I did a 10 inch round cake that I torted with strawberry filling. I put the edge of buttercream frosting around each layer and then filled in. While I was driving CAREFULLY (not even a mile from my home) the top 3 layers slid about an inch from the bottom layer. Should I have put a dowel in this? I was able to push the cake back together and redo the cornilli lace (pic is in my pic - one before accident "Grad cake". Does anyone have any solutions for this happening. The cake was on the front seat.
Thanks for the help.
Weird. Sounds like you did everything correctly. How stiff was your dam? and how thick? Did you just use your coupler to pipe it on? Some people use cake crumbs mixed with icing to do their dam.
You were correct in not using dowels. Dowels are only needed for stacking or if working with an especially tall cake (like 8").
Two words - 'front seat'! You had gravity working against you! Cakes must be put on as flat a surface as possible - either the foot well of the front passenger seat or in the trunk of the car. Sorry this happened to you!
That strawberry gel stuff in the sleeve is pretty slippery. I mix it 1 part sleeved filling with 2 parts icing to make my fillings.
I'd suspect that you put too much filling in between the layers. Also the damn has to be waaaay stiffer than your regular icing that's on the outside of the cake.
It sounds to me like you may have overfilled the layers. Strawberry filling is slippery stuff. Glad you were able to repair it. Also you must keep it level no matter what, next time if you must put it on the front seat, place a book or something under the back edge to level it.
Lesson learned!
Sorry that happened to you. I have 3 suggestions.
The only time I have ever had a cake slide (and ultimately smash) 
was when using strawberry filling. I don't know what kind you used, but I used the pre-packaged sleeve filling. I had a stiff dam and everything, too. I think the strawberry filling is just too slippery, at least that one was.
Now when I have to make strawberry filling, I make my own with cornstarch so I can thicken it up until it's very spreadable but THICK. Haven't had a problem since I started doing that.
Also, I never put a cake on the seat of the car. As flat as it looks, it's likely slanted which could cause the cake to slide. My first preference is on a non-skid mat in the hatch or trunk. If that isn't possible, then on the floor in the front seat on a non-skid mat.
My third suggestion is have the cake VERY COLD before you leave. I find that when the cake has been refrigerated for a while it gets very hard and things don't move around at all. Then I just let it sit out until it reaches room temperature before serving.
Hope some of this helps, it's nervewracking to work so hard on a cake and then have it slide.
LeahHow does it taste when you mix the strawberry filling with the icing?
I didn't know you needed stiffer icing for the damn either, I took the wilton classes last fall and the teacher never told us that. Thanks for the tips.
Thanks everyone, I will try these suggestions next time I do another torted cake.
Jen
I use a whipped merignue based bc. The sleeved filling + bc comes out like mousse.
I missed the part about putting the cake on the seat. Never, ever let your cake sit on a slant. You can even out a car seat with a book (as PP said) or towels or newspaper.
I agree with leahs. But I have 1 more question: Did you refrigerate the cakes and let them set for a while and firm up?
I finished the cake at 9:00 that evening and went straight into the fridge and didnt take out till I was leaving. It was a very hot muggy morning here and I "pre cooled" my car for 1/2 hour before.
I use the sleeved fillings all the time straight out of the bag and use a very stiff buttercream dam piped with a #12 tip. I torte my layers so I have thinner layers of the filling. I also crumb coat, then let the layers settle several hours/overnight. I don't chill my cakes before transport, haven't had a problem yet (knock on wood!)
I had my first slider cake in my life this past March. Being forcd to slam on my brakes didn't help much, I know, but after looking the cake over, I believe I had too much of the sleeved red raspberry filling on the cake, which I believe contributed to the slide.
I use red raspberry filling all the time ... almost every cake I make anymore .... and never have a problem. But while cutting this cake (it was still servable, even tho' it looked really bad!), I noticed the filling was thicker than what I normally see.
I'd never put a cake on the seat. Besides the seat not being a flat surface, a sudden stop or sharp turn and it has no place to go but on the floor. All my cakes go in the back of my Expo on a non slip mat, in boxes or containers of course. An exception might be a single cake in a carrier on the floor of the back seat. I even use the non slip matting in my carriers and boxes when there's room for movement. It's much easier to repair a cake that slid sideways than one that toppled over.
Glad you were able to repair your cake. Listen to the filling advice and always keep your cakes level. You could have learned these lessons through a real cake disaster. Glad you didn't.
I know the stuff in the sleeve is easy, but like ProjectQueen, I now make my own filling. In addition to more cornstarch, I add the final cooked filling to a bowl that has one package of strawberry jello that has been dissolved in one cup of boiling water. This add additional firmness but does not end up the consistency of jello because of the cooked filling mixed in. Enhances flavor, too.
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%