How To Fill A Fondant Cake

 

Learn how to fill a fondant covered cake with any kind of filling you like, including fruit or heavy cream filling.

 

FILLING FONDANT CAKES

 

 

This has always been the big question for me when I've started making fondant cakes years ago. How to be able to fill a fondant covered with a fruit and cream filling without ruining the whole ensemble?

Fondant cakes are great to look at, but most of the time, not really a joy to eat. Actually, most of the time they look better than they taste. At least, that is what I thought until I discovered a way of filling the fondant cake with a good tasting filling without causing the fondant to melt.

Normally, fondant-covered cakes are filled with buttercream and buttercream only, buttercream made with tons of icing sugar and butter, a drop or two of flavoring and that's it! Heavy, overly sweet and completely boring, I was never able to eat more than 3 bites from such a fondant cake slice.

This method of filling the cakes will allow you using pretty much any fillings you like, fruit fillings, heavy cream, cream cheese or lemon curd fillings, whatever you like! Isn't that great? Finally, a fondant cake that will actually be eaten and not only admired for its looks!

No more worries about ruining your fondant with the filling.

 

 

When to use this filling method?

I am especially using this method when making one-tier cakes.

When making stapled cakes I always choose a sturdier filling for the lowest tier, something like German buttercream, ganache or cream cheese – chocolate filling.

And then the fruit/heavy cream for the top tiers.

 

 

Best fillings for fondant cakes

German buttercream filling:

• It is made by mixing equal amounts of cooked and cooled pudding (any flavor) with butter. Both ingredients have to be at room temperature.
• Unlike typical buttercream made with only icing sugar and butter, the German buttercream can only be used for fondant cakes if the cake is filled as described in this post.
• German buttercream is not suitable for icing a fondant covered cake. It contains too much water, which will cause the fondant to melt.
• I am using the German buttercream in Hagrid's Book of Monsters Cake or in this Layered Chocolate Vanilla Cake.

 

 

Ganache fillings:

• They can be made with dark, milk or white chocolate mixed with heavy cream.
• Basically, heat the heavy cream, add the very finely chopped (or better processed in the food processor) chocolate and mix until smooth and shiny.
• Leave the mixture in the fridge until the next day and whip it like you would heavy cream.
• If you want to see how that look, have a look at this chocolate gateau.

 

 

Cream cheese fillings:

• My favorite combination is cream cheese and white chocolate filling.
• Cream cheese is mixed with buttercream and melted white chocolate. This filling is beyond amazing!
• The filling can be used for filling any tier of the fondant cakes, even the lowest tier.
• It can be also used to top other cakes or cupcakes.
• You can drool over this cream cheese filling if you have a look at this chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting.

 

 

Fruit and cream filling:

• My favorite kind of filling for any cake.
• Covering the cake this way will allow you to use this kind of filling for fondant cakes as well. Otherwise, fruit – cream fillings would cause your fondant to melt, because they are too wet as well.
• There are no limits for the fillings here, you can use any of the following (or anything you can think of). Just make sure to adjust the quantities according to the size of your cake. A fondant cake usually needs less filling.

Cream Cheese and Yogurt Filling

Passion Fruit Cheesecake Filling

Whiskey Cream Cheese Filling

Strawberry Mousse

Buttermilk Lime Filling

Or any other filling you like.

 

 

Are these fillings suitable to spread under the fondant?

• NO! None of these fillings is to be used for icing a fondant covered cake.
• The only suitable icing under the fondant is the American buttercream mentioned above: equal amounts of butter and icing sugar with a little bit of flavoring like vanilla aroma.
• Some people add a little extra milk and more icing sugar to make up for that extra moisture, but I don't do it.
• I have made dozens and dozens of fondant-covered cakes and always used equal amounts of butter and icing sugar for the buttercream frosting without adding extra milk and sugar.

 

 

HOW TO FILL THE CAKE?

There is no recipe I am sharing now, just a way to cut and fill your cake.

Bake the cake:

• I bake this base for fondant cakes for 90% of the fondant covered cakes I make, it fits the purpose perfectly, has a wonderful texture and it tastes great. Not to mention that it is super easy to make.
• I prefer to do it the day before I cut the cake and leave it to cool and rest overnight.
• I find it cuts better that way.
• I prefer to use a 26 cm/10 inches round springform, the finished cake will be a bit smaller, about 22-24 cm/ 8.5-9.5 inches.

 

Cut the cake:

• Using a sharp knife, cut a stripe of cake all around the cake. It should be about as thick as a finger, a not very thick finger. Keep the stripe, you will need it later.
• Cut the rest of your cake into 2 or 3 even layers to prepare it for being filled.
• Keep the best looking slice to place on top of the cake.

 

Fill the cake:

• Take the bottom cake layer, place it on a cake platter and place a metal ring around it.
• Take the reserved stripe and fit it inside the ring.
• You will have to cut a piece of the stripe now because the diameter of the cake is now smaller.
• Cut carefully and eat the unnecessary piece of stripe if you like.
• Prepare the filling and pour half of it into the prepared cake.
• Cover with the middle cake layer and then pour the rest of the filling over it.
• The filling should fill the cake up to the brim. Cover with the top cake slice.
• The top slice normally will lay directly on the stripe.
• If the filling is not quite enough, you can also fit the top layer inside the stripe but then you will have to cut it a bit all around to make it fit. It is easier if you just have enough filling.
• You might not necessarily need the middle layer of the cake. I often just pour in all the filling, then cover the cake with the top slice.

 

 

Store the cake overnight:

• Press gently the top layer of the cake, make sure the ring is stable and place the cake in the fridge. Leave it until the filling sets, at least 5-6 hours, ideally overnight.
• Take the cake out of the fridge and proceed the usual way, that is frost the cake with buttercream and then cover in fondant.

Alternative filling method:

• There is an alternative to cutting the round cake, but it implies baking another flat cake, cutting some stripes to use for the filled fondant cakes and having quite a few leftovers.
• I use this method, when I want my cakes to be larger and when I know I will be able to use the leftovers as well. For instance, for making cake balls, cake pops or trifle desserts.
• Bake the regular round cake and let it cool.
• Bake another cake on a baking sheet.
• A baking sheet cake only needs about 12-14 minutes in the oven. Let cool completely.
• Cut and fill the round cake as you would any regular cake. Spread the margins of the cake (not the top) with some of the filling.
• Measure how high the cake is and cut a stripe from the flat cake that fits those measurements.
• Carefully, stick this stripe around the prepared round cake.
• Let the cake set in the fridge overnight.
• Frost with buttercream and cover with fondant.

 

This is the way a slice of this cake will look like in the end. The stripe will separate the filling from the fondant. It is a picture of a cake with blackberry and sour cream filling.

 

PIN IT FOR LATER!