I've been thinking about this and up til now I have always set up on site... but how do you do that if let's say your cake has a design element that drapes or cascades from the top down???
How would you go about traveling with a finished stacked cake?

It's tricky. I've done it with 4 tiers before, and I pray pray pray pray while I drive. Just keep it flat and on a non skid surface. And anything more that 3 tiers needs a center dowel all the way through to keep the tiers from sliding.

It depends on how tall the cake is and the construction. I have never delivered taller than 2 tiers before. I might go 3 depending on design and type of cake. I always dowel each layer and one through the middle, all the way through all layers.

Thanks for asking this question jessi01, because I have a 3 tier cake to do and I was planning to assemble it at home and deliver it to the venue. I wasn't sure whether to put the centre dowel or not.

Thanks!

I always deliver my stacked cakes already assembled. The tallest cake delivered has been 4 tiers, that was a 2 hour drive at 70 mph. I always have one dowel that goes thought the middle of each layer. Oh and I do pray alot.

I just delivered this one on Saturday it was full stacked, and for the first time without a dowel going straight through it , I just have my DH drive very carefully away from other cars and I use a non skid mat, but beyond 3 tier you will need a dowel, just sharpen it and hammer it right through to the board, and you should be fine, I never had a problem yet, (crossing fingers & knocking on wood)

Holy cow, I LOVE that cake!

I just use the SPS system...always can deliver it stacked no matter how many tiers!

Just use SPS and a non-skid mat. No prayers required and you don't have to drive carefully. You can deliver whatever you can lift.

I will email anyone the inastructions for SPS if YOU SEND ME YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS in a PM.

where do you buy the center dowel?

Just a curious thought... and please don't anyone flame me... but for all the talk of not putting real ribbon, etc. on a cake due to its non-food processing and handling... we are ok with a loose piece of wood from a craft store? I only use the 12" dowels that are in a pack from the cake store and for taller cakes I use 2 side by side - one that goes to the bottom and one that ends more at the top so that the support overlaps. I wish someone would make long food dowels! (oh, and I am one who will use real ribbon)

I use the Wilton dowels and if I need more length, I just cut a second one and follow in through the first one.

Refrigeration REALLY helps transport stacked cakes. I used to have a heart attack any time I delivered a wiggly, jiggly room temp cake, but now they get refrigerated and the icing gets hard and the fondant gets harder and it is solid as a rock. Then it will sit a few hours at the venue and get room temp again and taste just great!

I transport most of mine assembled.

I don't see nothing wrong with using a real ribbon, I worry more about people with food allergies like with peanuts. A peanut could kill you, I don't think some of the BC that touched a ribbon would.

I travel with all my cakes stacked, well doweled with one or 2 in the center, both BC and fondant, I do not fridge them and they do fine.

HTH!

I just wanted to second the refrigeration of a cake. especially a stacked cake they will be rock solid and then can take some abuse. I deliver all my stacked cakes assembled, i would be a wreck if i had to stack after delivery.

I delivered my first wedding cake Friday (the 13th) ....a little different, but anyway it was 4 tiers. I stacked three at home and doweled it and stacked the fourth there...i was only going to stack two at home but it's hard to stack....i had to stand over the cake to do it ha ha.

My biggest problem was getting it there. I have a two door grand am. There was no way I was getting the cake in my car w/o an accident. It must have weights a millon pounds. My husband carried it for me. Luckly i was able to borrow my aunt's tracker. (Now I want one ha ha) It made it so simple loading and unloading.

The cake just jiggled a little bit but nothing too major. I had to go 1/2 hour away.

So with it being Friday the 13th....the whole cake went pretty well

Any of the hardware stores sell RAW wooden dowels like pine or oak.These do not have any chemicals or treatments on them so they are perfectly safe to use a dowels.I used to work at Rona here in Canada and I have asked!!Great question though!!!

All my cakes travel stacked..I have done up to 6 tiers..usually 2 dowels going all the way down the cake..If it is a tall cake, I leave one dowel sticking out so I can hold while traveling. But I tell you...they get really heavy!
Edna

I have just recently started transporting my cakes stacked. I LOVE IT! It is kind of scary traveling with them stacked, but so, so, so much easier. Depending on the height of the cake though. It it is a 4 or 5 tier, I might stack 1/2 and 1/2 and then assemble the rest on site. I do put a dowel rod through the entire cake to keep it sturdy. I have a PT Cruiser so the hatchback makes life a little easier. OH and my husband is always there to help me! He is a trooper! We came up with a transportation system where we use a Rubbermaid Tub turned upside down where the bottom cake board sets on the lid of the tub and the bottom of the tub goes over the cake. I have only found the tubs that are 16' hight though. I would LOVE to pattent this idea...I haven't found anything like it that is made specifically for cakes as of yet.

The cakes are really, really heavy, but with the support of the Rubbermaid Tub & a wonderful hubby...it makes life much simpler for me.

OH, and I use clear Rubbermaid Tubs so I can see if the cake is wobbling or not.

Ditto on the SPS system -- I have traveled with them four tiers high, but can't do five or more simply because of weight. If I had extra help for lifting and supporting the weight, I would trust the SPS with any number of tiers!

thank you SO much for all the wonderful responses! I think I will definatly give it a try.... the last wedding I did the guests started coming in 45 min early and I was'nt quite done yet!
this would make things much easier...as long as I can get it there!

I've only transported one wedding cake so far. It was four tiered (16",12",8",4") stacked (sugarshacks method) w/ bubble tea straws and two wood dowels. I kept an eye on it in my rear view mirrow and it never even swayed during the trip.

Concerning the wooden dowel issue... could you enclose the wood dowel in bubble tea straws?