Help Transporting A 3 Tier Cake

Decorating By Iloveweddings Updated 25 Apr 2008 , 11:08am by grama_j

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Iloveweddings Posted 24 Apr 2008 , 7:03am
post #1 of 21

How do I transport a 3 tier stacked cake? I cannot assemble it there. I'm scared. Help please. Thanks in advance.

20 replies
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tonedna Posted 24 Apr 2008 , 7:43am
post #2 of 21

As long as you have the cake supported well and a wood dowel holding all three tiers you will be fine. All my cakes travel stacked and I have a lot that are even 5 tiers. They do get very heavy so I suggest you find help to carry them!
Edna icon_lol.gif

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leah_s Posted 24 Apr 2008 , 12:03pm
post #3 of 21

Use SPS. Most stable system for the money.

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tonedna Posted 24 Apr 2008 , 12:06pm
post #4 of 21

Leah she needs a visual of how to do this..I know you have a website of the sps system. I am trying to get ready for a trip.. She just PM me.
Thanks Edna

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vdrsolo Posted 24 Apr 2008 , 12:10pm
post #5 of 21

I second SPS!!

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leah_s Posted 24 Apr 2008 , 1:00pm
post #6 of 21

I have the SPS instructions (with many pictures) in a file on my computer. I'm happy to send it to anyone who wans it. Just PM me with your email. Generally, the file is too large to go thru free email services though.

I have PM'd Jackie/Heath twice to see if I could put the instructions up as a sticky but I've never gotten an answer from them.[/list]

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Erdica Posted 24 Apr 2008 , 1:01pm
post #7 of 21
Quote:
Originally Posted by leahs

Use SPS. Most stable system for the money.




Leah,

Just out of curiosity, what is the biggest cake you've transported fully stacked with SPS? I changed to the SPS because of a cake mishap, but I'm always afraid to transport large cakes.

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leah_s Posted 24 Apr 2008 , 1:11pm
post #8 of 21

I done a four tier fully assembled, but frankly these days I can't lift much more than two tiers assembled. Back problems. And DH's back is worse than mine. The cake is fine and stable - I just can't lift it without winding up in pain.

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tonedna Posted 24 Apr 2008 , 2:22pm
post #9 of 21

I never use the SPS systems were I work.. But I heard they are good. I have stacked 6 layers and travel with them but there is a system to do it to make it work.. The only thing is unstacking the cake is more troublesome. Yet..I dont do that!
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Edna

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sugarMomma Posted 24 Apr 2008 , 3:38pm
post #10 of 21

Though I've never used them, I hear SPS is the way to go. Since it's mainly a hobby for me, I can't afford it.

I do put a dowel through all the layers to stabilize them, three is max I've tried. And then drive really slow...

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vdrsolo Posted 24 Apr 2008 , 4:15pm
post #11 of 21
Quote:
Originally Posted by sugarMomma

Though I've never used them, I hear SPS is the way to go. Since it's mainly a hobby for me, I can't afford it.

I do put a dowel through all the layers to stabilize them, three is max I've tried. And then drive really slow...




I think you may be confused with SFS (Stress Free Supports), which is a very good and sturdy system, the legs are adjustable by twisting them, however it is very expensive and you have to charge a hefty deposit for it.

The Bakery Craft SPS is cheap, you can either charge a small equipment fee (usually anywhere between $15 -$30 depending on size of cake), or charge a refundable deposit to get the stuff back. I have used the plates over and over but the legs do not last as long. The ONLY drawback to the system is that the legs are not adjustable. So if you buy the 4" legs for a stacked cake, your finished cake needs to be 4" (or just a hair over). All of my tiers end up being this high so no problems for me. You can cut them if you need to, however.

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leah_s Posted 24 Apr 2008 , 4:28pm
post #12 of 21

Although the names are similar, the pricing decidedly is not. SFS = crazy expensive. SPS = way cheap.

