Please help me, I have gone and planned a cake without planning the support system! My 1st stacked cake I am going to try - pretty ambitious for a beginner!

Anyway my plan is this - bake a 9" round as the 'base' of the cake and 1/2 of the Sports Ball cake and place the dome on top of the 9" round, off-center. I am attaching pics of my plan. (it's an Arizona Diamondbacks theme)

My question - do I need to use dowels and a plastic cake support for the dome? maybe just a cake circle? If i use a cake circle, does it have to be covered? If it isn't covered will it get all greasy and fall apart after a while?

Sorry these are probably elementary questions but I figure if no one answers me, well I'll just do it by trial and error TYIA!!!

Also, does the sports ball pan need to be pound cake or could I do yellow cake for the whole thing? I read somewhere that standup cakes work a lot better in the pound cake but wasn't sure if this counted for that.

If you look in my photos you will see a 14" cake with a beehive on top. I put a cardboard cake circle under the beehive and used drinking straws inserted in the cake under the hive for it to rest on. It held up just fine. I am thinking your cake will be a similar weight. HTH.

I did a cake just like what you are planning, with half of the sports ball pan. I just put the half right on the cake, no dowels or cake circles or anything. I iced my bottom cake, then iced the ball cake after I plopped it on top. And decorated the bottom cake around the sports ball after I put it on. I honestly don't think there's enough weight in the half sports ball to cause any problems. I used regular yellow cake for both, too, and it was fine. Even yellow cake is more dense than white cake... it should hold up fine. Hope this helps!

thank you thank you thank you for the advice, and quick, both of you. it sounds like we're leaning both ways...maybe i will do just the cake circle? it doesn't make anything any heavier, right? i will be sure to post pics of my cake when it is done - i am so glad i found this site!

The beehive looks like it might be the wondermold, which is a whole cake mix... compared to the half of a sports ball pan, that would only be half a cake mix, half as much weight...

You are right, the beehive is the wondermold.

I have done it both ways and it holds up great! I too use the drinking straw system.. LOVE IT too!! haha..
& dont ever feel like any question is elementary espically here. these people are Great! We all love to help.
Good Luck and Post your pictures when your done we would love to see them!
~Sweet~ =0)

I baked the cakes last night...was frustrated because the sports ball ones took sooooooo longer than I thought they would. I tried what the directions said - use only 1 tablespoon of oil instead of the 1/3 cup on the mix box directions. I thought that was really drastic so i did a little in-between of those two - i think i ended up with a little less than 1/4 cup. The cake is REALLY dense!

In the pic you may be able to see - I used the flower nail in the center - but I was wondering why the round cake split in a circle 1/2 way to the center. Anyone know? I also used a bakeright strip and was very pleased with the results.

Tonight is coloring the icing and assembly. Wish me luck!!!

hmmmmm,, I dunno,, I sorry. but they look yummy. I have My Fingers Crossed for you and am Saying a lil prayer for your cake. we want Pictures!!hahaha.. Good luck!
~Sweet~=0)
P.S. i am falling out of my chair laughing at the b00bies comment ~tell him he is too funny! =0)~

It looks like you have a good plan for your cake...I can't wait to see the pics when it is done!
traci