Hi Everyone. I had my first wedding cake this weekend. Sorry I haven't had a chance to upload the picture yet. It turned out great but I hit alot of bumps and need some help to try to avoid them since I am doing my mother's wedding cake this Saturday. So here goes.....the bride didn't ask for any design in paticular, she just asked me the make it pretty and put some silver on it. So initally I was going to do all smooth buttercream with scroll work and a silver bow or roses on the top tier. It was a 2 tier heart cake. Well, I kept packing on the icing because I could still see darkness from the cake. Needless to say, the icing was so thick that it ended up sliding down the side of the cake after about 30 minutes. So I got frastrated and scraped all the icing off and decided to do basketweave instead. It turn out great. Ok now, I made the cake board for the 6 inch heart top tier the same size and the tier and after doing the basketweave it made the cake appear to be bigger than the board. I figured I could work with it anyway and decided to put foil silver leaves as the bottom border for the top tier after I got them stacked since I would have to large border if i use icing. So how do I avoid having such an overflow of designing that causes the cake to be bigger than the board? Well next we getting the cake stacked. I did all the measuring and everything and cut my dowel rods to size. Well then I couldn't figure out how to get the top tier in top without messing up the icing on the bottom tier. How does everyone do that without messing up to cake? I finally get it on but with finger dent marks on the bottom tier of course. I've been reading on here to make sure you put a dowel rod through the entire cake if its stacked. So I sharpened one end and I got it through the first tier but couldn't get it through the cake board. After about 15 minutes and applying alot of pressure, I finally got it in but I was so afraid I was going to tear the cake all to pieces. Is there a better easier way to do this? I used 2 cake boards for the top tier. Everything worked out in the end but man did I go through some changes that I didn't expect or had though about. Will some of you share your ideas and successes on this with me so I can get this thing right? Thanks a bunch.
As far as getting the dowel in, did you use a hammer? I use a hammer to tap it, and it goes right through the boards.
I don't use buttercream so can't advise on how not to get fingermarks in your icing - apart from to use fondant and leave it to harden for a day.
As for getting the dowel through the cake - use a sharpened dowel and whack it with a hammer - seems brutal but you're not going to find it easy trying to use your own force.
I tend to buy a board 1" bigger than the cake tin size - i.e I bake a 10" cake and use an 11" board 0 by the time I've decorated it it's usually filled the board - alternatively I decorate the cake and then cut the board to size with scissors.
well, i ran into a similiar problem last weekend when i did my first stacked cake. it too was iced with buttercream. i had a heck of a time icing, moving and stacking the top two tiers. seems like there nothing to grab onto. when i stacked them at the shower, i too stuck my finger into the side and left a mark, i was able to fix it, but was not happy about it at the time. i'm not sure how to do it any differently, except maybe use the wilton plate sets instead of cardboard cut to the size of the cake. as for the dowel rod down the center, mine was three tiers and i didn't bother with it. i did the small dowel rods underneath each tier and it was really sturdy. but i suppose sharpening and wacking with a hammer might do the job.
I learned this trick here on CC. (Sorry, I don't remember whose idea it was.)
When you stick the dowels in the bottom tier after they have been cut to size, don't push them all the way down. Leave them sticking up about 1/2 inch or so. Then when you put the smaller cake on top, you can position it where you want it and then quick rest it on the dowels and LET GO!
You will have a second or so to get your fingers out before the weight of the top cake pushes the dowels all the way down and into place.
It's a bit nervewracking to just "drop" the top cake but it does work and it keeps you from putting your fingers into the bc.
Good luck.
I agree with not pushing the dowel rods in all the way. Leave them about 2 inches above the cake so it gives you finger room. The weight of the top cake will push them down.
You can always use a border to cover and major imprints into your cake if you accidentally touch the cake.
And again, the hammer is going to work the best for getting that long, center dowel easily through the cakes.
Good luck on your next cake!
angie
I do the drop and pray method too! I have found that sometimes the weight of the top cake isn't enough to push the dowels down into the bottom cake so i've begun pushing the dowels all the way down and then pulling them back up to allow enough room to place to top tier back on.
Debbie
Okay, I knew I could depend on you all of you. I will make sure I have my hammer handy and use the drop and pray method next time. One more question to go with this....do any of you have problems with the icing separating when you pack it on for wedding cakes? It seemed like after about an hour, it started to shift downward. Maybe I'm just expecting too much. I figured I could just pile the icing on after my crumb layer dried. Do you ice several thin layers. I'm asking because my original idea for the cake was all smooth with scroll work but it seems like I could still see cake after i iced it smooth...more so the color shade of the cake.
ok, i havnt done a tiered cake yet..but i was just thinking. Cant we make a hole in the center of the cardboard with the dowel...then put the cake on and decorate it. So then when its finished...as long as the dowel is lined up correctly in the center, you wont have to "jam" it through the card board and worry about hurting it? I hope that makes sense..it does in my mind but hard to explain hehehe
Okay, now I have a question-- what are your boards made of (for the people who are hammering the dowel through?) -- I've heard in other posts that you shouldn't use cardboard cakeboards b/c of the soggy factor. So Are you hammering through foamcore or something else?
I put a whole in the cente rof the top cake boards (or any boards it needs to go through). Sharpen the bottom, and place in, then tap with hammer.
I think the push bottom dowels in the pull up slightly is a great idea. That way you have less a chance for messing up the icing.
Good luck,
Julia
I've done it both ways. I made holes about an inch in diameter in the cake boards. Needless to say, the center dowel slid right through. I wonder if the final construction is as solid, seeing as how there is nothing but cake providing the lateral support. If you've got a little cake board working against that dowel, it might be stronger. But, I had a hard time believing a dowel would go through the boards without a hole already being there and had to try it.
After that, I got brave and sharpened a dowel and hammered it through. I still find that kind of unnerving, but it does go through amazingly well. I do NOT believe this would work, however, if I had doweled with plastic straws instead of wood. There IS some pressure on those cake boards when the hammering begins. I just wonder how well the straws would hold up.
I really prefer to stack and do the final borders onsite. Every once in a while, that's just not possible.
I onyl had my icing slide once and it was on a wedding cake. I tried to save money on it because it was a freebie. I used an off brand powdered sugar. BIG MISTAKE!!! I don't know if it measured different or what but it was the biggest mess I have ever had!. So now I only use C & H and have never had any problems. I just do one big swoop for my icing. I have never been able to do several layers when icing. Also, could it have been too warm in you decorating area? Just suggestions! HTH.
Lu
Lu, now that i think about it...it was warm in my kitchen that day. Its was like 78 degrees that day outside so it probably was even hotter in my house. I didn't bother to turn the air on since we are having warm-cold spells all the time now. Well....another mistery solved. Thanks a bunch. Some one asked about the type of cake boards when using a hammer. Well I use cardboard cake board.
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