I baked four 6 x 2 inch rounds of WASC and will be stacking them one on top of the other. In my mind's eye, I just see two "mini cakes" stacked on top of each other. (thinking of the traditional old school home baker's version of a birthday cake, not torted, just filled between 2 layers. )

Where do you think I need to add support in the form of dowels and cake boards?

I am not going to torte the layers, just fill in between with buttercream. The whole cake will be covered in BC as well.

1. Do you think having a cake board in between layers two and three will be enough cakeboards? Any more seems like overkill if I could depend on some dowels in the first and second layers?

2. Would you use straws the height of the first two layers, then a cake board and then the top two layers will be okay with nothing through them?

3. I am not traveling with this cake. Would a center dowel be necessary? I was planning on placing this on a plastic plate so pounding it into my bottom support would need to change. I could double up the Wilton cardboard cakeboards if necessary for the base.

Thanks for better suggestions if you have some!!

Because the layers are only 2 inches, I would stack like this: cake board, cake, filling, cake (dowel rods through), cake board, cake, filling, cake (dowel rods through). I would probably use a long dowel rod through the whole thing just because it is taller than it is wide and may be a little unsteady, but that's up to you since you are not transporting. May make decorating a bit easier!

I just posted a cake that has five 6" layers stacked...I had a cakeboard at the bottom - of course, and one after the third layer (w/ 4 bubble tea straws), holding up the last two layers.

No center dowel (mine wasn't being transported either).

I've done four 6" layers before and I did what you wrote for #2.

Thank you both for your advice!! Glad I was heading down the right path. I've never made a cake this high as I am just a hobby baker for family. Guess I'll assess how wiggly it seems as to whether it needs that center dowel.

Thanks again!