I am doing my first wedding cake and need any advice you can give!! I'm sooooo nervous. I'm doing a stacked 14,10,6 round cake with seashells. I have to transport 25 miles to reception. I plan on doweling, decorating at home and then stacking at reception. Do I still need to do the center dowel if stacking at reception?? Please give me any advice you can so I can prevent a disasters...

Thanks! Beckwind

Well,I still would just in case it starts to lean!!Also make sure you take a picture of it before you leave to show it is standing when you left!!! You wouldn't believe how many brides,caterers etc... call to say the cake fell over etc and you know it was standing when you left!!! Not to scare you just a word of advice. Yowill be fine!!!

If you are transporting the tiers seperately and then stacking them at the reception you shouldn't need the center dowel. I think the center dowel is really only necessary if you are transporting the cake completely stacked.

Jess

If you're going to attempt to assemble a stacked cake at the reception site, I would suggest taking an emergency kit with you...some extra icing, bags, tips, a spatula, etc. I would recommend having a kit with you anyway, but especially since you want to assemble a stacked cake on site. (if it was a tiered cake, you'd have more room to handle the individual cakes, but with it stacked, you really don't have much to hang on to) You never know when your finger might slip and leave a huge fingerprint in the side of the cake that you worked so hard to get perfectly smooth. Also, you'll have to put the bottom border on the tiers after the cake is assembled, so you'll need to have those tools with you, too.

Beckwind~

I have transported a stacked groom's cake over 200 miles. I did put a dowel down the middle of the cakes just to make sure it wasn't going anywhere.

As long as you have the rubber shelf liner under the box & under the cake it will be safe. Several people do it like that too & I never believed it was safe till I tried it myself. It works wonders!!

Good luck~

me too........that rubber shelf lining is great and the upside down rubbermaid containers....I bought one for 3.50 and it fit better than a box which i had bought at micheals due to lack of planning i paid almost 2.50 and was so flimsy ....i love that you can reuse over and over therefore not having to buy anymore boxes....also dont forget to leave the dowel rods sticking out about 2 inches( i mean dont push them in all the way) so that way when you place the cake on top you have time to slip out your fingers and not mess up your cake. the weight of the cake should push the rods all the way in.

ooops but most important..congrats and good luck....
i know you will do great..........