Still Learning About Stacking Layers
Decorating By MarciaStewart Updated 1 Mar 2007 , 11:48am by klg1152
The past few cakes I've made that are layers, I just can't give them enough support to keep them from sinking by the time I deliver them. I use cake boards & dowels, but still have disasters at the last minute.
I was so happy with this one when I finished at 2:30AM. But by the time I woke up around 10AM, the treasure chest lid had totally smashed the bottom layer. I fiddled with it for a while, but had to deliver it by 1:30. They seemed to like it, but I wish I had waited until this morning to put the lid on. Then maybe they would've eaten it before it had a chance to sink.
Any helpful hints would be greatly appreciated!
Looks like you did a great job! I've never tried anything like this, just a round cake double layered, so I can't give you any advice, just wanted to hand you a compliment 
Obviously I don't take too many pictures of my mess ups, so this was the only one I took after it smushed. The easiest way to see the difference is the key hole piece in front. You can see that the hole sank all the way to the bottom of the cake, like the key hole is ever really at the bottom of a chest. 
your cake looks great
I am just learning how to make stacked cakes
from info I get from here and the foodtv channel challenges
since I have never made one like these
I can only assume the top is just too heavy
I might make the botton cake higher -maybe 3 layer
and make the top not as thick--1 layer
or make the top from rice krispies covered in fondant .
here is a picture of one where the bottom cake is higer then the top layer
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo_174763.html
I haven't done it yet, still trying to get my courage up...
I think you're supposed to dowel and cake board every 2 layers. If the coin was 1 inch then the treasure chest looks like it was maybe 4 layers tall before it smushed?
So it would be 2 cake layers; board & dowel; 2 more cake layers; board & dowel on top of the bottom part; then the lid on a board supported by dowels. Right?
I just wanted to say that your cake looks amazing!! I'm sure they loved it.
As for the sinking. All I can recommend for that particular cake is a board the same size as the bottom cake to support all the jewels and top layer. I would put about 6 dowels just to be safe, then the board on top before adding the jewels and top layer. That should work.
Your cake really looks beautiful, though. Great work!
Angie
Your cake looks good! What kind of cake did you make?
Perhaps the bottom should be a heavier cake like pound cake and the top should be a lighter cake so that it won't be heavier then the bottom. I agree with dadams that maybe do the top in rice krispies or if you want it cake, then use the pound cake on the bottom and have more stacks. Usually treasure chest lids are 1/4 the size of the chest itself so that might help also if you change the proportions of your sizes. It looks in the picture like your top is just as big as your bottom.
Regardless, your cake does look really good. Good luck for next time!
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%