A cake question

[Kathyis6incheshigh]

Actually it's 3 cake questions but I wanted the shortest possible thread title to catch eyes.

My dd is having a birthday on Sun but we are off camping from Fri.
So I need a cake that I can make on Thursday that will keep reasonably well.

The recipe I wanted to do involved sandwiching whipped cream and strawberries between two layers of choc cake, but I'm thinking whipped cream won't keep 3 days in a tent (!) so:
Q1.Are there any fillings that might keep?
Q2.Should I in fact abandon that idea and do a different kind of cake altogether?

Also, I only have 1 round cake tin and you're meant to bake it in 2, so:
Q3. is it alright for half the uncooked cake mixture to stand around for half an hour while I bake the first half?

Thanks!

Cut your losses and buy a nice cake from a lovely teashop.

1. I don't think so, you could bake the cake ahead of time and keep it in sealed container, then just frost on the day?

3. I only have one round cake tin too and do just that, cook one, cool it and then cook the other one. I've never gotten aroudn to getting a second!

You can cook it all in one on a low heat and then slice in 1/2 or you can make up the mixture in two seperate batches but i think it will be fine to have 1/2 the mixture waiting so long as it sdoesn't get too warm.

Why don't you bake the ckae before you go and wrap well. Then get the cream and strarberries while you are there and finish it on his birthday.

I think you would be better off making a cake that improves with keeping so that you can make it before you go and it will be all yummy on the sunday...the cream will most def go off and if its not in a fridge, will melt into the cake and be a bit messy....have you tried Good Food website for ideas?

Or, why not buy a cake to take with you and then when you come back from camping, make the one you want?

Mixture fine for half an hour -keep covered in clingfilm and away from hot areas of kitchen

Could you make the 2 cakes, take them with you and get the cream from a shop nearby and add it at the last minute? The answer to Q3 is yes, the cake mix will be fine cooked in 2 separate batches and standing around in between.

I must admit though I'd be tempted to buy a lovely cake from the supermarket, either a purpose-built birthday cake or just a nice posh one, one of those that come in a box and sealed wrapping, make sure the sell-by date is after Sunday, and take along candles etc.

I would definitely buy a cake ... any icings I can think of will be minging after 3 days not in a fridge.
Butter icing will go rancid
Water icing will go see through
Fondant icing will be too heaving for a sponge unless it is a very dense sponge.
Even a jam filling will seep into the sponge and be horrible.
The only cake I can think of that will work is a fruit cake (like a wedding cake or christmas cake) but they take a lot of time to prepare and bake.

Buy a cake. If you feel you need to bake one tell your DD you will make one when you get home.

Sorry ...

It's fine to have half the mixture wait whilst first lot cooks. If you keep the sponges well wrapped and sealed then they will keep. The strawberries and cream won't though. Supercook do a ready made butter cream that will though if you're prepared not to use the whipped stuff. You could take that with you and then mix it up with the strawberries on the day or spread one layer cream and then fresh cut strawberries.

You lot are fantastic, thank you so much!

I don't want to buy one because we are meeting up with some of dh's friends on the campsite and I want to attempt to prove I am a sort of domestic goddessy type person in order to cover up my inadequacies about not being any good at hillwalking.

I'll wrap the sponges and take along the Supercook stuff to use if I can't get any fresh cream on the day.

You're meant to do a sort of chocolatey icing on top but I can easily do that on the day - just involves melting some choc and mixing it with icing sugar or something.

You should try to find a campsite cake recipe and be ultimate goddess by hillwalking and then rounding off day by whipping up delectable baked goods over primus stove or similar!!

True Nikki
Trangia pans could double as cake tins.
I had better start practising now in case it's harder than it looks....now where was that cream?