Newbie-Need A Little Advice On A Project! (Long, Sorry!)

Decorating By jespooky Updated 2 Jun 2008 , 9:39pm by FromScratch

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jespooky Posted 2 Jun 2008 , 1:22am
post #1 of 14

HI all,
I'm pretty new to decorating (as you can tell from my photos)! I took on a project, that I have a few newbie questions on. The cake i am to make, is for my boss's retirement party...not until august so i have some time to practice. This is the idea so far..


6 in chocolate chip cake with hot fudge filling
8 inch chocolate cake with cookies and cream filling.
10 inch white cake with cream cheese filling and strawberries.

I was told by someone stacking the cakes with filling in them is not a great idea...and i got a little nervous. When doing tiered cakes is there only certain fillings that should be done due to sturdy-ness? I know about the dowels, and cake boards....and i will not be assembling the cake until i get to the party.

Also, any tips on doing a zebra stripe would be helpful, and making a whipped frosting just a little more dense to get smooth and workable FOR the zebra stripe would also be great! I'm only doing the top tier in the stripe. Thanks in advance for the help!! icon_smile.gif

13 replies
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Karema Posted 2 Jun 2008 , 1:29am
post #2 of 14

all the fillings look ok except for the hot fudge. Doesnt seel like a good idea. It may drip all over the cake. Try filling that include butter cream/whipped cream. Even fruit filling can be a little tricky. Put a light layer of butter cream on b4 the fruit so it doesnt seep into the next layer.

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jespooky Posted 2 Jun 2008 , 1:46am
post #3 of 14

The hot fudge would have the filling dam, i tested this one out for taste wise and it was ok as far as drip wise. Defiantly good advice though!! The strawberries would be sliced up real strawberries in the cream cheese frosting filling.

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jespooky Posted 2 Jun 2008 , 11:43am
post #4 of 14

icon_cry.gif bump

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jen1977 Posted 2 Jun 2008 , 11:48am
post #5 of 14

I think the hot fudge wouls soak into the cake and make it unstable, but since there won't be a tier on top of it, you may be ok. I personally wouldn't use it as a filling since it's so soft. I wouldn't put fresh sliced strwaberries in either. Fresh strawberries really start to lose their juice and make the cake soggy. I would be afraid of slipping in the layer and making the cake unstable. I've used strawberry jam, and it tastes great!

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JenniferL Posted 2 Jun 2008 , 11:54am
post #6 of 14

As long as you cut your dows even with or slightly above the top of each cake and you dam each layer well, you shouldn't have too much of a problem. Keeping them cold until stacking will help some too.

The only advice I can offer about the zebra stripe is to buy fondant that's already colored black. It will be easier than trying to color it yourself.

If there's a zebra stripe that you like in the gallery, you could try and pm the decorator. They might be able to help.

I used a whipped cream cheese frosting that is a little more stable with the addition of the cream cheese.

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T-Bird Posted 2 Jun 2008 , 12:06pm
post #7 of 14

Hi, it sounds like you have it prettty much figured out... I've never used hot fudge filling, but would be concerned about it seeping through the cake, so the thin buttercream idea sounds like a good idea. As for the filling with strawberries, make sure to refridgerate this as fresh strawberries will definitely bleed... and if your not careful they can make your filling runny. Also, they will effect the density of your filling (because of the juice). I ran into this recently. The strawberries naturally get a little runny (for lack of better word) when cut, but when you add sugar to the mix, it just gets worse, but I found that keeping it well refridgerated kept the juice from forming so much and running into my layers and making runny filling.

For stacking your cake, as long as you properly support it with dowel rods and cake boards it should be fine. Having a filling in your cake should not effect this, as long as your rods are long enough to support the next tier, and that there is not so much that the wieght of the next layer/layers "squishes" it out (I would suggest using a dam for all fillings). I just wouldn't suggest traveling with it assembled unless you use the method that "impales" all layers to hold them together, otherwise any turn or bump in the road, any excelration or deceleration, could cause a tier to shift and potentially "crash" making a big mess in your car. Some people do travel with assembled cakes, but I hear it's nerveracking, and some only do it when they have to for a design element.

I don't know what to say about a more stabilized whipped frosting, I've never used one, but think I saw one in the recipes section. Just type in whipped frosting or whipped cream into the search bar for the section.

Best of luck! icon_smile.gif

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FromScratch Posted 2 Jun 2008 , 12:25pm
post #8 of 14

WHipped cream and fondant don't get along.. it will get soggy and fall off your cake.

If you want to do a hot fudge filling make ganache.. it won't seep into your cake.

Stacking cakes with fillings is more than fine, just be sure to cut your dowels so that the cakes aren't resting on eachother like the poster above said. icon_smile.gif

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BigTexinWV Posted 2 Jun 2008 , 2:50pm
post #9 of 14

For the zebra stripes I would go to google images and print off a sheet of stripes to use as a template. Cover the cake in white fondant and cut out the stripes using your template in black. Then use water to glue them on.

HTH

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FromScratch Posted 2 Jun 2008 , 3:29pm
post #10 of 14

Also.. if you are looking for a frosting that has the same texture as whipped cream and will hold up to decoration try a swiss meringue buttercream. It's all I use and it's really good. icon_smile.gif

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jespooky Posted 2 Jun 2008 , 4:52pm
post #11 of 14

wow thanks for all the advice!! I think i wanted to go with strawberries because i've had a cake like that before...but i think i will go with the other suggestions, as this cake is VERY important and i want it to be perfect. As far as the "hot fudge" it would just be smuckers, out of the jar, and not heated. i probably should have stated that earlier. Ganache sounds like a good idea! i've never made it, but wondered about it! I will make a batch and see how it goes.

The zebra stripes i was going to do freehand, not with fondant, i've never worked with fondant before. -is the black gonna run with whipped frosting?

*sigh* i think i'll just change that over to buttercream lol to solve that problem!

thanks for the replies so far!!

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FromScratch Posted 2 Jun 2008 , 7:56pm
post #12 of 14

it would be near impossible to get whipped cream to be black. I think the best option for the stripes would be fondant since it won't bleed and to use buttercream.

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indydebi Posted 2 Jun 2008 , 9:29pm
post #13 of 14

When we have hot fudge ice cream at home, I buy the hot fudge from Smuckers in the glass jar. I seem to recall that when cold, this is pretty thick stuff. It's only when you heat it that it gets all thin and would soak into the cake.

Since you have plenty of time, try it on a small cake and see how it holds up. I'm sure your family would LUV to taste test it for you! Another idea (that I've seen on CC) is to put a thin layer of crusting BC on the bottom layer, then put the filling on top of that. The crusting BC seems to help prevent the filling from soaking into the cake. I've never tried it, but I've read about it on here.

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FromScratch Posted 2 Jun 2008 , 9:39pm
post #14 of 14

I don't think the smuckers (or dove or what-have-you) would seep into the cake (especially when room temp), it's just that ganache tastes so much better. icon_biggrin.gif

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