Hoping To Avert Disaster! How Do You Get Your Hands Under A Heavy Cake?
Decorating By dukeswalker Updated 7 Sep 2013 , 4:35am by mcaulir
Ugh! This is my 1st 4 tier, square cake.
This sucker is HEAVY. It is a 6/8/10/12 square, filled, fondant cover beast.
I am using SPS for supports but I just about ruined the whole stacked cake trying to get my hands under the bottom tier to move it to the fridge. The cardboard just wanted to mush-i-fy and buckle. I have it sitting on a sturdy cutting board right now but I am SWEATING because I'm going to have to get this hefty sucker off the cutting board onto the bride's plateau tomorrow. Help!! Should I run up to Home Depot and get some plywood? I do have a sturdy, foam core cake board that I had planned on using but had to ditch it when the bride let me know that it was too wide (so I could cut that down to size if that would indeed work).
Even if I get some plywood - how am I supposed to move it from my cutting board to the plywood?
Thanks a ton CCers!!
Get a friend to help you! At least one other person who you can trust to be balanced and careful.
Generally I would assemble the top half after it's on the table as then you're dealing with ~1/2 the weight at once. Though it is probably too late to take off a tier.
is it possible to take a couple of the top tiers off to make it lighter and easier to move?? i know it's probably decorated, but might be worth the fixing to lighten the load. if you're worried about moving it around then i'd head to home depot and pick up some plywood. better safe than sorry. as for moving it from the cutting board...try sliding the foam core under the cardobard thats flimsy and use the foam core to transfer it to the plywood. best of luck
is it possible to take a couple of the top tiers off to make it lighter and easier to move?? i know it's probably decorated, but might be worth the fixing to lighten the load. if you're worried about moving it around then i'd head to home depot and pick up some plywood. better safe than sorry. as for moving it from the cutting board...try sliding the foam core under the cardobard thats flimsy and use the foam core to transfer it to the plywood. best of luck
Actually - I just pulled off the top two tiers. Phew....That gives me a little less weight to work with. (lol...my eye is actually twitching from stressing out! lol!)
ADo you have a flat edge cookie sheet? If so you could possibly "slide" the cake onto it - it should provide the support you need. Then when ready slide the finished cake onto the plateau. Cardboard just isn't solid enough for that size/weight. But for future cakes, especially of that size, I would suggest that you use a 1/4 inch thick foil covered piece of Masonite board as the base (cut it yourself or you can usually buy them at your cake supply store). If you put the fondant on the bottom layer(already on the board) you should never even see the bottom board and the "mushing" problem will be a thing of the past.
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Original message sent by dukeswalker
Ugh! This is my 1st 4 tier, square cake.
This sucker is HEAVY. It is a 6/8/10/12 square, filled, fondant cover beast.
I am using SPS for supports but I just about ruined the whole stacked cake trying to get my hands under the bottom tier to move it to the fridge. The cardboard just wanted to mush-i-fy and buckle. I have it sitting on a sturdy cutting board right now but I am SWEATING because I'm going to have to get this hefty sucker off the cutting board onto the bride's plateau tomorrow. Help!! Should I run up to Home Depot and get some plywood? I do have a sturdy, foam core cake board that I had planned on using but had to ditch it when the bride let me know that it was too wide (so I could cut that down to size if that would indeed work).
Even if I get some plywood - how am I supposed to move it from my cutting board to the plywood? Thanks a ton CCers!!
Just curious how many pounds would you say your cake weighed total and how many did it feed? :)
Waitaminit. You built the cake and the bottom board is just a cardboard round? nononono. Yu need MDF/Masonite or a cake drum.
I picked up a round circular cut piece of wood from the hardware store that I use to move tiered cakes. It comes in different sized, looks like a cutting board, about an inch thick with a beveled edge and is ready to go (in the lumber section). I love it, no longer worry about moving a heavy cake.
Actually, I built the cake and the bottom was 3 cake rounds, criss-crossed/taped together and covered in fondant. For some reason my cake supply store does not carry masonite and the cake drums don't seem to be anything more than thick cardboard. But the cake was obviously going to win in the cardboard vs cake battle. After stacking it is was just toooo heavy.
The cake drums may not seem to be any more than thick cardboard, but I assure you they are very sturdy. I've made close to 1,000 wedding cakes and always used a drum, if I wasn't using masonite. You buy masonite at a hardware store. Your cardboard circles criss crossed and taped together are not intended to provide the type of support your cake needs.
Quote:
I picked up a round circular cut piece of wood from the hardware store that I use to move tiered cakes. It comes in different sized, looks like a cutting board, about an inch thick with a beveled edge and is ready to go (in the lumber section). I love it, no longer worry about moving a heavy cake.
i have one of these too. I've painted it white and have even used it as my cake drum for tiered cheesecakes, which are oh-so heavy.
But Leah is correct, a cake drum is made for carrying heavy cakes.
Quote:
I picked up a round circular cut piece of wood from the hardware store that I use to move tiered cakes. It comes in different sized, looks like a cutting board, about an inch thick with a beveled edge and is ready to go (in the lumber section). I love it, no longer worry about moving a heavy cake.
Are you talking about one of those unfinished, small table tops that they sell at home depot? I like the idea of it having a beveled edge!
The cake drums may not seem to be any more than thick cardboard, but I assure you they are very sturdy. I've made close to 1,000 wedding cakes and always used a drum, if I wasn't using masonite. You buy masonite at a hardware store. Your cardboard circles criss crossed and taped together are not intended to provide the type of support your cake needs.
Once again, Home Depot to the rescue! lol! I always assumed masonite was some caking thing....doh!
You use some kind of very sturdy base and then attach something to the underside so you can get your fingers under it. I use self-adhesive rubber furniture bumper things, but you can glue little wooden feet, or strips of square dowel under your board as well.
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