Hi Everyone!
I need a better way to cut my dowels! Ive seen ppl on many website and youtube channels I follow, use cutters to just snip the dowel to the appropriate size and be done with it. RIght now, its such an annoying process, I was wondering if you guys knew what a) those cutters would be or b) things you've found that help you.
Thanks again.
I do not use dowels anymore because of the same reason. I use the thick Bubble Straws. They are plastic so much easier to cut with just scissors.
Oh definitely use plastic straws. They are *very* strong for the average tiered cake - unless you are talking 5 tiers like 18;16;12+ stacked :) Why invest $$ in another special tool when you can use a simple pair of scissors?
I've been thinking about using bubble tea staws but it scares me that it's not stable enough.
What's the bigger cake you have made using the bubble straws?
I usually get mine from my local grocers. Wally World (Walsmart) has them as well. I even bought a pack of them at IKEA before. You could also order them online if your local grocers don't carry them. The straws I buy do not actually state 'bubble tea' straws, but you can definitely see the size difference compared to a regular drinking straw.
originally available in Asian markets to go with their bubble tea now available in many more places
cuky21 -- i often use different size dowel throughout the cake -- i especially like the 3/4" hollow plastic ones for bottom tiers because they provide nice stability and i use the clippers (i posted the link for upthread) to snip them -- then i might use bubble straws in mid tiers and bamboo skewers or real skinny straws in the upper tier/s --
if it's a poppa bear size cake i get 1" wooden dowel cut at the hardware store -- they just stand up by themselves nothing's gonna fall with those things in there -- but only for the bottom tier/s -- i would wash them with a wet towel and i'd dip them in wax to prevent that woodsy flavor from penetrating the cake --
another tidbit about those hollow dowel after inserting/measuring one dowel and cutting the remainder to that same size -- line them all up on the table llllll like that and place a ruler on the cut ends and scootch them back and forth to be certain all the cuts are even -- if any of them pop up or lag behind you need to trim or recut --
and the biggie with any straw is this -- do NOT place them all in the tier and snip them all off at once -- you insert ONE measure it and cut all of others to that same mark so it provides a level stable basis for the cakes above it
dowel overload
Or, just use SPS. The legs come pre-cut to 4", 5", 7', and a pre-scored for cutting 9" length.
Depending on how much baking you do I usually just get a handful from a local fast food place :) Like McDonalds- they have nice fat straws. You can ask the employees "Will you sell me these?" and usually they will say just take them. The biggest cake I have made using them was probably 3 tiers - maybe 4 ( like 16,12,9,6" Rounds).
In a 16" where a 12 sits on it I would use maybe 8 straws; in the 12" topped a 9 there would be 5 or 6 and in the 9 topped by a 6"er use 3. That should give you an idea of how many are needed. If you look through my album on here you will see some of the tiered cakes I have made. Not all of them used straws - didn't start into using them until some years along in my baking world :)
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