Issues With Banana Icing

Baking By lirana Updated 12 Mar 2013 , 6:06am by IAmPamCakes

lirana Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
lirana Posted 7 Mar 2013 , 12:25am
post #1 of 23

Hi Everyone. I'm doing a flavor test run of my wedding cake this week. My wedding is in October, so I figured I have enough time to make up to 6 cakes by then for practice.

 

This week I am testing strawberry cake with a banana filling, and I decided to try this Banana Icing recipe I found here. I made this recipe today because I want to test how it holds up sitting out of the fridge for several days. Well, my batch is anything but fluffy.  Based on the description, I was imagining the consistency would have been something like a whipped cream frosting. Mine turned out very thick, like glue.

 

Anyone have any idea what I may have done wrong? I mashed the bananas super well... until they were pretty much liquid. Did I mash them up too much? Maybe I beat it too fast while adding the powdered sugar? Any help is greatly appreciated. Since it's for a cake filling, I'm not too distraught about it. I just don't want it to ooze all over the place when I stack the layers.

22 replies
-K8memphis Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
-K8memphis Posted 7 Mar 2013 , 1:54am
post #2 of 23

didn't it brown too?

 

i would not leave this sit out for days --it needs to be fridged--it will spoil

lirana Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
lirana Posted 8 Mar 2013 , 12:00am
post #3 of 23

It's been about 24 hours and it hasn't browned at all. It's still the color of banana baby food. @K8memphis, what in this recipe will spoil? I have more bananas to make another batch if necessary, but I figured since the ingredients on their own don't spoil, the icing wouldn't either.

 

Anyone else have any advice as to what I may have done wrong?

-K8memphis Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
-K8memphis Posted 8 Mar 2013 , 12:27am
post #4 of 23

mashed fruit left out for days spoils and it's not pleasant

 

i think it's a risky recipe unless you got it tested to see if there's enough sugar to hold it--which i don't think there is

 

i don't know why the recipe is wonky and didn't come out the way you wanted

cakeyouverymuch Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
cakeyouverymuch Posted 8 Mar 2013 , 12:32am
post #5 of 23
Quote:
Originally Posted by -K8memphis 

mashed fruit left out for days spoils

 

THIS.

lirana Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
lirana Posted 8 Mar 2013 , 12:38am
post #6 of 23

Oh, I didn't realize the bananas would spoil. I was kinda hoping there would be enough sugar. But yeah, that's why I'm testing right now. I made it yesterday with the intent of eating the finished cake on Saturday. Good thing the wedding isn't until October. :)

 

I'm going to try throwing the icing in the mixer again. Maybe I didn't mix it long enough...

lirana Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
lirana Posted 8 Mar 2013 , 7:17am
post #7 of 23

So I tried mixing it again, and it didn't improve at all. I started a new batch that turned out much better. I'm 99% sure it's because I mashed the bananas too much. When I made the batch yesterday, it took almost 2 full bananas. Today, I only needed about 1.5 bananas. 

-K8memphis Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
-K8memphis Posted 8 Mar 2013 , 2:30pm
post #8 of 23
Quote:
Originally Posted by lirana 

I made this recipe today because I want to test how it holds up sitting out of the fridge for several days.

 

i want you to have the most enjoyable cake and best wedding day ever.

 

the foundation you are building upon where you let your cake set out of the fridge for a few days

 

will crumble and burn with the pathway you are taking with the fresh fruit mixed into the icing

 

this is hazardous -- fresh fruit needs to be refrigerated period

 

do it any way you want but understand that you risk the safety and well being of every guest you serve young old well and infirm

 

you are smart enough to start out five months in advance and test and practice and ask for help

 

be smart enough to heed the danger--over and over we are telling you this is wrong

 

i will be your best friend to provide the expertise you need to help you get through this but you have to l.i.s.t.e.n in return

 

deal?

