Does Anyone Use The "stress-Free Cake Support" Sys
Decorating By mamas510 Updated 8 Apr 2006 , 6:26pm by tirby
Hello,
I was looking on the Earlene Moore website, and was reading about Arlene Haase's cake support system. My question is, does anyone use this? And if you do, what are your opinions about it? I will be baking my first wedding cake for a customer and wanted to know if this was something I should invest in.
Thanks in advance! 
i have this and it is fantastic, well worth everypenny. you could deliver a completely stacked cake and not worry. I take a deposit for replacement value, so if im only using the 6" 8" and 10" ring with the legs the deposit would cover replacing just those items , and not a complete set. And Arlene is really nice too.
KHalstead, I was wondering the same thing, but I am not sure how they have attached the pegs or leg onto the disc..
Sweetcakes, what did you order? If you dont mind me asking... I was looking at the order form and was confused... Or would it be best to just call her and she would advise me??
Thanks!!
I have the stress free set and I wouldn't do a wedding cake without them... Worth every penny!! 
The legs are attached to the metal ring and are super easy to adjust. I deliver my cakes completely assembled and I've never had a problem. When I use the stress free supports and chill my cakes, they are solid and don't move!! I bought the starter kit and it was all I needed. I was only doing one wedding a weekend. You do have to charge a hefty desposit to make sure you get everything back. I would highly recommend them.
i ordered the started set. Arlene helped me decide that. since the 12" would be under a 14" tier resting into a 16 or 18" tier. If i made alot of cakes with 18" or larger bottom tiers she recommended the other sets.
I use callipers to get them precisely level also putting a nut on the threads first and tightening down to the acrylic leg will keep them very sturdy and they will not move. I also picked 3.5" legs since the thread is a good inch long. so the shortest tier i could make would be a 3.8" (tightened all the way down to the nut, that i have added) and the longest would be almost 4.5". hope that makes sense.
When you say they are easy to adjust, Tami, are you saying that you can change the height of the legs to accomodate the thickness of your cake?
Yes.. You twist them to adjust the height. I would use a straw and measure the cake and ajust the legs according the length of the straw. No need to cut dowels which is a huge time saver.
yes they are easy to adjust. I measure the depth of my cake by pushing through a straw, mark it off and measure with my calipers. then twist on the legs and again measure with my calipers from the bottom of the leg to the top of the ring. they just twist up or down on the threads.
Thank for all the advice.. I do have one more question.. After doing more research, on the Wilton website, some one mentioned the "Laura's Worry Free Cake Support" the website is:
www.lauras-cakes.com/supports.htm
The price of this system is much less; Has anyone every heard or used this system? Any opinions?
Thanks!
Thank for all the advice.. I do have one more question.. After doing more research, on the Wilton website, some one mentioned the "Laura's Worry Free Cake Support" the website is:
www.lauras-cakes.com/supports.htm
The price of this system is much less; Has anyone every heard or used this system? Any opinions?
Thanks!
The only thing I would be concerned about is not being able to adjust the heights of the supports.. My cakes never come out exactly the same height.
Arlene's system sounds like it would make stacking so much easier! I get aggravated cutting dowels and sanding them trying to get them all the perfectly same height. I don't do wedding cakes enough to justify the expense (don't do them for profit) but sure would be nice to have.
I haven't heard of Laura's Worry Free Cake Support, but they look intersting. With all the pillars, stands, and plates I have I may order these and give them a try. Worst come to worst I have wasted some money, wouldn't be the first time I've bought something that didn't work the way I wanted it to, and there not that expensive anyway
Wow!!!!! Arlene's support system is really expensive! It wouldn't be feasible for me to purchase those seeing as how I don't run a business. I don't make that many cakes let alone stacked cakes to justify using them. They sound really great though. I don't understand how Laura's system works.
I've posted I don't know how many times in the past about what I used to stack my first wedding cake, a much cheaper alternative. No one has ever shown any interest. Well one person did but never heard from them again. Maybe they thought it was a fluke or rediculous. Who knows!
Good luck with the Stress Free System and let us know what you think!
Amy
Well, since I fear having my first actual wedding cake fall over!! I was considering the stress free system, but it is expensive. The Laura's system is much cheaper..
