| Author |
Message |
jessieb578
Forum Addict
Joined: Aug 22, 2006
Posts: 682
Location: Catskill, NY
Birthday: Jan 05
|
 Posted:
Tue Jun 03, 2008 6:58 am |
  |
When I attended the Institute of Culinary Education I was told that wooden dowels that many people use are not food safe and approved for food use because of the possibility of splintering.
Any thouhgts on that?? I moved to using lollipop sticks, but my last wedding cake was slightly leaning.
Any thoughts? |
|
|
      |
 |
|
|
|
bobwonderbuns
Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Nov 17, 2006
Posts: 3881
Location: one block from the edge of the earth...
Birthday: Nov 01
Gallery Supporter Member
|
| Posted:
Tue Jun 03, 2008 7:05 am |
|
I've been in the biz for years and I've never heard that from any quarter. Also how dense does a cake have to be to cause splintering in the dowels???  Wire is not foodsafe (think wiring gumpaste flowers.) But if you are in competition, putting flowers on wooden toothpicks is allowed because they are foodsafe. Other than thickness, what is the difference between a wooden toothpick and a wooden dowel??? But, if you are concerned, use bubble straws or one of the many plastic cake support systems available. Hope that helps answer some of your concerns.  |
|
|
|
|
|
peg818
Forum Fanatic
Joined: Mar 19, 2005
Posts: 1784
Location: upstate NY
|
| Posted:
Tue Jun 03, 2008 7:07 am |
|
Well, they have been using them for years and i don't think its a matter of whether or not they are food safe, so much as getting sued cause some fool ends up getting a splinter.
What i do is slip the wooden dowel in to a drinking straw and find that works great, i would worry about the lolly sticks sucking up the moisture in the cake and weakening. Wilton does make a hollow plastic dowel that works quite well and is fairly easy to cut. |
|
|
|
|
|
Lenore
Frequent Member
Joined: Oct 21, 2006
Posts: 213
Location: PA, USA
|
| Posted:
Tue Jun 03, 2008 7:08 am |
|
Wooden dowels supplied by companies such as wilton are food safe. Wooden spoons we all have in our kitchens are food safe too!! |
|
|
|
|
|
minie
Junior Member
![]()
Joined: Aug 30, 2006
Posts: 94
|
| Posted:
Tue Jun 03, 2008 7:09 am |
|
If you are worried about splinters just put the dowel inside a drinking straw so it won't touch the cake. |
|
|
|
|
|
MCook
Frequent Member
Joined: Mar 14, 2006
Posts: 296
Location: Central Texas
Birthday: Dec 13
|
| Posted:
Tue Jun 03, 2008 7:09 am |
|
What about all the Food NetWork Challenges?? Those guys are hammering in wooden dowels all over the place. If they weren't safe the judges would certainly say something and they wouldn't be allowed. If the professionals use them---I would say they are very safe. |
|
|
|
|
|
vdrsolo
Forum Addict
Joined: Jan 29, 2007
Posts: 795
|
| Posted:
Tue Jun 03, 2008 7:10 am |
|
If you buy regular wood dowels from the hardware store, no, they are not food safe, not only because of the splintering issue, but because of the oils that are treated in the wood itself. You need to buy dowels that are specified for cakes.
I switched from using dowels a couple of years ago and never looked back, I absolutely hated cutting them. I use Bakery Craft SPS system, they are a hard plastic hollow support rods. I do mostly stacked cakes and the 4" precut rods are perfect.
I have seen where other people use bubble tea straws for support, they look like they are pretty strong but I still prefer my SPS system since the pillars lock into the plates. As long as the plate is centered, my cake will be perfectly centered as well. |
|
|
|
|
|
jessieb578
Forum Addict
Joined: Aug 22, 2006
Posts: 682
Location: Catskill, NY
Birthday: Jan 05
|
| Posted:
Tue Jun 03, 2008 7:12 am |
|
great points you all make!!
I think that may be true about the lolli sticks absorbing the moisture!
Hmmm, I learned from the great Toba Garrett and she's the one who said not to use the wooden dowels.....I'm at such a loss because that's all I used to use were those and straws.
Wow bubble straws?? I don't exactly know what those are. I do like the idea of the straw and the wooden dowel.
I'm just really at a loss these days on how to stack cakes and I have a 4 tiered fondant covered cake this weekend and certainly don't want that to fall. |
|
|
|
|
|
karensjustdessert
Forum Addict
Joined: Oct 21, 2005
Posts: 633
Location: Jacksonville, NC
Birthday: Apr 27
|
| Posted:
Tue Jun 03, 2008 7:15 am |
|
If wooden sticks/dowels aren't food safe, the ice cream man will be outta business. Creamsicle, anyone? |
|
|
|
|
|
jessieb578
Forum Addict
Joined: Aug 22, 2006
Posts: 682
Location: Catskill, NY
Birthday: Jan 05
|
| Posted:
Tue Jun 03, 2008 7:23 am |
|
Ha!! That is too funny, all of these things I never thought of - ice cream man, too funny 
It's funny because someone like Toba I see as almost god like in the cake world, so to question something she says is funny to me, but it didn't make any sense.
Ohhh boy, now I need to figure out what to do with myself and stacking! |
|
|
|
|
|
jessieb578
Forum Addict
Joined: Aug 22, 2006
Posts: 682
Location: Catskill, NY
Birthday: Jan 05
|
| Posted:
Tue Jun 03, 2008 7:27 am |
|
vdrsolo - forgive me for being naieve but that stacking system the Bakery Craft system, is this for cakes that are only seperated? Or is this a system you can use for cakes stacked directly in top of each other??
Thanks. |
|
|
|
|
|
gr8_seamstress
Junior Member
![]()
Joined: Nov 27, 2007
Posts: 97
|
| Posted:
Tue Jun 03, 2008 7:30 am |
|
I have never heard of a "bubble straw", but I use the large drinking straws. The heavy ones that many fast food places use. I have never had a cake lean, fall, or cave.
I like most learned years ago that you had to support cakes with wooden dowels. Then I was reading an old Chocolatier magazine (1987 issue)....an article about a woman that designs cakes for Tiffany's windows etc. Cile was her name...Anyway, she was using drinking straws for support & not wooden dowels! I figured if she can so can I! I have never used another wooden dowel for cake supports since that time. However, I will say that I do use a wooden dowel down the center when I am stacking cake 3 tiers or more high.[/u] |
|
|
|
|
|
jessieb578
Forum Addict
Joined: Aug 22, 2006
Posts: 682
Location: Catskill, NY
Birthday: Jan 05
|
| Posted:
Tue Jun 03, 2008 7:37 am |
|
gr8_seamstress - I thought the same thing about Toba Garrett, if she doesn't do it, why should I, so I used the lolli pop sticks and a cake I had that was 4 tiers tall was leaning ever so slightly.
That's why I'm questioning what to do! |
|
|
|
|
|
gr8_seamstress
Junior Member
![]()
Joined: Nov 27, 2007
Posts: 97
|
| Posted:
Tue Jun 03, 2008 7:40 am |
|
So then the question would be this: What did she reccomend instead of the dowls? |
|
|
|
|
|
jessieb578
Forum Addict
Joined: Aug 22, 2006
Posts: 682
Location: Catskill, NY
Birthday: Jan 05
|
| Posted:
Tue Jun 03, 2008 7:42 am |
|
she recommended the lolli pop sticks, which I did use and when making a large 4 tier cake, it worked, but you could tell it was a little weak. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
