AI'm planning on selling christmas tree cake for christmas, but i have never done it. I'm planning on making a 6-4-2-inch(or anything that you suggest) round cakes, stack it together and carve it. Each size of cake round about 3 inches high. But i have never done a stacked cake. My questions are: 1.) Should you put dowels and cake boards in each layer? 2.) What should I cover it in? Buttercream? Fondant? Or both? It's very hot and humid here, probably 90 degrees maximum. 3.) What kind of cake should you use? I'm thinking of using chocolate and vanilla. 4.) What are the decorations made of?
Answering would be a big help. THANK YOU!!!!
You say you have never done this, can I suggest you make one, price it out, work out whether you are going to make a proper profit on this first. If you have never made one how do you know what you are going to charge, I think this is going to be labour intensive and more expensive to make than you think.
AYou do not have your go-to recipes yet, you do not know how or when to use dowels, you do not know how to price your cakes. Please stop selling! You are not ready yet. Reasearch, read (not just cc but baking and business books) and practice. It's unfair to your customers!
A
Original message sent by jaseyer
I'm planning on selling christmas tree cake for christmas, but i have never done it. I'm planning on making a 6-4-2-inch(or anything that you suggest) round cakes, stack it together and carve it. Each size of cake round about 3 inches high. But i have never done a stacked cake. My questions are: 1.) Should you put dowels and cake boards in each layer? 2.) What should I cover it in? Buttercream? Fondant? Or both? It's very hot and humid here, probably 90 degrees maximum. 3.) What kind of cake should you use? I'm thinking of using chocolate and vanilla. 4.) What are the decorations made of?
Answering would be a big help. THANK YOU!!!!
Please don't take offense, I believe the others are just concerned with the type of questions your asking. They are very basic things a person should know before selling cakes to the public (legallity aside). I wanted to jump into business after my first cake, but experimenting on customers can ruin you before you start.
Anyway, to answer your questions...
1. Any stacked cake needs internal support: bubble tea straws, sps, poly or wooden dowels, etc. Each tier should be aprox 4" two layers (or three or four) with BC between, after each layer you need to dowel and have cardboard cake circles or foamcore between. Example: board, BC (for 'glue'), cake, BC, cake, dowel, board (that's your bottom tier)...
2. In hot/humid weather I use fondant, I can't imagine these cakes being outside except during transportation so BC (buttercream) would be fine too, just make sure your cake is nice and chilled before moving. Regardless you need some sort of crumb coat (this is what the fondant will adhere to if using). I prefer ganache but BC is great too. The easiest way would be to stack, carve, and crumb coat your cake then use a grass tip to pipe your tree.
3. You can use any flavor or combination of flavors. The thing to consider is the type of cake you use. When carving, you want to use a durable cake recipe. Same goes for using fondant, if your cake isnt durable it won't be able to hold the weight of fondant or it will crumble when carving. When I carve cakes, I cover in Saran wrap and freeze partially, this makes carving much easier.
4. You can decorate any way you want. If your planning on carving this like a triangle tree, it will be easier to wrap the fondant around the cake, rather then cover it as you normally would. If you don't work with fondant often, piping would be the easiest way.
If you have a jumbo cupcake pan that would be the best way to create a tree shaped cake! The top can be your tree and the bottom your trunk.
Ahttp://bubbleandsweet.blogspot.com/2011/11/pretty-layered-ruffle-christmas-tree.html
She's using smaller cakes then you mentioned and ganache which creates a nice shell so she doesn't use internal supports.
Mudcake would be a great durable recipe or there is a 'Durable Cake Recipe' here on CC
A
Original message sent by valhallap
I would say yes you defiantly have to put dowels in it otherwise your cake will collapse . the boards are not necessary but handy when stacking they give it a bit of added structure. just be careful cause that could go against you too.
If she uses dowels without boards the dowels will go through the layers. Unless you mean just a central dowel.
The dowels, when all cut evenly, use the boards to support each tier. They help disperse the weight of the upper layers and prevent movement.
Ahttp://rosebakes.com/cowboy-western-cake-smash-cake-how-to-stack-cake-tiers-tutorial/
This is a great pictorial on stacking tiers
AIt doesn't matter to me what you end up doing I was just trying to explain why the others were showing concern
AI guess Smcskinney07 have given detailed and helpful info here on stacking cakes please share with us the prototype you make Jaceyer !
Good Luck
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