Welcome to the Cake Decorators Q&A

I am trying to make a white chocolate and strawberry flavoured 30cm bottom tier wedding cake with butter icing, I have tested twice with smaller tins but so far the cake seems is too dry after initial bake. Any help would be appreciated!

Hi sandrabell

Not knowing what type of recipe has been used, I can only think that perhaps the baking temperature is a little too high or the cake may have been baked a little too long. Some denser recipes such as madeira do feel dry initially but improve and soften after a couple of days. If there is nothing else wrong with the cake, a flavoured simple syrup drench will put back moisture into the layers. Have you kept one of your trial cakes? If you still have one, I would suggest applying a syrup drench and wrapping it in cling film. Store the cake in an airtight cake tin, then after a couple of days try it for texture. If you don’t have a cake tin, wrap it in several layers of cling and place it in a large food bag or plastic bag and store in a cool room temperature environment. The syrup will soak through into the layers making the cake moist and also act as a preservative for a couple of extra days. Hope this helps.

Hi thanks syrup sounds a good idea, and I will give that a go as I’ve used lemon syrup for my other cake. Would you also put fresh strawbs in it as so far I’ve only added strawb flavouring. I’m still a bit of a novice at trying different flavours. I’ll let you know how I get on.

Fresh fruit will go mouldy if the cake is not going to be consumed on day of filling. It will not withstand two or three days of decorating before serving. I would stick with a fine quality strawberry preserve, much safer for you, the customer and guests!

Sugar syrup worked and lasted another 4 days. Thank you. Another Q. As I have only baked this in two 20cm tiins so far and want the final cake to be in approx 30cm loose bottomed spring tin do I just add add an extra 1/4 to all my ingredients. These were my ingredients before:- 200grm butter,100 White chocolate 4 lg eggs 200 grms caster sugar(I used 100 as thought might be too sweet) 200 SR. Flour 1/4 bottle strawb flavouring. I know timings will be different any more tips.

Make your conversions here: http://www.cakeflix.com/blog/how-to-work-out-what-size-cake-tin-to-use
Use either the ready reckoner or the cakeometer for accurate ingredient conversion. The ready reckoner will tell you by what factor you should scale for a standard 3″ deep cake and the cakeometer will give a breakdown of each ingredient and can calculate for the depth of cake you want.
Hope tools helps.

ps did you use fresh strawberries or preserve?

Did my latest tester 28cm tin and used the cakometer. Brilliant. Only had to cook for one hour though? I just added strawberry flavouring before baking but once cooked I drenched the cake in a strawberry syrup made up of one part strawberry conserve and one part Water brought to boil, blitzed, then sieved. Gave out some tasters’ today feedback was good they said it was very moist and lovely taste but ididn’t realise there was any chocolate in it. Is that because it’s white chocolate. Do you think adding chocolate chunks or drops would enchane it or would it completely change the consistency therefore making me yet another problem. May just leave it?? Your help is very much appreciated. Thanks.

That’s why I don’t make white chocolate cake! White choc doesn’t really have a taste, it just adds a lot of sweetness and fat. The flavour could be enhanced by adding vanilla bean paste from a whole vanilla pod. I’m not really sure how choc chunks would enhance the flavour, it might give a bit of texture.
I make my own strawberry conserve, cool and add quarter to half teaspoon of rose extract. It needs to sit for a hour or so and marinade for the flavour to mature. Add a little more if you don’t find it strong enough but be careful as it can be overpowering. I do find strawberries lose flavour so I’m always experimenting by adding a little twist to them. Black pepper gives them a boost so does a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar or the juice of a lemon or lime. I add flavours and textures to fillings by experimenting, they don’t all work but we still eat some of the experiment. It’s really up to you whether you’d like to further enhance the flavour.. What you have described sounds pretty good already but I think you’ll find a little rose extract will just make it a little different. If you like turkish delight, you’ll like rose and strawberry. Mix a little with your conserve and see how it tastes. I can’t give you definite recommendations because we all have different tastes. I can recommend Nielson Massey rose extract.