I am going to make a topsy turvy cake for DD's 3rd birthday using the instructions in the article from this site. I have a few questions for those that have used this technique before.

1. Can I use a cake dummy for the bottom tier? I don't need that much cake.

2. How much fondant does it take to cover each tier? I am doing each tier in a different color and would like to order pre-colored fondant so I don't have to worry about that step.

3. If there are any hints you can give me for doing a cake like this for the first time I would appreciate it.

TIA for any help.

Mary Jo

I would think a dummy would be fine. Dallas-foam.com has topsy turvy dummies, I think.

Check out earlenescakes.com for a good fondant chart. It tells you how much you will need to work with to cover a certain size cake and how much the cake ends up taking after the excess is cut off.

karatecka - thanks for the help

I have one more question. The instructions look like they use the SPS system. Would this cake be sturdy if I used plastic dowels and cake boards? Or, do I need to purchase plastic seperator plates and dowels?

TIA everyone!

If you are going to use a dummy for the bottom tier, you could make your dowels go into your dummy, which would make it more stable. However, with topsy cakes, the more sturdy your support system, the better. The sps system isn't expensive at all, so I'd advise it if you can get your hands on it.

Don't transport already assembled. Transport in separate boxes and assemble on site.

Thank you. I was going to assemble on site, I definitely don't want it falling. I'll look into SPS. It doesn't hurt to have more cake supplies, right?!