Will Make My First 3 Tier..(Small) Do I Have To Use Dowels?
Decorating By Virgiepblue Updated 24 Feb 2012 , 4:59am by sana-khalid
Is this a must?
I have made two tier with no supports and no problems...
Any advice?
Thank You...
YES! Especially if you will be doing any transporting. The weight of the cake will most likely crush the bottom tier without support. Unless your cake is super, and I mean super sturdy.
You've been incredibly lucky if you didn't use any support system previously on two tiered cakes. There should be supports for every 4" of cake height.
ABSOLUTELY!! I would NEVER attempt to do even a 2 tier cake for a customer without support, no way I could guarantee that it would hold up.
YES! Only the magical Sandra Lee can make cakes 12" high without it falling over.
LOL!! You beat me to this comment! All along I was thinking of Sandra Lee as I was reading.
Well Sandra Lee says all I need is a cardboard to support the weight of the cake so that is what I do. I also regularly employ the use of Corn Nuts and sometimes I take a candle off the table and stab it into the cake to decorate.
As stated above, you need support for every 4" inches of cake. So far you have been incredibly lucky, but one day you won't be. Why temp fate?
Sandra Lee = FAIL
head -> desk
Well Sandra Lee says all I need is a cardboard to support the weight of the cake so that is what I do. I also regularly employ the use of Corn Nuts and sometimes I take a candle off the table and stab it into the cake to decorate.
ROFL!!
YES! You do not want your cake to sink into itself! It really isn't that hard to put some dowels in or a support system.
Good luck!
But i wont push my luck on the 3 tier.
Can you please advise what support system I could use?
Thanks again...
Whewww, glad i asked.!!!
Regular old (doubled) cardboards and drinking straws it what I use
I live in Pakistan where dowels are not available, straws is sigh of relief! Are the straws strong enough? Im doing a topsy turvy cake this Saturday and i was planning to buy some plastic tube sort of a thing to use as dowels.
Also, how strong the cardborad underneath the 2nd tier should be? I was wondering if its heavy, it may make the cake sink even with the straws?
Im sorry, my questions might sound stupid, but im new to this cake business and im liking it a lot!
sana,
You can use regular thin cardboard rounds in between the tiers. You want to use something thicker for the base obviously.
Can you get bubble tea straws in Pakistan? They are fatter straws used for Asian bubble tea. I get the fatter straws from Panera Bread but the regular drinking straws will work fine. Just make sure they are in straight and you should be ok!
AnnieCahill is correct. Straight is the key - I regularly do up to 4 tier cakes (even topsy turvy) with just regular drinking straws as supports. I do like to double (just glue them) my cardboards under each tier and I use at least three (more for larger cakes) wrapped together for the drum under the whole thing.
Thanks a lot for the quick and helpful reply AnnieCahil and KoryAK!
Im really very grateful!
I hope my cake turns out well tomorrow!
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%