So my questions is this, I have to make a cake that is going to be kind of talland skinny..about 2 ft tool. Normally when stacking a cake like this i would put a small cardboard cake board in btwn every 2 layers and dowel it all the way thru so it doesnt fall over. now if i want to carve this cake on the sides, would you want to add these cardboard cake boards. and if u dont, wont the cake topple or not be sturdy?
any help is appreciated.
it would be like if u were making a tall building (cake) thats a certain shape... hopefully this makes sense...

Yes, use cardboard cake boards and a support system for every 4" of cake height.

so when your doing a carved cake/3d cake...do you just cut thru the cake boards when carving the shape?

I found this and Im reading it, as I also need to do a cake that is tapered and cant get the shape right for the life of me! nor can I get it even without it crumbling.

Hope this helps

http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-59361-.html

I cut right through the cardboards and all...

I buy the 10x14 boards at Michaels and they are already covered in a waxy substance so I don't have to cover the cardboard. I cut them to size, making sure that there is room to carve cake alongside the boards. This means that the boards are hidden within the cake and my carving doesn't necessarily reveal them. I don't have to cut them off because they have already been cut smaller than the bottom board. I hope you understand what I mean! It works out great and no cardboard bits inside the cake. I normally allow 2-3 inches around the board for carving.

I agree with Motta, I plan the shape of the baords as I'm assembling the cake so they're smaller than the finished piece, then you don't have to worry about hitting them. Here's a tutorial I did about shaping the cake boards, it might help. http://acaketorememberva.blogspot.com/2011/04/boards-on-carved-cakes.html

Thank you Motta and Costumeczar! My son's bar/grill is celebrating their two-year anniversary next month, and I've promised to create a magnificent 3D bulldog cake for them. I'm both excited and scared to death. Your guidance is very, very helpful to me. You're the BEST!!

Sorry all, but I just thought of another question...

I've been using the doctored 'durable' cake mix recipes for my 3D cakes, although I'd like to start trying some made from scratch recipes, because I love to bake as well as decorate.

Which typ of cake recipes do you prefer for your 3D projects?

I use anything for 3-D other than the softest recipe that I have, which is strawberry. As long as your supports are okay you can use any cake for the main part, although if there are any sections that extend out from the main section a sturdier recipe would probably be good.

I like the vanilla butter pound cake recipe and the durable chocolate for 3d cakes...I am currently looking for other flavors to offer my customers...

Thank you, Superstars! I'm going to give the pound cake a dry run next week I generally love any recipe with that includes the word 'butter'...