I am doing my first tier cake (4 tiers) this week and I wanted to make sure I had all of the bases covered. I have cake boards for each tier, the dowels for the stacked construction, a slightly stiffer cake and of coarse the buttercream icing. Am I missing anything else? Also, any tips on how to make the assembly of the cake a little less intimidating and mobile? Need help ASAP. Thanks.
I just did my first tiered/stacked cake this past weekend. I followed the stacking instructions in one of my Wilton yearbooks. It really helped and wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be. I made sure I used a little bc on the boards so the cakes wouldn't slide and in addition to the dowels in each of the lower tiers, I also put one dowel down the center through all of the tiers. The cake was very stable and transported very easily.
Suggestion - make sure your bottom cake board is thick enough. I also used a placed the cake on a piece of plywood after I was done to make moving it a bit easier. Good luck!
Bring some powdered sugar to sprinkle in the area where the tiers will sit so when they remove the tiers to serve it won't mess up the icing the below. Also when you cut the dowels to size push them all the way down into the cake and then pull them up just a bit. This will make it easier to set the next tier down without getting your fingers in the icing below. The weight of the cake will push the dowels back down. Also put the cake boxes on some non-skid stuff to keep them from moving around while you are transporting. Good luck.
Also when you cut the dowels to size push them all the way down into the cake and then pull them up just a bit.
When I make a stacked cake - I just leave them about 1" above the cake when I set them - then set the next tier on and gravity takes over - there really is no reason to push them all the way down and then pull them back up....is there a reason for doing that?
Quadcrew, I did it your way to, then one time I accidentally didn't get one of my dowels cut quite short enough. When my next tier went on it was tilted. Well, with this paticular cake there was no getting it off. Anyway, I just think its a good idea to make sure when the dowels go in they are level with the cake. So, I now push them in and them pull them out a little also. 
I had a hard time putting my tiers on last weekend (1st stacked cake), this will make it so much easier. When I make a stacked cake - I just leave them about 1" above the cake when I set them - then set the next tier on and gravity takes over - there really is no reason to push them all the way down and then pull them back up....is there a reason for doing that?
The reason I push them all the way in is because the one time I tried it without doing that they just didn't seem to go all the way into the cake and I had to push on the cake board to get the cake all the way down. The down and back up method just gives me a little insurance for stability (and I get to keep what little piece of mind I have left-lol)!
Just one wee question when you are talking about this. The centre dowel that goes through all the tiers, do you put that into the bottom base board also? and if so how do you secure it.
OK - I get it now! I always take the dowel and get it close to the side of the cake and mark where I need to cut it, then re check it after I cut it. It has never been a problem doing it that way....they're always the correct height that way.
Everyone has their own way of doing it - that is what is nice about this site - you get all different ideas!
One more thing about the way I do it - those big heavy tiers are gonna move FAST when you set them on those dowels sticking up, be quick about getting your fingers out of the way! 
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