Does anyone have suggestions for a stable cake filling other than buttercream that holds up to heat and humidity? (my family does not like buttercream!) I made a 2 tier cake for a baby shower, filled it with a meringue filling (egg whites, sugar, corn syrup) and covered it with fondant....the second tier was supported with dowels (I added extra dowels just to be safe so the cake wouldnt collapse)...the cake was out for 15hrs + while I decorated it and it kept well inside the air conditioned house but as I was transporting the cake (inside an poorly air conditioned car with the outide temp hoovering around 30 degress Celsius) the filling melted, the sides bulged, the fondant cracked and the second tier slide. It was awful and was beyond repair. It was for my sister in law's baby shower....I ended up buying 3 cakes from the grocery store to feed 100 people and was 2 hours late! I am traumatized from this disaster!
Any suggestions would be helpful!

I would have only kept it out of the frig for an hour at a time, since it contained egg whites (fresh ones I assume?) 15 hours seems like a long time. I might have considered putting it in the freezer for awhile before I transported it to make sure it was really chilled. I also pack my cakes in corrugated boxes to transport in the car to keep them cold. Egg whites are fragile and won't stand up to a lot of abuse. Try some other buttercreams, they are not all the same. I assume when you say your family doesn't like bc they are referring to the decorator icing with tons of powdered sugar in it. I guess I am not much help, but I would try some other recipes on your family to find more types that they like that are stable. I don't put a lot of buttercream under my fondant maybe that could be a solution???

I agree, i wouldn't keep a cake out for too long... i always find it easier to decorate if after about 30min. of working on the decorating i'll put one tier in the 'fridge as i work on another and then i'll switch back and forth . I always find it easier to work on a cool cake.

as for an icing suggestion, perhaps you can use a chocolate ganache (sp?) or a cream cheese icing? but again, you couldn't keep it out all day.

AGGH!!!! I feel your pain! Have you considered fillings such as a berry jam? I have a child that won't touch buttercream, but thinks the cake is extra special if there is any knid of berry filling in it!I use buttercream to create the dam to hold it in, but it isn't so much buttercream that he complains.

I've only done one stacked cake using it but I use pastry pride and mix with pudding for a mousse. but it doesn't require refridgeration as it's non-dairy. And it's not as sweet as buttercream.

HTH

Judi

I agree that the meringue probably could not stand all that room temp and warm weather in the car and broke down.

That said I use butter cream of course quite often to fill but I've also had great luck with jam, puddings and chocolate ganache made thicker (the recipe I use is 18 oz chocolate to 1.5 c heavy cream & cooled and whipped). I made a cake with all three of those last weekend and it traveled 2.5 hrs in a car and sat out all day (all in a/c but not refrigerated) and no issues at all.

Pastry fillings that come in plastic sleeves hold up well, like these from Country Kitchens: http://www.countrykitchensa.com/catalog/SearchResults.aspx?description=pastry%20filling&page=-1

They are available from wholesale food stores and cake decorating stores. I get mine locally under the brand Henry & Henry. You can use them straight from the plastic sleeves or combine with BC.