I watched video on you tube, where one of CC members show how to stack cakes. She secured the cake tower with one tall dowel. It is a good idea to secure the cake, but a bit scary for me to try. Did anyone try it? Any experience there?

Hi i do it all the time.. first time is scary but it is wellworth it giving piece of mind that the cake wont slide apart... bite the bullet and go for it. just remember to make a slight point on the end of the dowell to be able to push right thru or hammer whichever you are doing.. good luck and let us know how you get on...

That's how we all do it.

Agree that the first time is scary. I remember my first one was a small cake but it was covered in choc ganache and I HAD to assemble it in full before I could pour the ganache over all 3 tiers.

So I put my faith in my fellow CC'ers who had given threads and threads of advice on this technique, sharpened my dowell, grabbed my hammer .... kept my eyes open and everything!

It works just like everyone says it does. Not hard at all!

Where do you buy your dowels? How do you sharpen them? Is it easy to hammer the dowel through the cardboard cake boards? I noticed Edna in her youtube video that she has dowels in the center. How do you know where to drive the long dowel without hitting the short center dowels? Is the long dowel a little off center so as not to hit the shorter ones? Please help! I have a cake to do in a little less than a month and I'm terrified!

Michaels/Joans, and any craft store. With a new clean pencil sharpener with a fat end, like for big pencils. Yes, little effort is needed, but I don't use carboard rounds, I use foam core, again found at Michaels, cut to shape, covered in Glad Press n Seal. In the center, yes. Don't put dowels in the very center of the cake to avoid that very issue. No it is not off center, that would defeat the purpose. Good luck, and I would practice if this is a cake for a paying customer.

Amy, I sharpen mine with a sharp knife (like the old guys whittlin' on the front porch! ); many CC'er have a pencil sharpener to fit the dowel and it's a sharpener dedicated JUST for this purpose.

Yes, it is VERY easy to hammer it thru the cardboard. You'll barely feel it. I'm serious. I was SO surprised at how easy it was. My impression was "you're taking a HAMMER to your CAKE!!!???" ) but it works fine. Really.

If I'm using a center dowel, I won't put an individual dowel in the center of the cake. (I usually only use 4 dowels in my cakes anyway, regardless of size.)

Take a deep breath ...... stay calm ..... it's really REALLY easy. I'm tellin' ya, it was something that was on my list of things I'd never do, but you'll be fine. After you deliver that cake, you'll wonder why you were so nervous about it.

Really. You will.

I use witlon dowels bought at Michaels,, and a small craft hammer. It goes thru fairly easy with a little harder tapping when you hit the cake board. Sharpen the dowel end with a pencil sharpener that you only use with cakes. I put my short dowels around in a circle and the long one that goes thru all layers usually in the middle so no chance of hitting the ones in the layers below. HTH

Thank you everyone for your experience, I will try it one day, when I am ready I was just thinking, maybe cake secured like this could be put in a car for a short drive.

The first time seems so scary....I remember having butterflies in my stomach....Took everyones advise from CC and did it..it turned out just fine Like everyone in this thread said - remember to sharpen your dowel and then use a hammer ..Good Luck to you!

I agree with others, the first time it is scary, but it gives you peace of mind that it isn't going to shift. I too have a sharpener just for my dowels. Well worth the first time jitters.

Absolutely won't haul a cake anywhere without the center dowel.

I don't even use a hammer--just a good sharp twist to go through the cardboard. The secret is in getting the point really sharp.

Thank you everyone for all the advice and encouragement. I'm so nervous but feel much better now. I'll let you all know how it goes. The cake is due June 27 so it will be a little while. Thanks again you are all the best!

I'm with varika. I just use the palm of my hand to tap it through. Just make sure it is a little shorter than the actual height of your cake, or you'll have it sticking out of the top and have to trim it. I have delivered five-tiered ones fully assembled (one earlier today actually) using dowels and a center dowel. Of course, with cakes that tall you have to use a dowel in the bottom three tiers and another in the top ones.