For my first stacked cake, I am considering to purchase the Wilton plastic dowel rods, as they look sturdier than bubble straws (to scary for me to use). When stacking 14'+10"+6" (round), how many do you think I should use on each tier. And wont the cake "fell" apart, when using to many? I will use WASC cake with Cream cheese (no fondant at all). What do you think??

Hi,
Good luck with your stacked cake.I'm sure you will do great.
Let me invite you to visit my photo gallery and take a look at the latest 3 tier cake that I made this saturday...It was a 14",10" and 6" round stacked cake. I used Bubble tea straws in it. and each cake tier had a foam core board as the cake board...
IT WORKED PERFECTLY!!! Bubble tea straws are life savers!!! Me and my hubby,when assembling this cake were talking about how we used to cut the stupid wilton plastic dowels and then had to work so hard to make sure that the edges are straight otherwise the cake will not be leveled etc etc...
and the mess in the kitchen with white plastic shred and cut pieces etc !!!
Bubble tea straws are VERY easy to work with...I used the Sugar Shack method of stacking the cake and it has never been easier!!!
ALSO, if you look at the photo gallery I should have a blue baby shower cake with pooh and friends on it...That one,was stacked using Wilton dowel rods...and it was a leaning tower because I couldn't cut the dowels edges straight!
If you are still not comfortable with bubble tea straws...I'd suggest making a 6" and a 4" cake and try stacking it with bubble tea straws just for a trial.You will LOVE it.
Good Luck!

honeyscakes,
your cakes are beautiful. Thank you for your opinion. May I ask you how many bubble straws you typically use per each tire (14,10,6)? And how thick are those straws? I read many post, and see that many bakers prefer those straws. Regarding the foam core: is that instead of corrugated cake circles, or foam core + cake circle for each cake? How thick are those foam cores? I am sorry for to many Q I have...

I use a combination of bubble tea straws and wooden dowels. Never had a problem.

I always go overboard when dowelling. I would use 8 for the bottom but I think 6 would be fine. On top, maybe 5 will do. Not really sure about this because I think those dowels are really thick.

I always wrap my boards no matter what it is made of.

Bubble tea straws are those thick straws usually made for tapioca drinks or milkshakes.

Bubble tea straws are larger than 3/8" in diameter and are VERY sturdy, but easier to cut than the white plastic rods. You can order them online.

Regarding the foam core: is that instead of corrugated cake circles, or foam core + cake circle for each cake? How thick are those foam cores? I am sorry for to many Q I have...

I'm not familiar with how thick foam cores are. I believe it is about 1/4 of an inch. Not really sure -- so anyone correct me if I am wrong. I prefer using just corrugate cake circles and never failed. Your base shoud be something more stable or solid.

Btw, why am I getting double posts all the time?

Sorry for the delayed reply!!! Here we go..one by one lets see if I can actually help you guys with your answers(MY ANSWERS WILL BE IN CAPS IN PARENTHESIS).
ZlatkaT,
honeyscakes,your cakes are beautiful.(THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR KIND WORDS.)
Thank you for your opinion.(YW)
May I ask you how many bubble straws you typically use per each tire (14,10,6)? (THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME USING THEM HERE IS WHAT I DID ,14" = 15 OR 16 BUBBLE TEA STRAWS,10" = 11 STRAWS i KNOW,I'D RATHER BE SAFE THAN SORRY HAHA)
And how thick are those straws?( I THINK THEY ARE 1/2" WIDE )
I read many post, and see that many bakers prefer those straws.(I HAD NO IDEA )
Regarding the foam core: is that instead of corrugated cake circles, or foam core + cake circle for each cake? ( YES,I USED THESE INSTEAD OF THE CARD BOARD CAKE CIRCLES.THEY WERE EASIER TO PIERCE THE WOODEN DOWEL THROUGH AND WERE MORE STURDY AND DURABLE THAN A CARDBOARD CAKE CIRCLE, FOR AN ICED TIER)
How thick are those foam cores?( FOAM CORE COMES IN DIFFERENT THICKNESS,I BOUGHT MINE FROM THE CRAFTSTORE ie JOANNS,MICHEALS, etc AND IT WAS 1/2" THICK,IT WAS VERY EASY TO CUT AND USE.PLUS IT ENDS UP COSTING YOU LESS MONEY THAN THE CARDBOARD CAKE CIRCLES)
I am sorry for to many Q I have... (NO PROBLEM,NO ONE SHOULD BE SORRY FOR THEIR CURIOSITY AND ITCH FOR LEARNING )
djs328
I, too, have a question...will be doing a 14-10-6 square later this month...(GOOD LUCK,WISH YOU ALL THE BEST)
do you wrap the foam board in anything before putting the cake on it? Is it foodsafe? ( i DID TAPE THE CUT EDGES OF THE FOAMCORE BOARD ,AND I WRAPPED IT WITH THE SELF STICKY SARAN WRAP TO MAKE IT FOOD SAFE)

Also - maybe a dumb question - what are bubble straws?( NO QUESTION IS DUMB IN MY OPINION ;D, NOW FOR THE BUBBLE TEA STRAWS,THEY LOOK LIKE BIG FAT SMOOTHIE STRAWS.I GOT THEM FROM EBAY, PM ME AND I CAN TELL YOU THE ID OF THE SELLER) Are we just talking about plastic straws or is there a special kind everyone uses? I was planning on using the hidden pillars but was nervous specifically because of cutting them perfectly straight and ending up with a leaning tower...
IF YOU HAVE ANYMORE QUESTIONS,FEEL FREE TO PM ME,I'LL BE HAPPY TO HELP AS MUCH AS I CAN,
OH, ONE MORE THING. AFTER I STACK THE 10" TIER ON THE 14" I MARKED THE LOCATION OF MY 6" TIER ON TOP OF THE 10" AND INSIDE THAT CIRCLE I PUT 2 WOODEN DOWELS THROUGH THESE TWO TIERS,I PUT ONE TOWARDS THE LEFT AND ONE TOWARDS THE RIGHT SIDE.
SINCE THE BRIDE'S BROTHER WAS PICKING UP THE CAKE AND IT WAS ABOUT 1 1/2HRS DRIVE.
THEN I STACK THE 6" TIER ON TOP OF THESE TWO TIERS AND PUT ANOTHER DOWEL ROD THROUGH ALL THREE TIERS-SUPER EASY AND SUPER STURDY).

honeyscakes,
YOU ARE THE BEST.
Thank you so much for all the information, now it makes sense to me.

honeycakes - you rock! Thank you so much! Makes total sense - I'll have to get some of those straws and try it out!

djs328 and ZlatkaT,
YOU ARE WELCOME!