I have heard that you can do this... so can you use regular drinking straws or do they have to be the bubble tea straws?!? I realized that I don't have any wooden dowels that I usually use but I do have regular drinking straws. I really don't want to go out to the store... I have been already three times in the last few hours!! I am transporting the three tiered cake unassembled and I am going to assemble on site. It isn't going to be moved either after assembly... I will make sure of that. So it doesn't need to be travel-safe, just sitting safe. Will I be okay using the drinking straws?!?!? Thank you for your help!!

I personally wouldn't trust regular drinking straws unless you have the jumbo ones like you get at McDonalds, etc. They are much stronger then what you get at the grocery store. I know that's not the answer you were looking for but it's my opinion.

Yes you can use 'regular' drink straws but don't use coffee stir sticks, kabob or sucker sticks or anything like that.
For a 10" round that will have a 6" on top of it use 5 straws around a 5" circle in the 10" cake.
If those two tiers are going on top of say a 14" cake use 9 straws in that tier.
*Do not!* put any straws in the center of any tier - just around a circle about 1" smaller than the size of the cake going on top of it.
Of course each cake goes on a cake cardboard the same size of that cake ie: 6" cake goes on 6" board; 10" cake goes on 10" board etc.

Yes you can use 'regular' drink straws but don't use coffee stir sticks, kabob or sucker sticks or anything like that.
For a 10" round that will have a 6" on top of it use 5 straws around a 5" circle in the 10" cake.
If those two tiers are going on top of say a 14" cake use 9 straws in that tier.
*Do not!* put any straws in the center of any tier - just around a circle about 1" smaller than the size of the cake going on top of it.
Of course each cake goes on a cake cardboard the same size of that cake ie: 6" cake goes on 6" board; 10" cake goes on 10" board etc.

The tier sizes are 10", 8", 6" rounds. Thank you for the advice!! This is my dad's wedding cake and my first wedding cake ever, although I have done other tiered cakes using wooden dowels.

what happens if you put a straw in the middle of the cake as well as the outside circle??

.....what happens if you put a straw in the middle of the cake as well as the outside circle.....

I can't expalin it but it is something I haVE heard on many other boards. Somehow it can cause a plastic plate to crack in 1/2 So I expect it could cause problems w/cake boards too.
And it's not putting straws *outside* the circle it's putting them *inside* that throws it off

I just started using drinking straws in my cakes recently after taking a class from Kim Morrison - and that's all she swears by!! At first I was scared, but no problems so far!!! Kim said she still dows down the center. How would have thought??