 cup room-temperature unsalted butter with a mixer. Beat the custard in slowly. Add 1 cup powdered sugar, and then vanilla/flavour to taste. Add more sugar to taste.

For chocolate flavour, add melted chocolate to butter and then the custard, sugar, flavour.

This MUST be kept chilled after it is added to a cake--I use it for both filling and icing. It will stiffen up but not crust. It is too soft for piping anything more than a shell border.

Thank you so much! I can't wait to try this. One question: if I keep the cake chilled until delivery how long can I advise is the max they should keep out of the fridge?

Just wanted to respond to this thread.  I am searching for chocolate cake recipes that will hold up to being covered by fondant and not sag.  I have been using a cake recipe similar to the WASC, but it adds cocoa, pudding, coffee, and chocolate milk.  It is a thick batter and makes a delicious, moist cake that everyone loves.  However, I have been having trouble with it sagging on one side after fondant has been applied.  And I don't think I roll the fondant too thick.  I use the Mat and roll it fairly thin.  I am wondering if leaving out the pudding might help it from being so dense and solve this problem.  The WASC recipe does not add pudding.  Any comments appreciated.