I am curious how difficult it really is to shove a dowel through multiple tiers of cakes and cake boards? I have only once attempted this on a practice cake and found it to be an absolutely rediculous process...messy, and just plain ol' difficult to just "push" through without really mangeling an enormous hole in the top tier of the cake! If there is an easier way to do this please do share!!!!! I have my own method that doesn't involve any dowels but would love to know how everyone else makes the dowel method work!!!

Thanks for any input!!!


Amy

Well, I've only done it once, but I sharpened the dowel rod with a pencil sharpener, and used a hammer to lightly hit it so it went through the boards.

HTH

Melissa

for a 3 teir cake I do not use a center dowel I like those larger plastic dowels for stability but for a 4 layer or larger you need it.

stand on a stool , sharpen the dowel and hammer it in

My question how in the world do they serve the cake????

I found this tip on another board. Make a hole in the cake board ahead of time. Then when you stack them just lower them onto the dowl. Get someone to help lower them down. The hole should be the same size as the dowl rod. You want a snug fit. I poke a hole with a flower nail and then use a pencil to make the hole the right size.

I'll have to try it again but what I do/did for my first wedding cake (here on Cake Central) I used the hidden plastic pillars from Wilton and their separator plates. I, using a drimmel, shaved the angeled part of the feet on the bottom of the separator plate to where they are straight and fit perfectly into the hidden pillars. So I push the hidden pillars where needed in my cake tier and then with the top cake on the separator plate, the feet fit perfectly in the hidden dowels and VIOLA!!!!! The cake was very stable and was easy to separate the tiers without destroying any of the cake in the process!


Amy

I too question hammering a sharpened dowel down the middle! With my luck, the cake would be ruined. I did a 4tier cake and had no problems. I even transported the entire cake assembled. Scary, yes...
Each tier had 5 dowels to support the upper portion and that's all.
I do like the idea of just lowering the cakes onto the dowel that 'cakmommy' had done!