I am in need of assistance with stacking a cake with the sizes of 6, 8, and 10. I want to use the cardboard in between so that I can use the sharpened wooden center dowel. (Of course, I've got to practice more on getting the dowels to one length. )

How will I cover the cakeboard to keep it from deteriorating from the moisture of the cakes? I don't want it to be soggy. I do want to be able to cut down to cardboard and then remove board and go to next level.

Thanks in advance for all your suggestions! Any help will be much appreciated..

I personally have never covered my cakeboards, nor have those boards become "soggy". If you are worried about it sucking moisture from the cake, you can perhaps cover it in a thin layer of BC. I've also heard mention of some using contact paper or cellophane on thier boards, but I think most were talking about the bottom "display" board.

HTH!

i always cover the cardboard in plastic wrap. the dowel goes through this without any problems, just watch where you put your tape. i do have problems with the icing sticking to the bottom of the cake board though. i've tried to cover the area with powdered sugar first, but that doesn't seem to keep things from sticking.... any ideas on that?

I cut my boards to the right size and then cover them in wax paper. When I stack the cakes I put confectioners sugar on the top of each cake to keep from sticking. I haven't had a problem.

I am new to this also, but I will give you my experience so far - you can either place cake on uncovered board or if you cover it with tim foil make sure it is secured to the bottom of the cake board so the cake doesn't slip off the tinfoil/board when plaing on the other tier. Marke sure the cake board is the same size as the tiers being stacked (your 8 & 6) so you will not see it or have that much to cover up.

Placing on an uncovered board will not make the board soggy if you are using within a day or so.

HTH a bit. Good luck.

I use contact paper on all layers because it's quick and easy. You also don't get pieces of foil in the cut cake piece which sometimes happens with foil. Just make sure you put a dab of icing on contact paper before placing the cake on top so it doesn't slide. Good luck!

I actually just did this the other day...I was putting a center dowel through the entire cake, so I had to use boards instead of the separator plates. I cut a hole in the center of the board and then covered it, top and bottom, in contact paper. Then just cut the hole back out. Using contact paper will make the board so it's completely moisture-proof. I ran into a problem one time when I did not do this; the board had absorbed moisture from the cake, and the cake itself had an off "cardboard" taste. It was NOT good. You also have to be a little careful if you do not wrap your boards because if they do become wet and the cake has sat for a few days (maybe a day or so prior to giving your customer the cake, and then who knows how long after your customer has had it) there is a possibility that the board could become moldy. I know people will argue about contact paper not being labeled food safe, but in my eyes, it's better to do that than to have someone get ill from a moldy cake.

My Wilton instructor told us to use grated chocolate or coconut shreads to put under the cake board or plate. It works great.

would a thin layer of royal icing work if left to dry and harden before using the board? I have never covered my boards but now that I've read all the posts here, I'm a bit worried lol... I've also worried about the foil, plastic wrap and/or wax paper getting in the cake so never wanted to try it. now you got me thinking

never had a problem with plastic wrap getting in the cake. works like a charm for me! i'll have to remember the chocolate/coconut idea..... very clever.....

I have always used foil and haven't been happy because
of the different problems you all have mentioned. I am
definitely going to try contact paper now! And I love the
chocolate/coconut idea. Can't wait!!

I've never covered a cardboard and don't plan to. Do you guys use waxed boards? (You buy them waxed.) But since I use the SPS system, the cardboard is always sitting on a plastic plate.

Thank you for all your suggestions! I still haven't quite figured out which I will try yet.

This may be a silly question, but I'm new to this. Do you have to put cardboard or separator plates between the tiers? I've made a couple of tiered cakes without putting anything (other than a dowel all the way through), and they turned out fine.

I use cardboard and plastic plates between every tier (kind of a belts-n-suspenders type of person I guess!)

Please bear in mind how people are going to cut the cakes. I cut a groom's cake that was a beautiful creation of R2D2. 6 layers of cake with nothing between any of the layers. Cutting it was a bear .... I had no idea where to stop (until I really got into the cake), the pieces were messy and I just didn't enjoy doing this at all.

I think every single person who makes a wedding cake (or any kind of cake) should be required to cut at least 2 or 3 of them so they can understand how their construction effects the cutting (and sometimes adds to the aggrevation of the person cutting it). I cut a wedding cake that a bride had picked up from a local (very popular) bakery. Their plating system was a freakin' Fort Knox system and I like to have NEVER got that thing apart and cut! I do this for a living and *I* was ready to throw it across the room!

Thank you much for all the great responses.

It seems that the consensus is that I do not have to cover my cake boards with anything at all if I am going to stack them between my cake tiers. From some of the PMs I received, their was a suggestion to double the cardboard cake board by taping two boards together.

Have many of you tried that technique? Or is that adding additional cost...maybe I can just use one waxed board in between tiers.

Thank you for your time.

I just did a stacked cake this weekend and I used the technique you mentioned (two cake boards, but I glued them together). Worked great and I didn't, rather, my husband didn't have a problem putting the dowel through the whole cake. Good Luck

Delia