Dowel Rods.....how Do You Get Them Out????
Decorating By mkorbal Updated 11 Apr 2007 , 4:22pm by sun33082
Ok, the last 2 times I've made a 3 tiered stacked cake, I put a center wooden dowel rod thru all 3 tiers. Each tier is sitting on a cardboard base covered with contact paper.
Now when the time comes to cut/eat the cake, I can't get the dowel rod back out. It's practically impossible to pull it out with your fingers because it's only sticking up 1/2 inch, or less from the top of the cake.
And the last time, I tried just lifting the top tier off, that was impossible too, the dowel was thru the cake board so tightly.
So what do you all do, I haven't tried cutting the cake first then lifting off the board, but what if all 3 tiers are different flavors and you don't want to cut the entire cake from each tier?
Hope that all made sense!
Thanks for your help!
ive also seen where people do it kinda in reverse.
place 1st tier, place center dowel, top tier has pre drilled or precut hole in base plate and set that down on the dowel so it will lift off again- haven't tried hat though-ive seen pro cake people do that-
Ok, i've resorted to using the plyers, but am I suppose to supply them to everyone I sell a 3 tiered stacked cake to?
no, not for free.
could get them from the $1 store and just add to cost
or simply tell them how to do it.
I do the reverse thing. Where I set up the bottom tier, place the center dowel in it, and then my other boards for my other tiers have a center hole in them, so I just line the hole up with the dowel and lower. It makes centering cakes sooooo much easier too!
Sun,
Do you cut your dowel rod after you've stacked all your tiers? Has that ever been a problem? I cut mine with gardening shears and it's still hard to cut, I'd be afraid to crack the cake if I cut it while it was in the cakes.
Also do you sharpen the top part of of the dowel, so it goes thru the cake or does the regular flat dowel, easily go thru?
Thanks for all your help!
and (anyone)... do you ice the cakes only after stacking...or do you ice, stack and repair any bumfs?
This discussion is one reason why I assemble all of my cakes on-site and do not use a center rod. I've helped out a couple of brides who ordered their cake from someplace else and I couldn't get the @*!$ rod out! I'm thinking, "holy cow, I do this for a living and I can't get the cake apart! what does the poor bride do if i'm not there?" WHatever you do, you've got to consider what the client is going to do with the cake.
If I was a customer and ordered a cake that I couldn't get apart, I'd be really ticked off.
I don't transport assembled cakes because they're too heavy and I have a Dodge Neon (not much room). I only use the center dowel so I have a centered cake. And because I pre-make my holes and do the reverse method, I don't have any problem taking the tiers apart.
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