How do you guys do it? I always frost and then stack, but I usually end up getting a finger or two in the icing when I try to set the top cake onto the bottom cake. Does anyone stack it and then frost it? How does it work. I was thinking if you stack then frost you wouldn't have to try to get the whole top perfect, just around the outside. Anyway, any tips would be appreciated.

I frost then stack, but I've thought the same thing. Maybe if it was secure enough to transport you could stack first? I'm interested too!

I think I do mine kind of oddly. I usually frost the bottom tier and then stack the top tier before frosting it. You still have to be careful when icing the bottom of the top tier so you don't mess up the icing of the bottom tier but to me it's easier because if anything is off balance, it can be adjusted before I put the frosting on the next tier.

I frost each separately. Then chill until firm, then stack. I also use a spatula on one side, which lets me place it without the fingers getting in the way (Place it, support the weight with the spatula, get the other hand out of the way, and gently lay the cake in place)

I ice, chill, then over-the-top-and-drop my tiers to stack them.

I do it exactly the same way as jmt1714, except that I don't chill the tiers until firm (unless they're iced in whipped cream or cream cheese frosting). I often end up with a finger mark, but I just touch it up with an offset spatula. I'd be curious to hear if anyone stacks then frosts, and how they do it (and maybe see some pictures??).

i did a test run at a bakery last year, for a day and they had a few 5 tier cakes all stacked uniced, then they were icing the cakes... they also had a wood board covering the entire top of each cake and icing over it.... never saw it before and i never stuck around to find out how or why they did it.. i didnt want the job.. lol

I ice,chill then stack and I use two spackling knives (one on each side)to stack without fingers getting in the way.the hardware store is a great place for cakes and i only recently descovered this!! I too have thought of the otherway around though.

i am about to finish my daughter first birthday cake. it is 2 tiers and i will be stacking then frosting with buttercream, i will be using the same color for the whole cake so that makes it easier to frost after you stack. i would never stack then frost because i think you would make a mess of the frosting.

i will be posting the cake by friday night.

kylie

I may have to try a practice stacked cake where I stack and then frost. I am intrigued by this concept. It IS very stressful trying to stack the cakes (with minimal damage to the icing) at the wedding reception site. Anything that would make life easier is great!!

Ice then stack. I do not chill.

What I do, however, is put the dowels about 1/2" out of the cake and then let the weight of the top tire push them in all the way. That way when I'm putting on the top tiers, they go in more slowly.

I haven't had any problems with this method.

I am in the minority on this board. I frost the bottom tier, then dowel, then place a covered board. Then I place the next layer on top of the board. I fill with the filling then top with the next layer (a 2 layer tier) then I proceed to crumb coat the tier right on top of the bottom tier. Then put the final coat on. Then onto the next tier. I have been doing it this way for 34 years now. I have never had a cake slip or slide while delivering. I believe it is more solid than just placing the tiers onto the cake.

I ice then stack. Best of luck to you!

candyladyhelen ... that sounds like a very smart way to do it! So you deliver your wedding cakes all set up? How do you transport the finished cake? In a box?

So if you don't deliver in a box, do you just put the finished cake in the back of your car/van?

I always deliver the cake tier by tier and set it up on site. SOOOOOOO stressful, especially if people are watching me!!! I'd love to figure out a different way to do it.

Ugh, I have to do this TODAY. I was trying to firgure out the best way to set it up. I have three layers already iced and ready to go. I guess I will try the spatula trick... That's all I have already to use. I'm scared to death of traveling with all three already stacked! Luckily it is just for family, but it still makes me nervous!

I frost, then stack. I also take with me a bag of icing, so if something gets messed up I can touch it up and I also do the bottom border of the top one on site, so if my finger does hit the bottom tier, the border of the top one covers it up.

So, how much decorating do most of you do onsite?

For me, I mostly just do teh bottom borders on a stacked cake and touch-ups.

I'd like to know also how much decorating you do on site. My first wedding cake is Saturday. Any input is appreciated. Do you do all borders b4 stacking or after stacking?

I do all of the borders on site. I also take my cake kit with me. It's a fishing tackle box with everything but the kitchen sink in it. I take extra icing, tips, couplers, spatulas, dowels, scissors, towels, paper towels, etc. That kit has saved me many times at wedding cake setups!!!

I do exactly like cakeladyhelen. BUT, I do box. I use a delivery box especially designed for delvering cakes, not just any ole box. They are pricey, but could be reused. I place the box on that rubbery stuff (shelf liner, only mine is used commercially for grocery store use, lining meat and produce cases), I line the back end of my van with it, and place the box on top, and drive VERY carefully. Delivered 2 cakes 3 tiered high, with no problems at all. Traveled over an hour with both of them in this heat.

This just works for me. I am pretty much self taught too. I found it easiest to stack and then fill and frost.

I do the same as llj68. I ice the cakes and then stack, but leave the dowels 1/2 inch or so sticking out and place cake on top. This gives me time to get my fingers out before the wieght of the cake sinks the dowels.

Not sure about how much decorating I do onsite since my first wedding cake is on Sunday! But I plan to transport the cake already stacked with a main dowel going through all three cakes. It's not a huge wedding cake so I should be okay. 10",8" and 6". The design has fondant draping gong down each layer so if I stacked it on site I would basically have to do all the decorating there. But if I was doing a design with simple borders as the only decorations that needed to be done after stacking I might do that onsite.

A question...if you stacked the uniced cakes on top of each other, you wouldn't have icing under the upper tiers, right? So, you would have a significant portion of cake that didn't have icing once you took off the layer above it?
I understand those of you who ice the bottom tier then stack, fill and frosts the upper ones wouldn't have this problem, but if you just stack the entire cake and ice then you would, wouldn't you?
Just a thought that popped in my head

I was reading in a decorating book that if the cakes are stacked in a column you stack then ice (you would fill the layers of course too) but if you were making tiers you would ice then stack.
I should also mention that you would dowel it just like any other stacked cake and also use boards between every other layer. Like stackin double layer cakes one atop another.

I guess for me, it depends on if the cakes are the same size.. if they are the same, I frost the top of the bottom cake, stack then ice the top cake along with the sides of both cakes.
If the cakes are different sizes as a wedding cake, I ice and stack each individually. fill/ice bottom cake, stack next cake and fill /ice then, etc. for as many tiers as you have. you just have to be careful when icing around the bottom of top cake/close to top of bottom cake (I hope that makes sense)
The most important thing i've learned (the hard way) is that it is always best to ice/stack in well advance so that the cakes have time to 'set' and not slide. I once had this happen to me twice for the same customer (thankfully she was a friend) but i was rushed. Big Mistake - never do it again!!
loves2bake