I did a test run for decorating purposes and noticed that the cake was dry. I'm talking, "Honey-pass-the-milk-so-don't-choke dry". So, I thought of filling it but I'm afraid it will fall apart. I read somewhere in the forums that you can put jam/preserves on top of the cake batter and it drops down into the cake and swirls. That sounds great but how much jam are we talking here? Is it an eyeball thing? I have time to experiment but rather not be baking 3-4 trial runs. Has anyone done this jam trick? Or is cutting it in half to fill it a better idea. Or, there's always the alternative of breaking out the ice cream to go with the cake. Ice cream is a hit with the 4 year old crowd. Notice the rapid decline of ideas going on here... LOL!
Any help would be great!

I've torted and filled them before and it worked just fine. I haven't heard of pouring jam into it, but I have heard of warming up apricot jam and brushing it on. Perhaps it was jelly though as jelly doesn't have lumps. You could also brush a simple syrup onto the cake.

Thank you so much! This mold can be challenging for a moist cake!

Nazarine, I also torted and filled my wonder mold cake when I made it. I used a devil's food chocolate cake mix and I found the edges were a bit dry but the cake itself was fine. What temp did you back at. Because it's a weird shape and depth I think sometimes it's easy to over bake it.

Oooooh. Good point! I baked it as per the box instructions (I think 350 degrees) and tested with a toothpick. Took about 60-70 minutes. I would love to make this a chocolate cake but my daughter wants a strawberry cake. I think it's less about the strawberry and more about it being pink, but there ya go.

Try baking at 325. It will take a bit longer but should cook more evenly.

You know I was just thinking of this as I finished reading. I tried to make a wonder mold cake recently and overfilled it. I am so glad that I had a cookie sheet under the pan. , but what I was remembering was that it had been so long since I had made one of these that I forgot that there is a metal rod that you put in the center on a nut in the bottom of the pan to help it cook evenly.

I wonder if you have one? Maybe they don't make them like that anymore? I bet that would help if you do have one. and I also bet that you could fill that center hole with icing or some kind of filling before you put your doll pick in after you put it on the cake board? Just an idea. since it had been a good 20 years since I had made one I had no directions for it. the pan was given to me and I got not directions with it. I did not know how full to fill it and forgot about the center rod. Next time I try to make it I will remember the center rod and also try to fill it less full. I think I only went about 2/3 full, but it was obviously too much. Good luck with your cake.

Just made this cake twice this weekend alone for 2 communion girls and one was strawberry. The center rod is important and I did use a box mix, filling about 2/3. I start checking after 45 min and it comes out at about 55-60. My yellow gluten free one was dense and dry but the strawberry wasn't. The strawberry didn't even need much leveling. (maybe I was just having a lucky day,) I didn't fill or torte with light frosting and fondant. I find the yellow gluten free dry in general but happily surprised at the strawberry outcome. Good luck!

theresaf, thank you for confirming my suspicians as to why my cake would not cook very fast, but I am curious. I wonder why when I only filled it 2/3 full that it ran over. Do you by any chance know how many cups the wonder mold is supposed require? thanks.

sorry, Jules5000, I dont know how much it holds. I use boxed mix and when it filled about 2/3 I stopped pouring! I don't recall any significant leftovers in the mixing bowl. If you know how many cups a box mix usually makes you know more than me! But if you didn't use the metal rod and screw how did you keep the mix from coming out the hole on the bottom? After recently reading a post about how the metal flower nails keep cakes level while they bake I can now see how the metal rod in this pan works on the same principle of distributing heat evenly in the pan. It's all a learning experience. Now if I can just learn how NOT to eat all the parts I dont use and trim away!

I have read that cake mixes make up between 4-6 cups. The ones from ALdis make almost 5. I think it is Pillsbury makes around 4 1/2. It has been a long time since I used a mix that was not from Aldi's so I honestly am just guess.

How it did not leak: THere was a little plug and screw in the bottom and I am guessing that, that is what the rod fits over. So there was no hole. OUt of curiosity I am going to have to make one soon. I will just be careful to not fill it very full. I just got a brilliant idea about how to tell how much it holds and I can't believe I didn't think of it before. Well the brilliant idea I had was to fill it full with water from a half-gallon pitcher exactly measured and see where it comes too. Than add water until it is full keeping tabs on how much I measured. than figure 2/3 of that and if it is lower than what I had it filled when I tried to make it then I will know that I did indeed fill it too full. If not then I will just put less in then before.

Good luck with your next cake Jules5000!

I have to find me a little girl to make one for. I can't have that much cake sitting around with me trying to lose weight. You would think that I would know more little girls than that, but I don't.

The other thing I like about the mold is that you can use it for other purposes besides the 'doll'. I used it as Santa's body (from the neck down - haven't posted that pix) and put his head on top, complete with cotton candy beard. I am not confident about sculpting a cake and try to use other shapes as a starting point, so I like the Wonder mold for that and the giant cupcake mold.

Hey everyone, I hope I'm not too late with the reply. I just got my wonder mold kit from wilton yesterday to try and make a wedding dress cake out of it and I happen to stumble on this thread. According to the instruction leaflet that came with kit, it says that you'll need 5 1/2 - 6 cups of batter for the mold. You can use a cake mix as well.

I did use a pound cake recipe that I found here on CC and I hated it. It was sooooo dry and dense and would not use it again for this mold. I'm giving it a try for the mold and since it will be needing around 2 cake mix boxes I will be using what's left for the base to give the dress more height. HTH!!

I tried the wonder mold for the first time today for my daugters 10th birthday and the cake was not done in the middle and the texture was heavy. would love to know the solution to this problem, the cake was decorated beautifully and i would love to try it again with a more successful outcome.