I was wondering what would be the best way to use styrofoam spacers between stacked tiers. How would I cover the foam? How would I support the cake without driving a dowel through it and getting styrofoam all in the cake? I like the look, I'm just confused by how to do it the best way.
I covered the styrofoam in fondant. I set the styrofoam on cardboard circles, then supported those circles with dowels in the cakes. I assembled on-site. The reason I used cardboards was my apprehension about the dowels pushing thru the styrofoam.
Indydebi, I have a question. Do you place the cardboard circles on top of the styrfoam block and on the bottom? Or just on the top (under the tier its sitting on). I hope I explained that right.
Indydebi, I have a question. Do you place the cardboard circles on top of the styrfoam block and on the bottom? Or just on the top (under the tier its sitting on). I hope I explained that right.
On the bottom. Then the cake, which is on a cardboard, sits on top of the styrofoam.
Thank you! This makes much more sense! I just cringed at the thought of putting a giant dowel through the center of stryofoam into a cake that I'd put so much effort into!
If you still want to do the center dowel thing, you could predrill a hole through the foam so that it's cleared out and you can smear a little thinned BC in the hole to sort of glue down anything that might think it needs to flake off. But that's most likely not totally necessary. I never do a center dowel. It scares me. When I see them pounding that dowel in at Challenges and the cake is cracking or leaning, etc. I get sick to my stomach!
I'm curious to see what the styrofoam spacers look like on a finished cake. Can anyone please direct me to a picture?
Can someone explain to me the purpose of styrofoam AND cardboard?? I use thin cardboard covered with wax paper and doweled for support; but I don't get putting styrofoam in between the tiers.
In my photos, I have a 4 tier square wedding cake with styrofoam spacers. It is covered with ribbon (brides request) but it could be covered in fondant. I use sps so I put the sps in the cake and set the styrofoam on top of that and the next cakes sits on top of the styrofoam. These are the only cakes that I assemble onsite. I use double-sided tape to secure the styrofoam to the cake boards (top and bottom)
I usually make the styrofoam 2" smaller in diameter than the cake that sits on top of it.
jones5cm it is to give a space between tiers... it is a very pretty look. and you can cover them with fondant,ribbons or contact paper or sugar flowers or real flowers.
Ok, so it makes each tier 2" (depending on the size) taller without adding to the total number of servings, thus creating a 'larger' cake. Do your clients ever have a problem understanding that when cutting the cake, it's not all cake?? I always sweat over trying to make someone who knows nothing about cakes understand even about the dowels that need to be removed. I can just see them cutting a slice out of a layer of cake and it being partially stryofoam>>>? How do you explain this to them when you're not going to be there to 'supervise' the serving?
Actually it adds to the overal height of the cake, but not the tiers. The foam is usually a different size and decorated in a way that you can see the difference between IT and the actual CAKE part. It's like having smaller tiers between the cake tiers. Imagine from the top, an 8" cake on a 6" foam, then a 10" cake on an 8" foam, then a 12" cake on a 10" foam, with a 14" cake on the bottom. So the middle between each cake layer is smaller than either cake it is touching. I probably just confused the snot out of you!
Ok, so it makes each tier 2" (depending on the size) taller without adding to the total number of servings, thus creating a 'larger' cake. Do your clients ever have a problem understanding that when cutting the cake, it's not all cake?? I always sweat over trying to make someone who knows nothing about cakes understand even about the dowels that need to be removed. I can just see them cutting a slice out of a layer of cake and it being partially stryofoam>>>? How do you explain this to them when you're not going to be there to 'supervise' the serving?
No, it doesn't make "the cake" bigger. It's the effect of having pillars between the tiers without actually having pillars between the tiers.
HEre's one I found (scroll down to the black and white cake): http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_MUC6Z_UDWhU/SsPRcjGJuFI/AAAAAAAAAFs/vFKVlzi7LMI/s320/blog_152.jpg&imgrefurl=http://kathysicingonthecakeblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/cakes-15sep-to-27sep.html&usg=__oyB6KbOATrjYe3puY2LaxpCD4G8=&h=320&w=204&sz=21&hl=en&start=37&sig2=MIoovVOt4WWMskRDU-VGRg&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=zjDxkYFfcJjPZM:&tbnh=118&tbnw=75&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwedding%2Bcakes%2Bwith%2Bspacers%26start%3D20%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us%26ndsp%3D20%26tbs%3Disch:1&ei=yWErTO_TIYShnQfb1NX0DQ
Some people also use angled foam to turn regular, straight layers into a topsy turvy cake. That is a really neat look as well!
The light bulb just came on!! Thanks guys, that make so much more sense And I love that look of the black & white cake; but I just assumed the tiers were separated.
Wilton actually makes a stand like this, it's called "Tailored Tiers" and I've used it. You just wrap ribbon around the round pieces, or something like that, based on your design. I do not find that stand to be well made though. It just has these little teeth that jam into the foam pieces and it's not very stable. And if you use it more than once you're poking all these holes in the foam. Ugh.
Wow! Thanks, everyone for your thoughts on this subject. I had thought about assembling on site, but that always kinda freaks me out with everyone watching! I guess this is one situation where it would be best, though.
I am challenged to get a nice, even cut around the bottom of the cake, so I always have to put some sort of ribbon or border. I think that these spacers would expose this personal challenge even more! Any suggestions about how to make it less noticeable. I was thinking the ribbon would be my best bet.
