Do I Board And Dowel A 3 Teir Wedding Cake?

Decorating By 596claire Updated 12 Aug 2011 , 3:10am by cakenovice2010

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596claire Posted 11 Aug 2011 , 1:56pm
post #1 of 16

hello all i have to make my first 3 tier wedding cake at the end of aug and im just wondering if i should board and dowel all 3 cakes or just dowel the cakes i do have to transport them to the venue on the morning of the wedding.

any addvice will be much appreciated
thanks claire icon_confused.gif

15 replies
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Texas_Rose Posted 11 Aug 2011 , 2:10pm
post #2 of 16

You absolutely need boards under each tier. Dowels by themselves won't do anything.

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FerrariGal Posted 11 Aug 2011 , 2:15pm
post #3 of 16

I am by no means an expert... But you should always have a thin cake board under each tier. As for support, only dowel the bottom tiers since they will be supporting the tier above (unless of course you are using a heavier topper, then you need supports under it as well). You then need a center dowel all through 3 tiers to prevent sliding.

Other more experienced cakers can tell you about all the other cake support systems. I have not tried those yet, so I can't comment on them!

Good luck! I have my first wedding cake in October, which I'm sure will make me nervous as well!

Happy caking!

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JamAndButtercream Posted 11 Aug 2011 , 2:15pm
post #4 of 16

Hi,
I found a link to just a simple little video on youtube,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-_PauOVx74&feature=related

If its your first 3 tiered wedding cake, I would use boards and dowels under each tier, better safe than sorry, it would give you piece of mind if you knew the cake was as solid as it could be.

hope this helps! good luck! birthday.gif

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596claire Posted 11 Aug 2011 , 2:16pm
post #5 of 16

ok thatnks thats great i will deffo board and dowel.
thank you claire

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596claire Posted 11 Aug 2011 , 2:21pm
post #6 of 16

thankyou for the video that was great. icon_biggrin.gif

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Kiddiekakes Posted 11 Aug 2011 , 2:26pm
post #7 of 16

I would definelty do more research also before you tackle anything as big as a 3 tiered wedding cake.The last thing you want to do is ruin a Bride's day by having the cake collapse due to faulty structure or lack of knowledge.

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596claire Posted 11 Aug 2011 , 2:45pm
post #8 of 16

i have done other tiered cakes before just not a wedding cake and i didnt board or dowel them and they were fine they looked and tasted great but thanks for your reply.

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boomerangbaker Posted 11 Aug 2011 , 2:48pm
post #9 of 16

Yes a 3 tier needs cake boards and dowels.

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Kiddiekakes Posted 11 Aug 2011 , 2:51pm
post #10 of 16

596claire..I was not trying to be rude or harsh..LOL..Just making sure that anyone new to decorating has all the tools and knowledge to make a great cake!! icon_wink.gificon_wink.gif

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596claire Posted 11 Aug 2011 , 3:04pm
post #11 of 16

hi kiddiekakes i didnt take as you where being rude or harsh i just wanted to know what would be the best way to stack the cakes but thanks for you input i will do a great job at my first wedding cake
thanks claire

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cakenovice2010 Posted 11 Aug 2011 , 3:04pm
post #12 of 16

Yes for sure always dowel/support any tiered cake.

For three tiers, have your supports (bubble tea straws, plastic tubes, wooden dowels) in the bottom layer, then a bit of royal icing, place the second tier on top (and yes always have a cake board between each as heat/travel can shift the support and your cake will collapse inward), repeat for each layer and then with one larger dowel hammer that through the top all the way through the cake right into the cake drum (if you don't you risk your cake sliding off the board).

I did a 5 tier wedding cake, dowelled and supported and while I was taking it out of the fridge it fell backwards on top of me, I caught it, but because of the dowelling and supports it didn't affect it. We then drove it two hours on a bumpy back road and all was well icon_smile.gif Good luck icon_smile.gif HTH

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carmijok Posted 11 Aug 2011 , 3:12pm
post #13 of 16

This is what can happen even when you DO board and dowel!

http://cakecentral.com/gallery/2118802

I really can't imagine how a tiered cake can stand without a support system! i would think the bottom cakes would be crushed in no time. And how do you carve it? You're supposed to take off each tier before cutting...wouldn't that be a big mess if you couldn't lift the tier on its board? icon_surprised.gif

Definitely get as much support as you can...and hopefully you won't have to deliver in a heat wave to avoid what happened to me!

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596claire Posted 11 Aug 2011 , 3:41pm
post #14 of 16

thankyou cakenovice i will definitely be doweling and boarding the cakes. im just wondering if you put a hole in the center of each board before you place the cakes on the boards? so that the large dowel can go through with ease?

carmijok what a shame that happend to you beautiful cake, i doubt we will have heat wave im in manchester england. lol

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carmijok Posted 11 Aug 2011 , 7:47pm
post #15 of 16
Quote:
Originally Posted by 596claire

thankyou cakenovice i will definitely be doweling and boarding the cakes. im just wondering if you put a hole in the center of each board before you place the cakes on the boards? so that the large dowel can go through with ease?

carmijok what a shame that happend to you beautiful cake, i doubt we will have heat wave im in manchester england. lol




Ha ha! I certainly HOPE you won't!! icon_biggrin.gif BTW there are a couple of ways you can approach the dowel down the center and I've done them both.

You can stack your cake and then get a wooden dowel, sharpen the end of it and pound it through with a mallet...I know, I know, you'd think the cake boards would buckle or something, but they don't.

But what I do most is when I am covering my thin cardboards with kitchen freezer wrap (shiny side out..and I always do to avoid the board soaking and getting soft)... before putting my tier on it, I also make a hole in them so I can slide my tiers down a center dowel already in place on the bottom cake.

Make sure your hole is big enough so you don't have to push down on your cake very hard to get it to the bottom. When the dowel pushes through the cake you'll think 'OMG the top of my cake is exploding!' But don't worry. All can be tapped down and repaired. If you have a fondant covering you might even score the top where you think the dowel will come through to avoid too much pushing on the fondant by the center dowel. I always cover with BC so I don't have the fondant issue.

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cakenovice2010 Posted 12 Aug 2011 , 3:10am
post #16 of 16

You're very welcome 596Claire. icon_smile.gif Feel free to message me if you have any questions. I'm always happy to help.

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