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Erdica Posted 24 Apr 2008 , 8:24pm
post #13 of 21

I guess what makes me hesitant about transporting more then 2 tiers stacked with the SPS is that you can't drive a center dowel. I've done a 4 tier cake with wooden dowels (thinking back I can't believe I had that much faith in those dowels!). But my wedding business is picking up more and I won't have time to assemble and decorate each cake then more onto the next one.

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tonedna Posted 24 Apr 2008 , 8:27pm
post #14 of 21
Quote:
Originally Posted by Erdica

I guess what makes me hesitant about transporting more then 2 tiers stacked with the SPS is that you can't drive a center dowel. I've done a 4 tier cake with wooden dowels (thinking back I can't believe I had that much faith in those dowels!). But my wedding business is picking up more and I won't have time to assemble and decorate each cake then more onto the next one.





thats my issue!

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vdrsolo Posted 24 Apr 2008 , 8:30pm
post #15 of 21
Quote:
Originally Posted by Erdica

I guess what makes me hesitant about transporting more then 2 tiers stacked with the SPS is that you can't drive a center dowel. I've done a 4 tier cake with wooden dowels (thinking back I can't believe I had that much faith in those dowels!). But my wedding business is picking up more and I won't have time to assemble and decorate each cake then more onto the next one.




Maybe this will reassure you....

I was playing around with some new recipes and wanted to try them out on family over the holidays (over 3 hours away). I decided to give a 3 tier stacked cake using SPS a huge stress test. We put the cake on foam and nonskid in a large box, put it in the BACK of hubby's truck, pulled a trailor, and I told him to drive normal. Tons of hills, bumps, curves, railroad tracks, you name it...plus it started raining (so you can imagine the humidity). Cake arrived COMPLETELY intact. I really like the little pegs that keep the cake in place.

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beccakelly Posted 24 Apr 2008 , 8:31pm
post #16 of 21

i transport all cakes four tiers and under completely assembled. a lot of them i can lift by myself, but if your cake is large you want to make sure someone is there to help you lift it. i ditched the SPS plates after they caused me to almost lose the top tier of a cake. what i do now is much easier and cheaper anyway. i use 4 SPS 4" dowels in each tier (no cutting, yay!) then stack the next tier on top and drive bamboo skewers through every two tiers. they're already sharpened, they're cheap and very easy to punch through cardboard. i've transported some doozy's this way including a large topsy turvy and nothing every budges.

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leah_s Posted 24 Apr 2008 , 8:47pm
post #17 of 21

I look at it this way. With SPS you can't drive a center dowel - because you don't need one.

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sugarMomma Posted 25 Apr 2008 , 2:27am
post #18 of 21

Do you put the cake directly on the SPS plate?

Or do you put the cake on a cardboard which you put on the SPS plate, and if so, how do you keep the cardboard from sliding off the plate?

Or if it goes directly on the plate, do they come in odd sizes?

I was just looking at them at the cake store today and would like to try them for my friends wedding cake next weekend, but the top tier is a 7" square and there was no plate that size.

I'm not completely confident in how to use them I guess.

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Iloveweddings Posted 25 Apr 2008 , 3:09am
post #19 of 21
Quote:
Originally Posted by sugarMomma

Do you put the cake directly on the SPS plate?

Or do you put the cake on a cardboard which you put on the SPS plate, and if so, how do you keep the cardboard from sliding off the plate?




That is my question as well.

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leah_s Posted 25 Apr 2008 , 10:39am
post #20 of 21

The cake goes on a cardboard. The cardboard goes on the SPS plate. You can put a bigger cardboard, say a 7" cardboard on a 6" plate if you need to. There are round plates in every size - odd numbers included. The square plates, I believe only come in even numbers.

Really, if you'll PM me with your email addy, I'll send you complete assembly insturctions with lots of pictures.

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grama_j Posted 25 Apr 2008 , 11:08am
post #21 of 21

You are talking about a center dowel..... what size dowel do you use ? I've got a few stacked cakes coming up, and I've never transported one....

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