Stacked Cakes - Assemble Before Or After Delivery?
Decorating By racheycake Updated 1 Jun 2009 , 4:28pm by bashini
Ok, I know this has been posted here a million times but I can't seem to find any of them. I'm doing a 3 tier cake (12", 9", 6"). Do I assemble the tiers when I get there or do I do it beforehand putting a dowel through all 3 tiers?
I've only done one other 3 tier cake and I assembled it there but it was a very simple cake. This one has fondant decorations all over it.
TIA!
P.s. I'm using wooden dowels (not SPS or bubble straws).
Hi,
I can't get SPS at my wholesaler so I always assemble on-site. I place all of my dowels in the cakes ahead of time and just stack at the venue.
For me, I deliver alone and would have a hard time carrying in a heavy cake without "dinging" it or dropping it.
Hi, I would assemble it at the venue. But I would dowel it before hand and won't completely push it into the cake, just halfway through. So when you put your top tiers, keep them on the dowels so that it will sink into the cake by itself. So less chance of messing the decorations. I would take an emergency kit as well, incase you need it. 
I have done it both ways. In the beginning I would assemble on location. Started getting braver and would transport a 3 tier already stacked. I dowel them together, however, I have a different support system for the layers which makes it much eaiser to transport.
Hi,
I can't get SPS at my wholesaler so I always assemble on-site. I place all of my dowels in the cakes ahead of time and just stack at the venue.
For me, I deliver alone and would have a hard time carrying in a heavy cake without "dinging" it or dropping it.
If I get by butt going again with cakes I'm gonna get a cart with wheels. My husband often goes on deliveries w/me though.
But I tell yah this one venue I had never been too--skinny little walk way with stairs going down to the door. Then this massive stairway winding up to this high up there balcony with a rickety little table to balance the cake on--talk about tough--no cart would have made it--not even part way.
And I stacked the cake--but but but it was in a corrugated box so I could hug it with throbbing jelly arms. 
I always assemble on site, but I dowel each tier first. Anything that I can do ahead of time helps. I also do like bashini said and ... after I make sure the dowels are the right height ... pull them back out a little bit to leave finger room in placing the tiers.
Since I'm assembling the cake at the venue, I don't use the center dowel. I'll probably regret that one day, but maybe all of my friends and family will be through with weddings before then!
For anything up to three tiers I assemble and deliver in one piece. More than three gets done in sections.
I ONLY deliver in one piece if I can refrigerate the cake ahead of time, though. If it's going to be out at room temp it gets assembled on site, that way there's less chance of sliding tiers.
Right now I have a three-tiered 6-10-14 assmebled in the fridge and ready to go, and a three-tiered 6-8-10 in three pieces because the big one takes up too much room in the fridge!
I heard that Sylvia Weinstock chills her cakes for delivery.
Duff obviously does not.
Anybody know any other of our elite cakers delivery method??
ets>>>Oh my I thought I was in the do you chill thread--so sorry. 
I just delivered a big one last weekend, 18, 14, 10, 4 - took it in sections. It would have been WAY to heavy to carry! Just putting it together was a trial - she had it up on those 12" roman pillars (and yes it had the lovely fountain under it!)
K8 - I bought a Carlisle fold and go cart (got lucky - a friend is moving and not doing cakes where she is going!) I haven't used it yet, but I know that it is gonna be mighty handy!
If I get by butt going again with cakes I'm gonna get a cart with wheels.
You'll love it! I have a hand truck that can be used to move something tall, like a refrigerator truck (Great for moving 5 boxes of glass plates) or I can convert it to a flatbed (great for moving lots of cakes!). Found a dented one at the U-Haul store for under $60!!! Greatest money I ever spent!
this is a great thread. I was actually going to post one asking how do you all stack your cakes without messing up the decorations with your fingers. but the question was answered here! Thanks! I am going to keep my dowels sticking up a little and let the cake sink down by itself. does it go down slowly? Thanks again!
May I have a question too??
When you talking of assembling the cake on site - how do you do the borders there (to cover the cake boards); are you dancing around the cake on the serving table???
No, seriously - the top of the cake is pretty tall.
If you know it's going to be a tall cake, bring a stool with you. Otherwise, I have no problem grabbing a chair, kicking my shoes off and climbing up on it to put the finishing touches on the top tier.
May I have a question too??
When you talking of assembling the cake on site - how do you do the borders there (to cover the cake boards); are you dancing around the cake on the serving table???
No, seriously - the top of the cake is pretty tall.
I'm dancing around the table, but I haven't done one that was more than three tiers. If I were going to, I would probably stack tiers in two's at home - center dowel them, then go ahead and put the border on the top one. I think I'd be okay transporting two tiers, but not three.
I've done it both ways, but I prefer to stack at home and deliver (with a center-dowl and the stress-free support system). I invested early in my cake-decorating days (with the stress-free system) because deliveries scared me (yes, it is expensive, but worth it IMO). I also don't like to decorate/stack/put boarders on with an people watching (which seems to always happen to me).
HTH
TammyH
Here is the link for you,
http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-603925.html
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