 

 

Kima920 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Kima920 Posted 8 Mar 2013 , 2:48pm
post #9 of 23

If you want a banana flavor to your filling and be light and fluffy. Why not try banana pudding with heavy cream? It will mix together and be light and fluffy. it will need to in the fridge but it won't spoil like regular bananas do. You can even add maybe half a banana to the mix for more banana flavor but like stated above any fruit filling needs to be in the fridge period. 

lirana Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
lirana Posted 8 Mar 2013 , 5:23pm
post #10 of 23

AK8memphis, I didn't mean to make it seem like I was ignoring your advice. I apologoze if that's how Icame off. At this point, I didn't have time to go to the store to get ingredients for another type of filling. I'm stuck with the banana for this trial run.

I plan on covering our cake in fondant which is why I want a filling that can withstand being out in room temperature. Our wedding is on a Friday and while I [B]might[/B] be able to cover it on Thursday, realistically it'll probably need to be Wednesday because of other wedding commitments (rehearsal, bouquet making, etc.)

Are strawberry/raspberry fillings okay because they are cooked? Could I potentially make the same type of filling with bananas (like bananas foster maybe), or are they too starchy? Kima920, I don't necessarily need a fluffy filling. I just wasn't sure why this one didn't fluff up.

Again, I really am sorry if it seemed like I was ignoring advice. I really appreciate the help.

-K8memphis Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
-K8memphis Posted 8 Mar 2013 , 7:44pm
post #11 of 23
Quote:
Originally Posted by lirana 

K8memphis, I didn't mean to make it seem like I was ignoring your advice. I apologoze if that's how Icame off. At this point, I didn't have time to go to the store to get ingredients for another type of filling. I'm stuck with the banana for this trial run.

I plan on covering our cake in fondant which is why I want a filling that can withstand being out in room temperature. Our wedding is on a Friday and while I might be able to cover it on Thursday, realistically it'll probably need to be Wednesday because of other wedding commitments (rehearsal, bouquet making, etc.)

Are strawberry/raspberry fillings okay because they are cooked? Could I potentially make the same type of filling with bananas (like bananas foster maybe), or are they too starchy? Kima920, I don't necessarily need a fluffy filling. I just wasn't sure why this one didn't fluff up.

Again, I really am sorry if it seemed like I was ignoring advice. I really appreciate the help.

 

 

no worries--ok cool--

 

no, cooked fruit fillings have to be friged too-- so if you have to have fruit flavor you'd want to go with a syrup or an emulsion to flavor the buttercream if you can't frige it or henry & henry fruity type stuff--for the cake

 

there are also 'sleeve' fillings that are shelf stable that some people think the sky will fall if you use it some peeps eat it all the time

 

i did my own cake, i've done my kids' cakes and there is no way i had time to do bouquets or anything else - i did show up for rehearsal dinners but i din want to ;)

 

how many servings?

 

another flavor combination avenue is the cake mix doctor's formula to melt a pint of ice cream + a cake mix + 3 eggs for a really nice dense cake where the sky is the limit on flavor possibilities--it has always baked like a dream too--

 

but maybe you want all 'scratch'?

 

don't tell me you don't have room in the frige for the cake because where else is the catering gonna go icon_biggrin.gif shhh.gif

 

but why not just clear out the frige for a few?

tawnyadee Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
tawnyadee Posted 8 Mar 2013 , 7:55pm
post #12 of 23

Are you opposed to using a banana-flavored buttercream using banana extract?

Kima920 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Kima920 Posted 8 Mar 2013 , 8:17pm
post #13 of 23

Yes Banana buttercream could work as well that way you have no issues with needing it to go in the fridge. 

lirana Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
lirana Posted 9 Mar 2013 , 12:56am
post #14 of 23
Quote:
Originally Posted by -K8memphis 
don't tell me you don't have room in the frige for the cake because where else is the catering gonna go icon_biggrin.gif shhh.gif

 

 

The problem with the fridge is I think I will be staying in a hotel closer to the wedding location the night before the wedding. I live a minimum of 40 minutes from our venues. Since we're getting married on a Friday, I expect L.A. traffic will decide to rear its ugly head (hence staying in a hotel the night before) which is why I'm fairly certain the cake will need to be done on Wednesday. I might be able to do the last steps Thursday morning. 

 

I've made bouquets for two weddings before. I know how long they take. We can definitely get those done on Wednesday night. We're aiming for an early rehearsal, so there should be at least 5 or 6 free hours in the evening. My fiancé helped make bouquets for my sister's wedding, so between the two of us, plus my mom and siblings, we should be good.

