# Custard filling for wedding cake



## cookiejar (Feb 13, 2006)

I am planning a wedding cake for 150 servings and the couple would like a custard filling...does anyone have a recipe or suggestions? I'm concerned it might be too soft between the large layers and I wouldn't be able to put down a nice thick layer. Any suggestions?? (I've tried the commercially available ones and it was awful). Help!!!


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## m brown (May 29, 1999)

you could:

make a pastry cream, cut with whipped cream and set with gelatin

make pastry cream cut with butter cream ( more of a french butter cream)

make a bavarian cream

make an opera cream and create a wall of butter cream around the outside of the cake layer to "hold in" the pastry cream, also a dollup of butter cream in the center of each layer to hold up the layers.

The structure of your cake should be strong enough for you to use a nice custard filling. Use your boards, dowels, to keep the weight off the cake and on the structural supports.


What is the finish on your cake? Style of decoration?:bounce:


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## cookiejar (Feb 13, 2006)

The cake itself is a butter cake. I'm planning on splitting each layer into thirds and fill one with a raspberry jam, the middle with the custard, this after I use a lemon flavored simple syrup to keep the cake moist. I'll coat with a buttercream and the cover with fondant. Right now the plan is to decorate with real flowers. Do you have a personal choice and a recipe?


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## breadmeister2 (Oct 2, 2005)

My 2 cents:

A butter cake needs to be at room temperature so it can be enjoyed. For a large wedding cake, I would have mine out for several hours prior to serving, otherwise the flavor is lost if the cake is cold. (Be aware, I live in a hot climate and we use lots of refrigeration). I would be reluctant to use a 'custard' filling with a butter cake, for two reasons. To keep it firm enough to cut, you'd need to use enough gelatin to make it unpalatable. The other reason, is the possibility of food contamination, since the custard would be at room temperature too long, since the cake needs to be room temp. 

If you want to do a custard filling, try a chiffon sponge instead, and moisten it lightly with syrup, as too much syrup will make it gummy. Chiffon can be served at room temp. or chilled and it comes out great. I agree with Brown as to 'lightening' the custard with whipped cream and gelatin. You will also definitely need cake supports. I used "The Cake Bible's" suggestion of drinking straws and cutting them to the height of each layer.


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## m brown (May 29, 1999)

Unless you are using pudding (looser than pastry cream), I don't see a problem cutting a cake with butter cake and custard, jam and lemon custard. 
The cake will absorb moisture from the custard.

For wedding cakes and sculpture cakes, I like to set them up a day in advance to allow the fillings to meld and chill enough to give stability along with the wood/plastic dowels and boards and other supports. 
(Granted, they are finished, boxed, wrapped with copious amounts of plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator until delivery and set up)

A butter cream cake should set out 1-2 hours to soften and become tasty.
The mass of the cake however, keeps the center cool/cold while the exterior becomes warmer/softer.


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## cookiejar (Feb 13, 2006)

Thanks for the feedback. I wasn't sure how custard's set up like I usually see them but it makes sense that the cake absorbs some of the moisture helping to set the cream/filling. I'm planning on trying a recipe from Gourmet that uses lemon curd and whipped cream and scattering raspberries over the surface. I'll try a sample one this week to see how it turns out...there goes my New Year's Resolution


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