I am doing a 9" round 4" high cake. I used a new recipe for lemon filling that just really isn't holding up--and I didn't do a damn, because I always cover with ganache before fondant. There are 4 layer, top and bottom filling layers are that lemon stuff and the middle filling layer is SMBC.

THEN, if you saw my post re ganache, you will know I didn't have heavy cream for my white chocolate ganache coating, so I just made it with half and half. It made up just fine, but it doesn't seem as sturdy on the cake as when I regularly make it. In fact, the more I had it out of the fridge, the more it looked like it was really wobbly!!!!

AHHHHHH! AND I haven't even covered it with fondant (one layer, plus zebra stripes, plus a gum paste number "13" with wires in it to stick into the cake).

WHAT can I do to stabilize this thing!? There are no tiers, so dowels/boards won't help, right!?

i guess im a little confused... is it a 4 layer cake or a 2 layer torted? If it's 4 layer, I would put a cake circle in the middle with straws or something for added support.

It's 4 layers--so 4 layers of cake, 3 layers of filling. How can I get the board in now with it together and ganache-coated!? I'm afraid to take it out and fondant on it.

Have you tried chilling it in the freezer for a bit to stabilize it before you put on the fondant? Sometimes this works wonders...

I'm just afraid that once it's out, and I then cover it with fondant and work the zebra stripes on, it will sag or worse, fall!! I don't think I can refrigerate it with black zebra stripes on it.

I just left it out for a bit just to hot knife the bumps, and right at the layers where the lemon filling is it's sagging and not staying together. I'm afraid it a combination of the lemon filling not being stable enough on its own AND my use of half and half in the ganache (I didn't have heavy cream).

Not sure what to do. Should I risk it and get it covered, in hope the fondant will hold it all together? Or should I take it all apart, try to save the materials (I have no more filling and little ganache left) and put a damn in the lemon layers??

I'm just afraid that if it is unstable now, how will it survive being transported and held until serving? Your instincts are all telling you it's not stable. If I were you, I'd take it apart, gently removing the layers, scraping off the filling (which doesn't seem to be stable enough, so even a dam might not help that). I'd make new filling and re-stack and crumb coat. I hope you have time to do all this, otherwise I'm afraid we'll be reading about it in the "disasters" forum.

Yep, I would separate the layers and mix your lemon filling with some BC to stabilize it a bit, use a dam, and then re-ice. It sucks bad but I'd be afraid to transport it if it seems wobbly right out of the fridge.

I also don't try a new recipe on any cake I have to give to someone, just so I know what to expect.

Good luck with everything!

Okay, I took it all apart (((( It was a mess, but I had just enough SMBC to (1) flavor lemon (2) fill the other two previously-lemon-filling layers and (3) cover the whole cake with one thin coat. I am not even sure I can use SMBC under fondant, but I had no choice.

It's firming up in the fridge now. Thanks for your advice and for helping me through this! Hopefully, it will stay upright after all the fondant.

:/

I'm sorry it was more work and so much frustration for you (boy, I've had those days!) but I'll bet you'll be able to enjoy your evening knowing you went back and stabilized this cake. Peace of mind is worth every minute it took. Now, pour yourself a drink, put up your feet and relax.

I feel your pain. I had a cake a couple of weekends ago which I had to scrape and re-do, after I had already stacked it.

Thank you all for your support!!! I am SO happy I did what I did. You are right, my gut told me not to be comfortable with the way it was sitting! It came out GREAT! But I didn't have time left to get great pics of it. Here's one I took with my cell phone--I'm hoping the client (friend) gets a few good ones so I have a better one for my portfolio!


ETA: I don't know WHY it won't ever let me attach photos. :/

You did great!