I am thinking of accepting a request to make a wedding cake for 200 people...with fresh fruit fill. All buttercream. I haven't really had a project like this one before and I don't want to fail miserably. I know I've tried working with strawberries in gel once, years ago, in a small 2 tier cake, but it had 'seeped' so that was the last time. I've done mousse fillings and ganache and buttercream but uncomfortable with the fresh fruit. I'm afraid of it seeping, and the 'life' of it while inside the cake and the best choices for fruit to reduce the seeping or that have a longer life without 'over ripening' etc. I've tried to find this out thru reading, but my eyes are tired and my brain is fried. I just want some 'strait to the point' answers if at all possible. Thanks in advance

A thin layer of buttercream will keep the fruit from seeping.

I would definitely use buttercream under as well as a border wall but even that didn't stop the red juice from managing to find a way to leak thru. There has to be a better barricade somehow. I think if I cut a shallow gullet/bowl into the layer that this might work. But I need more info like what kinds of fruit will sustain best inside a cake for 2-3 days or whatever else might happen that I am not aware of a fruit filled cake being prone to do .

Making a trench in the cake works well for fresh strawberry filling, especially if the strawberry bits are large/larger.

Making a strong dam:

http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-702579-.html

Or you can use cake spackle for a dam:

http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-665482-.html

http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-664344-.html

http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-684225-.html

Here's a raspberry filling that is shelf stable for 2-3 days because of the alcohol in the recipe:

http://cakecentral.com/recipes/4143/raspberry-puree-filling

Here's info on how much filling to use by cake size:

http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-621524.html

And leah_s newest "trick":

http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-633571-.html

HTH

I appreciate that info SO much....This is the best feedback I've found. I didn't even realize there was a response so I am just now finding out this. Thank YOU again!