sps can be purchased from BakeryCrafts or Oasis supply.
There's absolutely no need for a center dowel. SPS is more than securing the cake to a plastic board with icing. We've talked a lot about the center dowel being false security. If your cake is really moving sideways that center dowel will stay impaled in the bottom board as it tears right through your cake.
SPS was CREATED so that customers could pick up and transport their own tiered cakes from bakeries that don't offer delivery.
Leah - The last 2 times I used SPS, when I puched the pillars and plate into my bottom layer it pushed the cake out and caused a blow out type situation at the bottom of my cake. What did I do wrong? - Thanks in advance for your help!
Cupcakemkr, were these fondant cakes? I was just thinking maybe if the fondant had firmed up could it keep the cake from sliding into the legs. I always put my plates in when the fondant is still soft. Just a thought.
Thanks Leah - I was pushing kind of slow so I don't think tht was it.
Sillywabbitz - It was bc but I think my cake may have been slightly frozen still (wierd because they had been out for a couple of hours) so the cake wasn't getting into the columns. That's the only thing I could think of.
Thank you both for trying to talk me through this
I have been trying to open the link from page 15 but it just stops and won't load. Is there any other way I can view it? Thanks!
Lorimichaelis,
I just sent you a PM with the attachment in pdf. Let me know if it doesn't go through.
next month I have a wedding cake I am doing with three serperated tiers and plan on buying this system, could I get you to pm me the file too? thanks
Just tested the link posted by Wesha and it worked for me.
Mike, remember to purchase the multi-piece legs.
which page is that on? The cake I am doing is a 16, 12, 8 so am I right in ordering a 10 and 14 inch plate and the 9" multi piece #GC-9S?
The link on the first page still works for me. Even though it shows the little red x just click on it and it will open the PDF file. But the other link is on page 15.
Mike you want the plates to be the same size as the tiers that sit on them. So for the cake you described I'd order a 12 inch and 8 inch plate. Some people do use a size down to hide the plates so you could go slightly smaller but I dont' think you want to go bigger. I generally go with plates the same size and by the time I frost and/or fondant and put a border on it you can not see the plate.
Do you ever put a circle of parchment on the cake before pushing the leg assembly into it, to enable the plate to be lifted off cleanly without bringing fondant with it when you are serving the cake?
peggy,
no way.
Mike, definitely buy plates the same size as the cake, or possbily one size smaller. Plates do come in odd measurements.
also is there much difference between the multi piece columns and the scored columns? is one easier or sturdier than the other?
Did not see this question asked yet, but don't know if I missed it or not. What is the difference between the SPS system and the separator plates and columns that I bought at Michaels? I was able to use a coupon and not have to pay shipping so I have been wondering for a while what the differences are.
TIA
I am trying to use the links provided without luck. Can someone please send me the instructions.
TIA
Did not see this question asked yet, but don't know if I missed it or not. What is the difference between the SPS system and the separator plates and columns that I bought at Michaels? I was able to use a coupon and not have to pay shipping so I have been wondering for a while what the differences are.
TIA
Renee, that question gets asked quite a bit and its buried in here somewhere.
You're referring to the Wilton products, I assume?
The W plastic legs have to be cut to measure by the user. One of the risks when cutting your own supports is that they won't be cut *exactly* the same length. And if they aren't *exactly* the same length, your cake can fall. One of the nice thing about SPS is that they come pre-cut in 4", 5" 7" and 9" lengths.
The SPS legs practically lock into the plates. It's very secure. When I used the W legs, they fit into the plate, but not nearly as tightly and securely as with SPS.
Also, the SPS plate has a little peg in the middle. It doesn't look like much, but it's really important. It keeps your cake from moving laterally. The W plates do not have this feature.
And last, I believe that SPS is cheaper unless you have coupons for the W stuff. Oasis Supply offers a 10% coupon for Cake Central members.
Hi Leahs, I live in the Caribbean and its about $300 + for the plates, columns and shipping, you said the system is disposable now I don't usually do wedding cakes but I have a few coming up in the year so I was wondering how many uses can I get out of the system before I need to buy again.
The $300+ seems like too much to pass onto for one wedding cake, any suggestions I don't know what to do.
Is most of that $300 shipping? Because for a four tier cake the cost of SPS is $11. The plates will last quite a while. The legs, probably two times before you start getting cracks.
well the minimum order that I must spend is $150. then when I had the shipping it roughly brings me to the $300. our exchange is
US$1.00- BDS$2.00 so everything on the site would be doubled for me.
I don't mind ordering a ton of the legs at one time tho, I just wanted to know like how long for the plates.
Leah
Thanks for the info. I did get some Wilton plate seperators at Michaels with the 50% off coupons. I will have to try to see if some of the cake supply places have them. I would really like to see the differences.
Also not sure why my post was posted again and several days later. I must have forgotten to close the cc window on my phone and accidently sent it again. Sorry about that.
Renee
I just dabble in cake decorating and never attempted doing stacked tiers until now. I went ahead and ordered SPS and the cake had 1 1/2 drive up inclines and windy roads and it made it fully intact! Thanks Leah! I made a graduation for niece and my step sis's mom picked it up. I find out when I go to the party she she threw it in the back and heard it sliding around in the box! i had to cut the legs down so next time I will bake and level to 4"!!
I just wanted to say that my SPS system worked great and the cake looked great! The best part is no cracks so I can use it all again.
I'm ordering plates and columns online now but I'm a little confused. The columns (which look to me to be actual supports...like dowels) come with collars. Can someone please tell me what the collars are for? Does it sound Like I'm ordering the right thing? Thank you!
The plates come with collars. The only leg set that comes with collars in the multi-piece. You use the multi-piece for cakes with separations. for a regular stacked cake, you use the GC-4S column.
All explained in the tutorial .
Leah - quick question. I have the 7-inch legs to make a cake with a 3-inch seperation between botom tier and top 2-tiers. if I stack all 3 tiers using the sps (with the 3-inch space) will the cake still stable enough for a customer to pick up and transport? or should I insist on delivering it and place the top 2 tiers on-site?
Thanks in advance - Pam
When you're creating a cake with separations WITH ANY SYSTEM, you transport the tiers separately.
When assembled the legs and plates will be sitting up in the air. Then all the customer has to do is set the cakes on boards onto the SPS plates.
Please remember to punch holes in those bottom boards!
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