 

I'm guessing there's going to be 80ish people (we have a LOT of out of town guests), so I was planning on doing  6", 8", 10" and 12" tiers. I found one cake cutting guide that actually had the 6-8-10 feed 82 people, but that's a little too close for comfort.

 

I'm not completely opposed to buttercream, but in general I think the stuff tastes awful. I haven't tried the italian or swiss kind though, and those are supposed to taste better, right? As far as making a banana buttercream, how does the banana extract taste? My fiancé likes bananas, but he hates artificial banana (like in runts candies). 

 

Also, the filling doesn't have to be fruit. We were trying to think of what would taste good with strawberry cake, and bananas were what my fiancé suggested. I could maybe do a chocolate ganache for the next trial run so it's like a chocolate covered strawberry flavored cake. Or maybe a white chocolate ganache (since I'm not the biggest chocolate fan). I am totally open to filling suggestions to go with strawberry cake. Or cherry. I might try cherry cake with some sort of almond filling. As silly as it is, I really want the cake to be red (it's one of our wedding colors).

 

Anyway, here's my first test run. It's my first gumpaste flower and my first time using fondant. I made MMF, but I might try rolled buttercream next time instead to keep in vegetarian (we have a lot of vegetarians and vegans on our guest list). 

 

-K8memphis Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
-K8memphis Posted 9 Mar 2013 , 4:24am
post #15 of 23

oh wow--you are doing great--that cannot be your first gp flower! -- my first cakes i sold did not look that good

 

so cool that you've done the bouquets a couple times already!! and not just family but fiance will help? wow-cool!!!

 

http://www.auiswisscatalogue.com/2-MASA/Massa+Rolled+Fondants.html are the most user friendly that i know of--they're more expensive but you use less

 

good idea to try the meringue buttercreams--you might not even want a special filling

 

it seems the most common problem with those cooked btrcms is not enough flavoring so be sure you use about a tablespoon of vanilla to every 3 egg whites give or take

 

is red velvet a thought for you? or i like alternating layers of red velvet & strawberry

 

and that's the biggie with the extracts, syrups and emulsions--you gotta experiment with them --some of 'em i bet are great but i don't know which ones

 

i mean there is a way to hold your cake and keep it chilled but you'd have to refresh the ice a time or two

 

you could use a layer of polaner all fruit or something like that and keep the cake boxed in a nice tight thick cardboard box--like a moving box and have it built with a compartment under the cake so you could slide a box of ice in & out that you could refill--to me it sounds like way too much work for the bride and bridal party but it could be done--but i think you can have a great cake that is not any more fussy than it has to be--  but clearly there is that option to create a chill box--i mean it's not like you're trying to keep shrimp cocktails cold --that sure wouldn't work--but you do need to keep the cake chilled as opposed to being at room temp for a couple days but...it's like babysitting a toddler too

 

sounds like you've already done some great planning

lirana Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
lirana Posted 9 Mar 2013 , 5:38am
post #16 of 23

Yeah, it's my first gumpaste flower. It's kinda falling apart... I secured it to the cake with buttercream cause I didn't trust the floral wire enough. I do have some sculpting experience though, just not with food. 

 

As to red velvet cake, it's actually my least favorite. I'm not a fan of chocolate, but there's something about red velvet that is just... off. 

 

I was planning on transporting each tier separately and assembling at the reception. Can I just stick the cake boxes wrapped in saran wrap in a cooler with ice at the bottom of the cooler? Will this ruin the fondant? Would this be enough to have a fruit filling, or probably not?

-K8memphis Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
-K8memphis Posted 10 Mar 2013 , 3:12pm
post #17 of 23

i guess--if you have one of those coolers that is big enough to sleep in--cake boxes take up tons of room

 

and the biggest cake box is gonna need to be at least 14" square --that's a very large cooler

 

http://www.basspro.com/Igloo-Polar-120-Quart-Cooler/product/10229736/?cmCat=CROSSSELL_PRODUCT

 

this one is 17.4 inches wide on the outside so with all the insulation you might can get a 14" cake box in there--the sides slope inside there though ???

