So, I'm making and delivering a 5 tier wedding cake this weekend.  I've never used the SPS system before, but plan on using it with this cake.  Moving this cake is scaring the life out of me.  I will probably have an ulcer before this week is over!!!!! 

I am five miles from the reception area....BUT have to travel 1 mile on a gravel, terrible, bumpy road with hills!!!!  Should I take the cake in separate tiers and assemble it at the hall?  Or assemble it and then transport it?

Also, the cake is buttercream frosted.  The tiers are on top of each other, no pillars showing.   How do I slide one tier onto the other without messing up the buttercream on the lower tier?  What is mean is, how do I get the tiers to "lock in to place" without a mess???

You all must have iron guts!  This cake is going to kill me!

Thank you for any advice you can give me!!!!!

Stay Sweet!

Christina  ~

With SPS you literally slide the tier into place.  It couldn't be easier.  Refer to my signature line for pictures.  Also, I can't lift a 5 tier cake, even with help.  Consider that.  You might take 3 tiers assembled and put the other two on, onsite.

I use SPS and love it.  I chill my cakes and then assemble them at home, box them, and transport them.  I sometimes add flowers or decorations at the venue, but for the most part, my cakes are fully assembled.  

The round/square board under the cake tiers is the key to the lock.  If you read Leah's post on SPS, it answers all questions.  You basically make a divot on the board and it slips over the plastic nub on the SPS plate.  I put a thin bit of buttercream on the plate, too, just to create an extra grip for the plates and to keep them from spinning.  

The highest I've gone is 4 tiers, fully assembled.  I have not made a 5 tier cake.  But, like Leah said above, it's super heavy so you might need help or make it in two sections.  If you're going to assemble at the event, do they have a fridge you can use to let your cake chill again if necessary?  With it only being 5 miles away, you probably won't need it, but it doesn't hurt to check.  

Hope this helps,

Cheryl

Thank you LeahS and Annie for you reassurances.  I think you're correct.  It's going to be way to heavy to move in 5 tiers.  So, would you take it in two pieces?  Bottom is 14" and 12" and then top 10", 8", and 6" also assembled?  Would you risk putting the top three onto the bottom two as a whole?  Do you know what I mean?  Or would you take the top three as separate pieces and just assemble them there?  The only decoration going on it is ribbon at the bottom and roses on the tiers.  I plan on doing both on site. 

Again, thank you!
Christina 

AI would recommend stacking the 14 and 12 at home and the rest at the venue.

I would stack the 14 and 12, and take the others individually boxed and stack one by one at the venue. 3 tiers of heavy cake stacked together is a nightmare to try and maneuver easily and daintily to put on top of the other two at once.

Take a cake lifter or large spatula, extra icing, paper towel or whatever you smooth with, just in case you stick a finger in a cake by mistake. The thing with SPS is that you shouldn't mess up the icing by stacking them...you kind of lower the back of the tier onto the SPS plate towards the back, and then completely lower into place on the pointy thing. If it doesn't slot into place first time, pick the cake up a little with the spatula/lifter and re-adjust. 

Good luck!

ETA, put your SPS plates and columns in all cakes at your kitchen. It means you will have the plate in place on each which you can use to rest your hand on if necessary during stacking, and it's less stressful if the whole process of putting the columns and plates in is done at your place beforehand.

AThank you so much for the advice. I feel a lot better about how to get this cake accomplished.!

Christina