i'm doing a cake that consist of two 10 inch cakes cut into two so that gives me four layers. I want to fill them with a filling that taste good but doesn't let the layers slip and slide all over the place once iced and decorated. Do I have to use dowels to keep them from slipping or is there a firm enough filling that I can use to keep the cake together. I'm afraid that once the cake arrives to it's destination.....it will begin to slip and slide and I will end up with a lop sided cake or back at square one with four seperate layers.

You should first build a wall of your filling around the edge of the cake....in the wilton books, it shows how to do this with bc icing....



I don't think dowels are really necessary, but it would hurt--how far will you be traveling with the cake?


BTW--Welcome to CC!

when in doubt ...dowel it........if you are the one driving it and delivering it I'm sure you would drive carefully enough that it wouldn't be necessary.......but if you allow anyone else to drive it or carry it.......dowel it!!

I have been doing cakes (including wedding cakes) for over 15 years and I have never used wooden dowels - instead I use straws! Rosy Levy Beranbaum details this idea in her book "The Cake Bible". It's all quite scientific with the way a straw is shaped, etc. The best things about using straws: 1) they are cheap, 2) they are brightly colored and easy to see when cutting a cake, 3) you can trim them easily with a pair of scissors, 4) they don't discolor the cake or change the flavor. I cut the straws so they are about 1 inch taller than my cake and insert them the day before I deliver. The next day I trim them closely to the frosting. It works every time. I do the same thing with a cake with "slippery" filling. It's just one less thing to worry about.

BTW, I love this website!