 

and the thought of them getting wet from the ice is terrifying--i should have said ice packs ;)

 

and you could place each cake box into a plastic bag and tie it up on top so there's no chance the water could seep in

 

could it work? sure--but this is how i did it once

 

i got plastic boxes to set the cake and ice in and then placed all that into corrugated boxes -- it's just getting it all to fit

 

i got this type box http://www.officemax.com/office-furniture/storage/general-storage-bins-totes/product-prod2350086 at big lots and target

 

and went crazy finding the right sizes i needed --

 

then you just slide them in & out--easy peasy and you can use the ice packs and no worry about condensation issues

 

and you can re-use the plastic boxes for organization & stuff later (15x23x7 is approx what i got)

 

i made sure the plastic boxes fit into the moving boxes (went to a storage place to get these) that would fit into my car

 

i used nubbly shelf liner underneath the cake boards --like you set glassware on to keep the cakes from sliding inside

 

you can fit top & bottom tier in one box then the other two will fit in another one--put ice in another smaller box--seal it all up in the cardboard box--8 - 12 hours or perhaps more even should be no problem if the cake is fully chilled in the first place

 

*ice packs wrapped in a paper towel to absorb condensation then placed in a plastic bag to control any further moisture issues

 

i would keep the gum paste flowers separate from the cake in it's own room temperature cake box--the flowers all wrapped up in paper towels--if you want even more security--make 'cups' out of aluminum foil to set the wrapped flowers in--or use scrunched up foil to make channels for the paper towel wrapped flowers to sit within in the box--like depending on how many--i see them sitting nestled in to a nice big half sheet box or quarter sheet box

 

so all that to say --climate control is huge for you

 

assembling the cake is kind of a big deal on your wedding day but i know you can do this but another idea is to get a trusted friend/family member who could be your back up--who could be there specifically for any cake issues--already trained--so if it came to that you have a plan

lirana Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
lirana Posted 11 Mar 2013 , 5:03am
post #18 of 23

Wow, thanks for all the great info! I actually have some extra totes lying around that aren't being used right now. That's not to say they wont' be used by the time the wedding hits... And I have extra heavy duty moving boxes that I refuse to throw away cause they're so sturdy. 

 

Back to the actual cake. The cake itself was really good. The banana filling absorbed into the cake however, so I'm thinking of trying white chocolate ganache next time. Plus, if I do ganache, I can completely skip the buttercream to make the fondant stick. :)

-K8memphis Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
-K8memphis Posted 11 Mar 2013 , 3:05pm
post #19 of 23

i'm really liking the thought of chocolate ganache--you don't have to keep it cold

 

much more secure than fruity substances--easier on you--you never know what can come up

 

we traveled from tn to socal to do a cake for my neice--still a couple hours delivery time and you gotta allow more for that traffic

 

we arrived with several hours to spare of course--out of town family just milling around 

 

found out at the venue it's an outdoor reception in june in southern california heheheheh

 

but it all went well because i had everything wrapped up tight like i described

 

then i unwrapped it at the last possible moment right before the ceremony--it all worked out anyhow ;)

 

what kinda cake did you try?

-K8memphis Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
-K8memphis Posted 11 Mar 2013 , 3:22pm
post #20 of 23

but even though the ganache filling does not have to be chilled

 

i would still recommend keeping yours chilled because of the odyssey it will be on

 

chilling of course lends that invisible inner strength

kovacstracey Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
kovacstracey Posted 11 Mar 2013 , 4:29pm
post #21 of 23

You may be able to ask the hotel if you can use one of the refrigerates..Or see if your venue offers the use of theres.If not maybe one of your guests lives closer. Ive always been told 6-8 hours at the most for indoor air conditioned venues. Good luck I hope you get it all figured out for your special day !!!

lirana Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
lirana Posted 11 Mar 2013 , 11:55pm
post #22 of 23

Kovacstracey, that's a great idea. We don't have the hotel booked yet, but I will definitely ask if I can use their fridge!

IAmPamCakes Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
IAmPamCakes Posted 12 Mar 2013 , 6:06am
post #23 of 23

AIs dry ice an option for keeping the cake cool in a cooler?

Quote by @%username% on %date%

%body%