Cakemommy, do you mind sharing with my your system to stacking cakes.. I am all ears or should I say eyes!! I rely on this forum for lots of help. I am going to practice this weekend making the wedding cake that my first, not related, or actual friend has ordered from me!! This young lady was at a bridal shower that I made the cakes for and she had the bride get ahold of me to make her wedding cake and grooms cake!
Wow! That support system looks great. I am very new at cake decorating (I started about a month ago) and want to start off with the best things out there to save time, stress, and money. Eventhough it may seem like a high price if you think of it in terms of a one-time use, it actually seems very affordable when you think of the time and stress it can save, it can also save a cake decorator's reputation by limiting mishaps that could happen in transit. Also, you could use it for every stacked cake order. I think it would be a great investment and if you try it and don't think it will be much use for you, there's always ebay! (Going to ebay right now to search) This is definately going on my wish list 
I have seen an add in the ACD Wedding issue for Stress-Free Cake supports. It looks interesting. They don't seem to have a web site. The name of the co. is Cakes Inc. and their no. is 605 583 2393.
the legs are just threaded on right??? I think I could make one of these.......I"m definitely going to try.....it's gotta be a heck of a lot cheaper than buying that set!!!!!!! I too don't run a business, am contemplating it though once I move and set up a kitchen........but that set is sooooooooo pricey!!! I just don't see it in my future!!
Hi everyone! I use the wilton hidden pillars for stacked cakes. They are inexpensive and you can cut them to length with a sharp knife. They are so easy to use. I never use the old style pillars either for regular cakes. I use the push-in pillars. They attach to the plate of say....the 6 inch cake and they push into the base cardboard of the 10 inch cake. Hope that made sense!! LOL
Oh, I forgot, I don't have any photos posted yet because my PC is old and I can't seem to save them to the correct format and I don't have a digital camera......yet!!!!! LOL
Has anyone used the Bakery Craft Single Plate Support System? I used it once and it worked well. It is what B. Keith Ryder uses in his whimsical cake demo on this site. He uses carpet tape to attach the actual cake boards to the support plates. You do have to cut the legs which click into the bottom of a plate. I looked at the Stress-free Support System, but it doesn't look any sturdier than this one and it is a lot to pay if you don't do these kind of cakes often. One question I had aobut the Stress-free-support system was whether the separate supports for each tier are actually attached together in some way. Then it would be really different from anything else I've seen. I'd especially like o hear from someone who has used both these systems as to why the Stress-free support system is much superior, if it is.
Thanks.
Shalom,
itsacake!
edited for spelling
mamas510~ I do basically what kazoot does! I use the hollow push in plastic pillars by Wilton. I use hot glue to glue my cake (the cake is already on the appropriate size cake board) to the appropriately sized separator plate. Just a small amt of hot glue is needed in the very center of the separator plate. Then I just set it on the bottom tier with the hollow pushed in pillars already in place. On all of my Wilton separator plates, I have shaved off the angled part of the feet to where it is just straight up and down and doesn't come out at an angle. Look at the bottom of one of the plates and you'll see what I mean. Just shave/cut that off so it is straight. Doing that will let it sit inside the hollow pillars.
Does this make sense? I did the Swiss Dot/Cornelli wedding cake like this. It was so perfect!!!!!! I transported it 15 miles highway assembled and not a budge.
Amy
We use the stress free in some of our cakes but not all of them. We do quite a few cakes that are on glass blocks like this one: http://www.pieceofcakedesserts.com/images/wedding55.jpg
I definitely wouldn't trust dowels to make certain these don't fall over.
The system is awesome but Tami is right, you do need to charge a hefty deposit on them (we charge $100). If getting them back was less of a pain, we would use them on every cake we send out but 1 out of every 20 brides can get pretty frustrating when it comes to returning equipment.
When I am working with a caterer or a facility that we know pretty well we always use them because we know we can get them back easily. Caterers love us for using them! Instead of fishing out 20+ dowels in the cake, they just yank out 2 "mini tables" and they are ready to roll.
If you do start using them make sure you out some "please return to:" stickers on them somewhere.
I do not have an official buisness. But I have one. LOVE IT! I have used it for ALL my stacked cakes. I used it on the computer cake to. Never once felt worried it might fall. It is expensive but let me tell you, after speaking to the woman who makes them, I realise that one fallen cake that you have to REMAKE or refund the $$. IT"S WORTH IT> no cutting wooden dowels that CAN slip. O dont deliver assembeled cakes because of weight but LOVE IT>
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