I have seen some cakes on CC - mostly for the CARS movie, that have a road that spirals up and round the cake. How is that done? Do you stack cakes that are the same diameter and carve out the sides to make the road ramp up to the next cake or do you stack graduated sizes and have to add cake to the sides for the ramps upward? Thanks!!!!!

I have a 5-tier spiral in my gallery. Here's how I did it:

My cakes were in 2-in increments. I put the 12" tier down and placed the 10" cake board on top (center) made a shallow cut all the way around. I picked a starting point and marked it with a toothpick and an ending point...you guess it...toothpick there too. (Note: the ending point will be directly underneathe the starting point on every tier.) Then I marked a ramp that would be carved all the way around with toothpicks. By this time the cake looked like a pincushion. I then used my toothpicks as a guide to cut my ramp. Follow this pattern to do all the tiers. Then you'll like up the starting/ending points all the way up. It will look funny, but be patient as it will come together the more you do. I did a crumbcoat of green all over the areas that would later become grass. Then I did a road in black bc. Then went back with a grass tip and covered the whole cake in it. Took a short ETERNITY, but it was worth it afterwards.

I hope I explained that well. I'm not a good teacher.

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1220432

Thanks for the explanation and asking this question. I've always wondered.

Thanks! I have to do one in December, this will help.

I just want to clarify one thing:

The start point and end point for each tier is right above each other? So each tier has a complete circle of track around it? (aside from the fact that the start and finish will be at the bottom and top of the tier respectively...)

Is that right?

Another way is to stacke it like a topsy turvy. Except all the high sides go to the same side..
Edna

I'm glad this question was asked. I was wanting to try this for my nephews B-day. I like the topsy turvy idea.