Am I Nuts? Is 5 Tiers That Much Harder Than 3?
Decorating By CakeItGood Updated 5 Jan 2012 , 3:47pm by CakeItGood
Hi everyone! My sisters wedding is this weekend, and of course, I am making her cake. With the amount of people coming, and the size of the base pan & stand that I currently have available, I have to start with a 14" square cake and build up from there.
I have done A LOT of wedding cakes. A lot of 3 tier cakes, and a few 2 tiers as well. But never have I gone over 3 tiers. And this is my sister. Am I asking for it with a 5 tier cake? I use the SPS system, just started with the upside down frosting technique with the last cake I posted (three tier stenciled damask & scrolls), have a very firm cake recipe, and manage to get the cakes pretty level. Is it really that much harder? If I take it slow and remember all the basics it should be fine, right?
The sizes are: 14" square, 12" round, 10" round, 6" square and 5" round. The top will be gluten free, Arrowhead Mills chocolate cake mix. I will transport it with the two smallest layers stacked, and the three largest layers stacked (large bow/pleating will be going around the 10"). Any tips or tricks for doing this large of a cake? Many thanks!
Just make sure the cake stand that you have is capable of supporting 40 lbs. of cake and icing (or more with fondant).
Also make sure you have help carrying the bottom 3 tiers. That's is a lot more weight than it seems. I did a 4 tier similar to that for a corporate anniversary cake and I was unable to lift the two bottom tiers stacked.
Oh and also be sure you measure or pre-place the SPS plates. I got a little surprise on arrival because one of my cakes was not the full 4 inches tall
Thanks! Your comments are very helpful. Taking a deep breath and proceeding with all five tiers. It will make life interesting, right?
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