I have a bride requesting a 3 tiered cake without filling. I guess I'm just stumped...how do I make a 4 inch tall tier without any filling? I get that I'll stack the cakes like normal- but won't it fall apart when it gets cut without anything to stick it together between layers? Suggestions? Thanks!!

She might mean a fruit or cream filling.I use standand buttercream in between all my layers but I don't consider it a filling.

Bake in a taller pan. Use 3" tall pans and add a collar with parchment paper to add to the height. Then trim the cake to be 4". Good luck

I would make sure that you two are communicating correctly. Most of my brides visit my website before they come in for an appointment. I have a page called "the language of cake" that helps them understand cake language.

Just tell her there needs to be something between the two layers of cakes, even if it is just a thin layer of buttercream. You are the one that knows and understands how the construction works. Not her.

I worked at a bakery that didn't offer fillings. It was one, tall, 4" layer. They used 4" pans but collaring works just as well.

This would in my opinion be a much sturdier cake to construct as it's composed of more solid pieces than layers so I would not worry about that aspect of it.

Less time consuming, less ingredients pity more people don't order this type of cake!

You would not layer a cake if there was no filling. You layer a cake in order to fill it so no filling would mean no layering.

Your post only mentioned filling right, not frosting?

i agree with kiddiekakes, filling to her may mean fruit fillings etc, she may not think of the buttercream as a filling...just explain it to her....

This is one of those times I would contact the bride and make sure of just exactly what she means. She might be thinking filling=fruit. She might not understand that you can put the same icing between the layers that you do on the outside of the cake.
Even if she wants nothing between I would bake the layers just like always and stack, sometimes the filling/icing makes them slip a little and this might be more stable.
For your own peace of mind contact her and let us know what happens!

Jibbies

I agree on talking to the bride to clarify. When I talk with brides and they say "no filling" usually after asking more questions they want icing, just no special filling.

Cakes don't need filling "glue" if they are not layered so it is not necessary to have filling in a cake, desirable to most yes but necessary no!

Some people just like cake and frosting maybe she means exactly what she said - no filling!

Agree with the rest, clarify with the bride and find out what she wants and if you want to do it or you could just go straight ahead and attempt to change her mind to make it fit your idea of cake!

IMHO a cake that does not need to be torted or layer and filled is a dream cake just a bit of frosting on the outside and bob's your uncle! Less stacking issues, less work, faster, all makes good sense to me this should be encouraged I would run with it big time if that is what she wants!

Easier life, faster turnover!

Please also see:

http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-598700-.html

HTH

There are bakers around here who just bake 3" tall cakes and don't split them, so there's just a 3" tall cake with nothing inside.

I use the 2" pans also, and I have to explain to some brides who request no filling that I have to put something in between, but I find that they usually are thinking of the sleeved fruit glop when they're talking about "filling." (Can you tell I don't like that stuff?) So it's probably just a matter of finding out what she means and explaining how you do it.

I was just wondering if IndyDebi can share that Creamy Monkey Earwax Filling Recipe!!!!!!!

I was at a wedding just a couple of weeks ago. I was SO surprised when we got the cake there wasn't any filling. It was 2 layer white cake but in between the 2 layers there wasn't 1/4 of a tsp of filling/icing barely enough to hold a piece of fondant on.
That was the first wedding cake I've ate that was like that. To me that is the best part of the "wedding" cakes is to have the 2 layers with icing in the middle.

The oldest bakery in this town uses one 4" layer of cake...for wedding cakes and bd/celebration cakes. Their dessert cakes(ger choc, coconut, lemon...)are made of a different batter and have multiple layers.

They cut beautifully...like Grandma's pound cake but without the center hole.

Where I live, you can't find a wedding cake with filling. Actually even birthday cakes don't have fillings. They're usually 4" tall. Now if you want the really high end cakes, you know, ridiculously overpriced, then you get two layers with like 1/8" filling which is actually same as the frosting. it's sad but true.