Okay, I used the SPS on Sundays cake. I really do like the stablity of the cake using those but...the cake I used it on was a 10"square, 8"round and a 6" round stacked. I cut cardboard and poked the hole in the center. Iced and decorated the cakes and when I went to assemble, the board was alot bigger than the cake I had overhang. I ordered the 6" and 8" plates should I have ordered smaller? Then I ordered the 4" pillars, I measured the cake and it was exactly 4" but when I stuck those in I had a good 3/4" -1 full inche of a gap. Can I cut those pillars and what do I use? I really want to start using this system all the time I just need to work out my kinks.

Thanks

Missy

Good question- I'm interested in hearing the answer- I want to order them as well- but I'm hesitant...

I use the system and I've never had a problem with the plastic round being bigger than my cake. Perhaps you might consider using the round as a template so that your cake is the same size?

I always make my cakes taller than the 4inches, so that has never been a problem. I aim to have my cakes 4 1/4 inches high, but my last cake on Friday was a little more than that - yikes! Thankfully it was not a problem and everything worked out fine.

HTH

Personally I liked to use a size smaller than the cake I'm putting on it so there would not be any hangover. Like to an 8" cake I usually would use a 6" plate.
I don't remember ever haivng a problem w/the pillars. If you cut them for this cake the next one might be taller then you could have a problem there.
Are you baking your cakes in 2" deep pans? Do you level them to the top of the pan? If so, there should not be any problems w/pillars being taller.

I've never had either of the problems you describe. I bake and torte my cakes so that they are 4" to slightly more than 4" tall. Did your cake settle?

I always use the same size cardboard and plate as cake. Never had overhang. Did you grab the wrong size plate perhaps?

I'm a bit confused by your description. The icing has to cover the board, as they are iced at the same time. Even if the cardboard was a bit bigger than the SPS plate, the border would cover it.

Check the actual cake tin size when you have problems. I found that different manufacturers have slightly different sizes. My wilton pans are not usually the size they say. Fat Daddio's match the inside of the pan to the size they say.

I don't understand either, unless it is a difference in manufactors on the sizes. I always bake 2" cakes, level them in the pan. My guess is maybe they did settle but there was a good 3/4"-1" difference. I have attached the picture of the cake, you can see on the 2nd tier where the line is of the board. I did the best I could do to fill in and cover it. I guess I'll just have to do some experiementing.

Thanks

Missy

First, thanks to Leah for sending me instructions!!

I just bought 8" and 10" plates and both 4" and 9" pillars to use on a cake this weekend. Actually, I ordered from both Country Kitchen (which only had the 9" pillars ) and Oassis Supply. Oassis was cheaper, but I wasn't sure it would arrive in time when I knew CK would! CK arrived today.

The cake is going to be stacked and if the 4" pillars don't arrive in time then how do I cut the 9" pillars????

Miter saw Cathy.. DONT try the pipe cutters with these....it cracks them

Boy, I must be tired! I forgot to attach the picture!

Here it is.

Is the problem area at the lowest level of pearls on the middle tier?

You can't see it on the top tier because the fondant decorations covered it. The middle tier, it's where the crease is above the pearl border.

LOOKS LIKE THE CAKE SETTLED TO ME.. LEAHS WILL KNOW MORE ABOUT IT

I have a question too about the SPS and need your opinions. I'm making an 8" and 10" square cake. I ordered the 6" and 8" plates. Will I be okay with these or should I order the 8" and 10" plates?

(Thanks Leahs for turning me onto this system. It'worked wonderfully for my 3 tier topys turvy cake)

Jacqui I ordered the same size as the cake and had no problems...

you really don't have to get smaller plates.. If your cakes tend to shrink from the sides then maybe.. or if you don't let your cakes settle which causes creases at the bottom then maybe ..

(sorry Leah for answering.. I just noticed)

It really, really does look like you cakes settled/weren't tall enough. Each of my four layers is cut to 7/8", then I add filing and of course the icing. Filling is beween 1/8" - 1/4" and then I let the cakes settle at least 12 hours and 24 hours if I've planned well.

In the event the cake settles more than I'd planned for it to, or the cake just comes out short (I've got a couple of recipes I've marked as "low rise cakes") then I occasionally need to have DH trim the legs a bit. He does it with a band saw or chop saw. A miter saw will also work.

When you put the plate and legs in right before you stack the tiers, if you've got a gap larger than what you know can be covered by a piped border, then you have to trim the legs.

I'd say next time, bake - torte a wee bit taller to allow for settling.

But is does make a wonderfully stable construction!!

Thanks for the info wgoat5! So far I do love this system, it's so much better than dowels!

I only do 2 layers, so I don't torte. How do I keep the cakes from settling?

Fab.. if you bake your cakes.. wrap them and let them settle for a few hours... fill them .. wrap and let settle again for a few hours... you will notice on the sides of the cakes the buldge...take a sharp (VERY sharp and good knife, WELL worth the trouble) and use your top cake as the guide... trim the bulge off all around your cake... key is to let the cake have time to settle

(info was on SugarShacks dvd which you should get... www.sugaredproductions.com )

I don't have any problems and order the same size plate as well.

Some things to look at:

What brand of pan are you using? I only use Magic Line because they are true to size measuring the INSIDE of the pan, for example, a 6" cake measures exactly 6" on the inside of the pan (and also a true 2" from top to bottom on the inside of the pan). Wilton pans are not true to size, you will get the 6"x2" measuring the OUTSIDE of the pan. You can actually stick a Wilton 6" pan inside of a Magic Line 6" pan!
After the cakes shrink just a bit, my cakes are normally exactly 1/4" less in diameter (that would be 5 3/4" inches for that 6" pan). I put the cakes on a trimmed board to 5 3/4", once I ice it, it's a little more than 6" (I ice the board too, so it looks like it is part of the cake), more for fondant (obviously..). I then use the 6" plate.

When you measured the height of the cake, did you accidently measure the board it sat on (yep...I did this once, but luckily it was the top tier)? Making your board part of that 4" measurement??

I like my cakes to be about a finished 4 1/8" high in height (with the icing), and have never had the problems with the 4" pillars. The plate settles nice and flush into the cake but does not put pressure onto the cake.

I too, let my cakes settle overnight. I bake on Thur morning, fill and crumbcoat Thursday evening, then ice and decorate on Friday. I also like to give the cake a light press down before I ice on Friday but normally it has already settled to it's final stage.

I use the SPS and also the wilton pans, so what I decided to do is just to get the plates an inch smaller that the cake. For a 8" cake, I use a 7" plate. Also my cakes aren't always exactly 4" high and I don't like to trim the legs, so what I decided to do is just to use wooden dowels with the SPS plates.

Laura