My fillings and my dams keep going flat! Not sure what the issue is, but even when I use thick icing for my dam and thick filling, it keeps smooshing flat. What am I doing or not doing here?

TIA

What kind of icing are you using for a dam, and what fillings are you using?

I used to just fill with BC or WC icing that I was using to decorate the cake and ALWAYS had it bulge. My last few cakes, I made BC that was so stiff I could roll it into a ball with my hands. I used that as a dam (all were BC cakes), and after filling, I pushed down pretty hard on the cake and had no leakage. I used Oreo filling, Raspberry White Chocolate Mousse and BC filling they all stayed put perfectly with this dam.

when does it smoosh flat?

Is it smooshing after placing the next layer on. are you using too much filling? My filling is usually about 1/4" or so. I expect my dam to smoosh out a little when I press the next layer down, no filling should come out though. Many people also let their cake settle for a few hours after filling, then ice.

If it is smooshing out after you place the next tier on then I think the problem is with your support structure.

it could also have to do with how soon you are frosting and filling your cakes. try cooling, wrapping and chilling them for several hours to overnight before you even attempt to fill them. a thin layer of filling is going to hold up better than a thicker one and i've also noticed that i have better luck with swiss meringue (you can also use italian) buttercream than traditional american bc- its extremely stable. after i frost i chill before adding fondant and the cake comes out smooth with crisp edges.

Thanks for the help! I think I am going to take some of my BC and thicken it even more and use it on a SUPER cool cake and then not use too much filling. It was just so frustrating to cut into my daughter's birthday cake and see this TINY little layer of filling. Makes it hard to add height to my cakes!

Sugarshack makes hers so thick she actually can form a log. Maybe that would work?

Or make a mortar using cake crumbs with your BC.

Do you use a tip or a coupler to make your dam? I do the coupler and it makes a nice thick layer of filling.

I've been using a tip, but I will definitely try a coupler today!