Welcome to the Cake Decorators Q&A

Hi
When doing cakes in the past when I cut the cake the layers fall apart so when its on the plate the bottom and top are not suck together 🙁
I have made Mrs Jones vanilla cake.
I am going to put buttercream and raspberry jam in as the filling with white chocolate ganache on the outside and top before fondant
.
1. Should I cut each cake so overlall i will have four layers or keep as two ?
2. Then if four layers put jam and buttercream in each layer or do alternater layers ?
3. Tips on keeping it together.

Thanks in advance,

Hi Jackie

The amount of layers you’d like is up to you. Mrs Jones didn’t layer her deep cake but I noticed she uses quite a lot of filling. I think it’s personal preferrence. I’ve made Mrs Jones’ vanilla cake and cut into four only because I prefer thinner layers and thinner fillling and I love seeing all the different layers! I alternate the fillings between the jam and buttercream/ganache. I find putting the jam in with the other filling makes the layers slip and slide. This can cause problems of squishing and distorting especially when the weight of the sugarpaste goes on. Once all my layers are filled I give a them a good but gentle push all over, not only to stick them down but also to help push out any trapped air between the layers. Trapped air pockets can cause the layers to come apart from one another as the fillling dries out a bit. This may be happening to you. For the past couple of years now I’ve also been placing a book ( not too heavy ) on top of the filled cake to help with levelling and to expell any air pockets before crumb coating and icing. Works for me! x

Edit

Correction. Mrs Jones doesn’t show filling for the vanilla cake, I must have been looking at another which does. I’ve made most of her cakes now, getting a bit confussed!