hi there

making my first 3 tier WEDDING cake EEKKK and im really not confident with using a centre dowel.  The cake will have to travel over 1hr so i was thinking maybe it would be best to assemble it at the venue? Or is this just silly? Its for a friends sis so i really need it to look perfect.  Will be a 8'10'12 round.  Will use plastic dowels in the 10 and 12 with the carboards underneath.  

What would you do? 

Assemble and travel?

Or box each cake and assemble there?

Given a choice, I go with onsite assembly whenever I can.  But, it's just not possible sometimes.  I transported a two-tier cake a couple of weeks ago, and the fact that the weather had turned warm just about made me crazy.  I did use the center dowel.  I am fairly new to doing that, and I was not comfortable with it.  But it was so easy and made me feel a lot more confident. 
 

I'm a "still learning" home baker and I don't know your time frame but..I've done several with 3 tiers but use SPS and have not had a problem with a stacked cake since using them! Most of my cakes have been for family/friends but it's a 2 hr drive. Based on suggestions from this site, I use the SPS,  transport in a covered box and use dry ice to help keep them cool. If you have the time, I'd recommend using them. HTH

I try to be as efficient as possible, and therefore deliver 5 tiers and under already stacked. I don't want to do anything but drop the cake off and snap a pic when I get onsite. But there are exceptions, naturally. And if you feel the slightest bit uncomfortable, then you do what makes you feel comfortable. With time, you'll start to be more confident in your delivery skills, and want to get the heck home as soon as possible! :)

^^^^ me too!

I don't think it would be silly to stack on site. I do this all the time...but mainly because three tiers get to be too heavy for me to carry from my vehicle into the building. I've ALMOST dropped 2 wedding cakes..guess I'm just a weakling but I just do not trust myself carrying the cakes stacked anymore. It never takes me more than 15 minutes to stack and put a border on the cakes at the venue and I'm much more comfortable driving and carrying them this way.

AGreat idea to stack cake at venue, put dowels on in advance and just stack them at venue. Make sure you use cardboard base under 2 top tiers and wood or plywood for lower tier :)

I ALWAYS assemble at the venue, But thats just me. id rather spend extra time at the venue than have an extremely stressful car ride there. 

I freeze my cakes before I stack, so I don't get fingerprints in them (I learned that here). I seem to always run my hand through the icing, and getting it firm first makes for minimal damage. I have a deep freeze that fits a 3 tier, so I freeze for an hour or more at -20* before I transport. If it is a 4 tier, I freeze the top separately, and add it quickly before I leave, and still use a center dowel, because I worry. I have watched the top 3 tiers of a 4 tier fall off the cake, from the front seat, where I couldn't even do anything about it. It was a life changer! I think I lost 7 years off my lifespan, when I saw that happen.

I'd use SPS and take the thing assembled, set it down and go.

AThanks for all the replies I def use a cardboard under all the layers.

I thought fondant couldn't be freezed?

I looked into the sps plates but as I'm in Aus I couldn't find any decent shipping prices for it and can't for the life of me find it here otherwise I would totally buy them they look awesome

I use SPS too.  I always took mine assembled without an issue, but last summer I did this for a delivery that was an hour away and the bottom tier had major issues by the time we got there.  Now, I still use SPS because it's so simple, but when I can, I assemble at the venue, just to save my sanity!

AWhile we are talking about assembly the borders are fondant pearls which I usually just make out if fondant but I see some people add gum paste or tylose/cmc do you do this? I was thinking it makes it very hard how do people eat the cake with this hard pearls on it? I don't want to break someone's tooth lol

I do three tiers and under fully assembled , anything bigger gets broken into parts I can carry . Three tiers of mudcake is heavy enough to carry. 

AThis is all really great advice.. But I need to know what sps is?

AIt is a stacking system with plates and pillars that fit together nice and snug. They are made by bakery craft and I buy mine through global sugar art. There is a sticky about how to use them in the "how to" forum. If you have any questions about it, let me know.

AWhat supplies do I need to get? I'm on that web site...but there is so much. I'm pretty sure its a 14 inch and lower. Maybe 12 inch and lower. Please guide me

AYou need a plate for each tier except the bottom tier. That one will sit on a cake drum.then you need the legs which come in bags of twelve. You need four legs per tier, except no legs go in the top tier. If you're on the Oasis site be sure to search for the cake central coupon. Also, did you look at the tutorial in the Sticky?

I carry my 3 tier cake in a laundry basket with handles. At the bottom of the laundry basket I have the metal rack out of the big electric roaster pot . I place the laundry basket on a stable chair or low table. I grab the metal handles and lift with ease. I always try to use the bottom plate with little legs on it that sit in the cracks of the medtal rack or put a piece of that rubber non skid shelf covering to prevent it from sliding.My bottom tier is never bigger than 12 in.I even let my husband carry it in-watching him closely that he doesn't tilt it,but I have no trouble carrying it at all.The handles fall to each side very nicely,so there is no danger of it damaging the cake.  I have learned so many helpful tips from this site,so I felt like sharing the one helpful tip I stumbed upon.

take it assemebled with sps

ASps isn't available here in australia. :(

AQuestion for those that stack on site. If you we're just putting some ribbon around the base of each tier along with some bling on top of the ribbon, would you put that on at home and then Stack when you get there? Or stack when you get there then put ribbon etc on? Thanks