Melvira, I know what you mean about the center dowel. I'm always afraid that one day I will stick a center dowel in and the whole cake will come tearing away during transport.
I know there are a lot of people advocate SPS, but does anyone have a suggestion as to the best place to order it on-line? I really want to try it!
Global Sugar Art just happens to be having a sale on SPS right now. My only problem with SPS is that I haven't apparently read enough about it because I don't see how it's any different than dowels and plastic plates. I know, I know, I'm ignorant, please don't beat me people. School me, but don't shun me!
HAHAHAHA! That's how I feel at times, Melvira! You make my day with your sense of humor! Thanks for the sale info! In the brief time I have been on here, I have seen bits and pieces about SPS sprinkled in the posts. Guess I'll have to do a search. I've just not had the focus to sit down and figure it out yet!
HAHAHAHA! That's how I feel at times, Melvira! You make my day with your sense of humor! Thanks for the sale info! In the brief time I have been on here, I have seen bits and pieces about SPS sprinkled in the posts. Guess I'll have to do a search. I've just not had the focus to sit down and figure it out yet!
My pleasure hon! I know there is a whole thread about it, written by Leah, she seems to be the authority on it. I don't know exactly how it works because I have never used it, but the pictures and descriptions just sounded the same to me as the plate system. But there has to be something better about it because so many people swear by it! And when so many people like something so much, there has to be SOMETHING there! (Unless we're talking Twilight. That's just a crime against humanity. Hehehe. Ohhhh, I'm gonna get it now!!!)
You might "Get It" from some, but not from me! I've been so busy being sucked into CC, that I have no time to be obsessed with tweeny vampires and werewolves!
Hehehehe... thank goodness, ONE person willing to give me repreive. Hahaha. And honestly, I LOVE Vampyres, just not that one.
I had thought about assembling on site, but that always kinda freaks me out with everyone watching!
I always wonder about this statement when I see it on CC. I delivered my cakes one hour prior to the start of the reception and there was rarely anyone there except for the bartender and maybe the DJ, who were busy setting up their own stuff. Once in a blue moon, there might be 3 or 4 family members there doing some last minute stuff but that was very very rare. Usually, at one hour prior to the reception, everyone is at the wedding.
I had thought about assembling on site, but that always kinda freaks me out with everyone watching!
I always wonder about this statement when I see it on CC. I delivered my cakes one hour prior to the start of the reception and there was rarely anyone there except for the bartender and maybe the DJ, who were busy setting up their own stuff. Once in a blue moon, there might be 3 or 4 family members there doing some last minute stuff but that was very very rare. Usually, at one hour prior to the reception, everyone is at the wedding.
I can see your point. My problem is that all of the wedding cakes I've done thus far have been for women at my church, and there are the same group of "friendly" church ladies that just want to help, but end up getting in my way more than helping, even when I have the cake fully assembled. I had a wedding and a groom's cake for one wedding, and one lady tried to just pull the cake right out of my hands. It was the guitar cake in my photos, and the neck wasn't attached quite as well as it should have been, but I thought I'd be ok because I wasn't going far. I saw all of my hard work flash before my eyes, and I haven't been the same since!
Oh yah, someone aggressively helping you can almost be worse than someone who doesn't want to help at all!! I know what you mean. I've been almost tripped before (holding a cake of course) by someone who made an unexpected move to get the door, and I wasn't anticipating it. Nah, that still wasn't as bad as the mean old bat that met me at the VFW (is that the right name??) to 'let' me set up in a neighboring tiny town and let the door slam behind her right in my face while I was carrying the groom's cake. And yes, to answer your question, she KNEW it and didn't care, nor did she aplogize. What she DID do was let her five grandchildren run around the already decorated hall, bumping into the cake table, until I went borderline postal on her. Unfortunately I had another cake there after that. She didn't bring her grandchildren this time, but she did sit there staring at me and saying, "That cake is crooked! It's leaning... it's really crooked. Oh wait, that's the table." At this point she grabs the table will a fully assembled tiered cake on it that I was still arranging flowers on, yanks it up and tries to shove something under the leg. Um... I'm embarrassed to admit that this woman now thinks it is normal for me to go postal. She's lucky she can still walk... that's all I'm sayin'.
indydebi
What is the size difference you use for the cakes with the styrofoam spacers on them. Say if I had a 6, 9, 12 and 15 square cake. What size styrofoam spacer would you use and where do you purchase them.
Please help. I have one like this coming up soon.
Thanks
Ok, so those who have done this before...I'm making a 10/6/8/4/6 cake. The 10/8/top 6 are real cake, the 6/4 are spacers. So IF I'm following you right I should assemble the 10 inch with dowels, cardboard round under the 6 spacer, cardboard round under the 8 inch with dowels in the 8 inch, cardboard round under the 4 inch spacer, cardboard round under the 6 inch top tier. RIGHT? So the dowels are really holding up the next real cake layer up, is that right?
I'm really nervous...this is my first cake over 3 tiers! Fortunately it's for a dear friend so if disaster struck I'd be ok..heartbroken, but ok. I'm going to be using my cake safe for transporting (I get it this week!) so I'm not so nervous about that but once I get it there I do not want it falling over on the cake table!
Thanx!
Cat
...I do not want it falling over on the cake table!
Well, why not? All of a sudden you're too good for Cake Wrecks???
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