For experienced cake bakers: A question on cream filling and the frosting.?!
Answers: I am thinking of making a 2-layer cake with an almond cream filling in the center. I would also like a fresh cream frosting on the outside. Can I use the filling (sans almond) for the outside frosting? Also, will mixing gelatine with the cream filling stops it from melting?
gelatine will help to set the whipped cream just as it does in a mousse. I would use the whipped cream and gelatine maybe flavored with some almond extract for your frosting rather than the filling if is a custard filling.
I am a former chef and would recommend using icing sugar when whipping the cream and using half real whipped cream and a non-dairy as the other 50%.
I would make your filling setting aside the whiped cream for the outer coating, a brush with a simple syrup will also prevent any crumbs in your outer icing, the icing sugar has abit of cornstarch in it, there is a european product form Germany by Oetker called Whipped Cream stiffener, it has a bit of non geltain stabilizer in it.
Either buy a product you whip and fold it into the real thing or a half a tub of regular Cool Whip is fine, this is how the European pastry chefs I worked with here in Canada, Singapore and Jamaica did it. For the almond icing I would recommend flavour and maybe some ground almond soaked in milk and microwaved for 5 minutes to soften them.