How does everyone put the top layer of a 14" or larger onto the filling and bottom layer? I've not had to do this often and tearing or breaking always has happened. Soon I'll need a 18", 14", 10", and 6" for a wedding. Any tips or tricks? I don't think the cake is still warm. I waited several hours.
Thanks!

Hi. I always freeze my large cake layers before stacking them. Makes it so much easier.

Freeze it!

with a pizza peel. don't laugh, it works.

Theresa

with a pizza peel. don't laugh, it works.

Theresa

This is great! I never thought of freezing it! I have never freeze a cake.
But I will if I get to do another lg cake. Thank you!

The biggest size I've made was a 14''. I place it on a waxed cake board and slide it off onto the bottom layer. This has always worked for me. I have a side by side fridge/freezer so freezing cakes is not an option for me because they don't fit.

I have a cake lifter that works really well. I bought it from wal-mart. Or you could use one of the baking sheets that only has a "lip" on one side so that the cake can slide right off. I just a 14 in and either of these work perfectly.

I always freeze mine - big and small. Makes them more moist, besides being easier to handle.

Karen

I always use the size cake board I need for that layer to transfer the cake to and from the torted layer, HTH

I use a cake board, or a big glass chopping board I have, or sometimes I have it on the cooling rack and holding both together just flip it real quick onto the cake (the key is to be quick, the more you mess around the more time it has to fall apart on you)

I use a cake board as well just a little bigger than the layer I'm working on.

Sweetwise demonstrates the method with a cookie sheet in this video:

http://www.youtube.com/user/SweetWiseInc?feature=chclk#p/u/46/6oLhbNjMNWM

You can see her lift the cake with the cookie sheet about halfway through and then towards the end she layers the cake

I vote for the pizza board. In fact I am buying some for my shop. This is after I had a 12 inch fall apart on me. I pieced it back together on the cake, but what a pain. I believe there are also cake boards. I saw them at Michaels. But they do not come in 12 and 14" size. I can still see where the cake would fall apart using it.

Oh, and a cookie sheet would work too. Maybe I'll buy some of those instead. I won't know until I go shopping.

lindaf144a

Get the aluminum pizza peel - it's a lot lighter than the wooden one.

And if your local supply store doesn't carry it, look around online for th16" one; it easily handles a 20 inch diameter round or square. Remember, the larger the paddle on it, the longer the handle. You might have to cut them down.

Theresa

Thanks to all! Think I'll trying freezing it first.