Can you stack an 8" cake (single 3" layer) on top of a 10" without using supports? I've never stacked a cake before, and am doing one for a baby shower tomorrow.
You probably could, but I wouldn't recomend it, especially if you have to transport it! Better to be safe than sorry. 
You probably can--and I have--but since it's for a shower, I would really hesitate NOT to use dowels.
The last thing you want to happen is to show up at the shower with a "stacked" cake that looks like the leaning tower of pizzia or has otherwise slipped apart.
If you decide not to dowel it (either with straws or dowels), then you better make sure that you hold the cake in the car to counter-balance it against the movement of the vehicle (can you tell I've done this before?)
Also--if you are using any figurines of any weight whatsoever, I would definately dowel it. I've had a disaster or two because of that very thing.
Good luck!
Lisa
Thanks everyone!
We did both layers at home last night, transported them separately to my office. (The shower is being held at my sister's office next door.) We're going to put it together (using McDonald's straws! 
) and just walk it next door.
Wish me luck...it's the first time I've stacked a cake!
ok, call me nuts! but i just dont get the whole dowel thing.. are those the wooden rods? where do you put them? down the center of the cake?
dowels are the wooden rods and you can put them down the center but, if you are stacking cakes you put the tiers on cardboard or something and then push in the dowels or straws in and you have to cut them to the desired length. Usually you put in four in the base cake and then rest the top cake on top. The problem with wooden dowels is cutting them can be a pain....straws cut much easier.
I would definately use dowels. Especially if you have to deliver it
Another question about stacking.
Do you stack cakes that are 2" wider than the other? Or do you stack 4" wider?
For example, will a stacked cake look correct with 6",8", and 10"? Or should it be 6", 10", and 14"?
Either will work depending on how many you want to feed. At least 2" diffrence is usually the rule.
It doesn't matter what size you use AgentCakeBaker. It's up to you what size cakes you want. I usually do my cakes 2" to 4" larger in size. I did a Fire Dept cake that was 12, 14, 16 pans. To me the cake looked too fat. The wedding cake I just did was 8, 12, 16. I think it just depends on you. What you like. It does matter if you use dowels & cake boards underneath. I would always use them.
dowels are the wooden rods and you can put them down the center but, if you are stacking cakes you put the tiers on cardboard or something and then push in the dowels or straws in and you have to cut them to the desired length. Usually you put in four in the base cake and then rest the top cake on top. The problem with wooden dowels is cutting them can be a pain....straws cut much easier.
so, the straws go into the bottom cake rigth? you push them in in 4 places? and thats it? they dont have to be pushed into something at the bottom of the cake? then you place your next cake on that... and put more straws?
after you put in the straws.. then do you ice your cake?
When I put the dowel rods in the cakes I am going to stack I use a small branch cutter thingy. It cuts easily. You can get them almost anywhere for a small price. I found for me that using straws, they didn't hold up well after I stacked a cake. The cake shifted some and looked like a crooked cake.
Are you guys referring to cutting shears to cut the dowels?
Yes, I would definitely use the wooden dowel rods. I was at a wedding once, and the tiered wedding cake had straws in it for support. Needless to say, with that much weight, it was slowly sinking sideways. I guess if it's a really small tiered cake you could use straws, but I with the "rather safe than sorry" group.
Has anyone made a 3" gap cake?? Like 15,12,9,6 I have a cake coming up and I think I'll be using those sizes.
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