Hi All !
I am totally new to this and am just embarking on my new hobby. I want to make a tier cake for my husbands birthday. I got everything I need and then decided to research it (doing this was not my smartest move).
My question is, can you make a tier cake WITHOUT the supports? I was naive enough to think it just sat there all clever like, I never saw supports in cakes! I am ok if this turns ut a bit less than perfect, I am using my family as first recipients of my skills and they are quite understanding. My problem is, I will not be able to get back to the cake supply shop to get anything I need.
Any advice or tips would be much appreciated.

BTW I love the site and have been pouring over the galleries all night!

it IS possible to make a tiered cake without the supports as a stacked tiers, but the bigger and taller it gets, the less it is advised. You can use dowel rods that can be found at any hobby store, or Wal-Mart, whichever is closer. Good luck on the cake!

Drinking straws work great for small stacked cakes. Just be sure to cut them evenly without sticking above the bottom cake. Use plenty to evenly distribute the weight. If you still have some concerns, cut skewers to the same length to provide extra support. The straws/skewers should be level with the lowest point of the cake with a medium layer of frosting. Always check your cakes for level using a bubble level reader. This will save you a lot of headaches.

HTH

Michele

I've used cookie pop sticks...wax coated..they worked just fine...of course it would be ideal to use a straw over them for extra protection from the moistness in the cake but I never had the straws on hand.

Wow, thank you for the tips.
It isn't going to be a large cake, I might just try carving out and sticking together.
He's very understanding, lol.
Next time I won't decide at the last minute to try something new!!

I also got from the store, some fondant. I was going to make marshmallow fondant, but the man said it had to be spread on. Maybe I didn't explain it to him, maybe we don't use it in Australia?
I am a bit confused with all the different way to ice a cake! He also said to lightly cover the cake with apricot jam prior to putting the fondant on, so it sticks? I hate apricot jam!

you can lightly ice the cake with fosting (buttercream is the most common) or use pretty much any jam thinned down with water as a glaze before fondanting. This helps keep the cake moist and from drying out

I made a 2 tiered cake without supports and it was ok, but you could tell. The fondant on the bottom looked like it was squished from the weight of the top cake. The one after that with the supports looked much better.

Thank you all.
I am ok with it looking a bit 'droopy' it sort of reflects my sentiments of his football team!
I have made my marshmallow fondant, and alo got some from the cake store, they are all coloured and I will 'create' tomorrow.

How did it turn out? Would love to see some pics!

Well it was a disaster!!
My first time working with fondant, I sure need some practice.
I had the general concept right, the colours made it look awful (I blamed the footy team for that).
But I generally wasn't happy with it, it was gawdy and looked....wrong.

Thankfully it tasted divine and my husband would apparently prefer a cake made with love than a masterpiece from the shop!
I will get around to posting a picture, but it's terrible. I was disappointed, but I need to keep telling myself it was my first attempt.
I can see where I went wrong in parts. My marshmallow fondant was perfect though.

Taste is always the most important thing, I think!

Keep practising and reading the forums here, and you'll have some good skills in no time!

Taste is always the most important thing, I think!

Keep practising and reading the forums here, and you'll have some good skills in no time!