How would I keep a mousse cake chilled at a party?

[Gracie]

I'm going to make BA's Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Cake from this thread (http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?t=47645&page=2&pp=30&highlight=mousse) which I've a couple of times before.

It's for our work holiday party and I know everyone will be wowed. BUT - I made it for a work party before (see that thread) and it was out for a couple of hours and it got way too soft and mushy.

Does anyone have any ideas for keeping it chilled on a buffet table? Putting a large pan of ice and setting the cake on top of that sounds really messy as the ice melts and the water seeps into the cake.

I almost don't even want to make it if I can't keep it chilled because I was so embarassed by its melted looks last time even though people kept raving about it.

Thanks for any help or advice! :)

Loren

[MNfoodie]

Maybe you could use a dry ice?? Or maybe those plastic ice cubes or ice packs that they sell and just cover them up and put the cake on top of it.
I'm not sure any of these would work for you, but maybe you can build on the idea. Hope it helps some! :rolleyes:

Kim

[cangoss]

Do you drive to work or take some form of mass transit? If you drive, you could leave it in your car, assuming you're not having freakish 60 degree weather.

[blazedog]

I think the issue is having to leave the cake on the buffet table for an extended period of time.

Honestly I think that some foods are not meant to be served at certain occasions unless you are a caterer with special equipment.

There are so many wonderful desserts to choose from that will withstand being left on a table without refrigeration, why complicate your life by going for a mousse which will degrade without being kept below a certain temperature.

These kinds of desserts work best where you can refrigerate them until they are served - at least IMO.

[knunes]

Pampered Chef sells a Chillzanne Platter. A round plastic tray, filled with the stuff that freezes up and then you take it out and put cold things on it. I don't know if just having the cake sitting on something frozen would help, but if you think it would, I'm sure you could find a Pampered Chef consultant who could help you out. If we llived closer, I'd lend you mine!

[PattiA]

You could make your own chilled plate by filling a 9x13 pan with gel ice packs, then placing a baking sheet on top of it. I would use some freezer tape to fasten the baking sheet securely to the 9x13 pan. Then cover the whole thing with a large cloth napkin or something like that. Then place the springform pan on top of the baking sheet. Keep it low so that you don't have a balance problem. I'd also slip a sheet of that nonskid padding underneath the 9x13 and under the springform pan bottom.

[Leonard]

I was thinking maybe sitting your cake dish in a Pyrex Portable carrier. I have the round one and a 13 x 9 size. The frozen ice pack stays VERY cold for 2 hours or more. Good Luck!

[Gracie]

Pampered Chef sells a Chillzanne Platter. If we llived closer, I'd lend you mine!

Katie - that's the exact thing I was thinking of but don't own. I had huge PC parties once a year for 5 years running and always thought I'd never use the Chillzanne - and none of my friends ever bought one either! Unfortunately I don't have time to buy one. And yes, I wish you lived closer! :D

I was thinking maybe sitting your cake dish in a Pyrex Portable carrier. I have the round one and a 13 x 9 size. The frozen ice pack stays VERY cold for 2 hours or more. Good Luck!

Patti - what does this look like?

You could make your own chilled plate by filling a 9x13 pan with gel ice packs, then placing a baking sheet on top of it.

PattiA - this is probably what I'll end up doing - where would I find gel packs? I've never purchased those things that go in coolers, somehow they just seem to find their way into my freezer! Right now I just have hard-sided ones and the gel would probably be better so the pan could lay flat.

Loren

[Gracie]

I forgot to mention that while making this last night, it occurred to me (like it did last time I made this) that if I had put the Knox unflavored gelatin in with the whipped cream it might have stood the test of time better.

Of course I thought of this at 10:30 at night after I whipped the cream and don't have gelatin in the house!

A friend of mine suggested freezing the cake and taking it out around 3 pm to thaw that maybe it would hold up longer. Would freezing hurt it - like would it thaw runny and really make a mess?

Loren

[Leonard]

if you go to www.pyrexpans.com you can see the different size portables. This is what I use for transporting and hold hot or cold food. They work great! Just make sure your cold pack is completely frozen. I usually put mine in the freezer the day before so I don't forget.

[Leonard]

SORRY!! Wrong web address!!

www.pyrex.pans.com

I think almost all the store sell them. Kohls, Walmart, Kmart, Target, etc. Call the store first to make sure!

[Gracie]

I forgot to mention that while making this last night, it occurred to me (like it did last time I made this) that if I had put the Knox unflavored gelatin in with the whipped cream it might have stood the test of time better.

Of course I thought of this at 10:30 at night after I whipped the cream and don't have gelatin in the house!

A friend of mine suggested freezing the cake and taking it out around 3 pm to thaw that maybe it would hold up longer. Would freezing hurt it - like would it thaw runny and really make a mess?

Loren

[Gracie]

Well everything went great last night. The cake was a huge hit. The restaurant where we had the party (who allowed us to bring our own desserts) kept my cake in the fridge until dessert time and then brought it out at that time. So it was only out for about an hour, tops, but most everyone had it right when the dessert buffet started.

It kept its shape well. The oreo crust really adhered to the botttom of the springform pan, though, even though it's a brand new nonstick pan.

The restaurant chef tried the cake and thought it was amazing! :D

Loren

[memartha]

Yay, Loren! I was wondering how it went. I'm so glad the cake was a hit.

Now, what did you get for your swap gift?