I'm making a three tier cake for this weekend (8",12",14", two layers each) and I just realized I don't have any more dowels 
. I don't think I have any more time to go to the cake supply store. Can I just use the wooden skewers instead? Would it be strong enough?TIA
I agree, I think if you doubled them up next to each other or just put in more than you would dowels I think it would work fine. I think it would help too if you made sure they drove into the board, for extra stability.
Good luck,
Heather
what about using lollipop sticks? I always see those in Michaels. The dowels are so long, how come they dont come in different sizes? I guess it is cheaper to buy the longer ones and cut. What else do you guys use for support besides those mentioned?
That's a good point, Discolady (no pun intended)
Flour, up to how many layers have you tried using the straws with? I've tried them before but only up to two layers. I'm just a scaredy cat to try more than that!
That's a good idea too adven68. But I just don't have any chopsticks around right now.
And Debbie, I read here somewhere before that the lollipop or cookie sticks can get soft and might set a potential disaster! There's also the hollow plastic dowels that you can use. They don't give a certain taste that wooden dowels do but they can minimize the servings a bit.
Thanks for the great advice everyone.
Too bad...I have tons of chopsticks around!!
I've done 4 tiers with them straws...covered in fondant!
All my cakes are 4 layers of cake, with buttercream filling, most times covered in fondant. Biggest base tier so far has been a 12", smallest top tier has been a 4".
KNOCK ON WOOD I haven't had an issue yet, one of my cakes travelled 2 hours by car, and was made 2 days in advance prior to serving date.
Good luck!
PS Just stole a bunch of straws tonight at dinner!!!! LOL!
I have used the skewers many times. I usually just make sure I put in more than what is recommend for the dowels. Now for that points... I leave it. All my cakes are on cardboard and I use that point to poke into the cardboard on the cake below. It sounds logical to me, but i also never thought about that little point being unsteady.... hmm... now I am thinking again =(
Leily
I had been using the dowels, but recently used bamboo skewers instead. I didn't double up, and I kept the point ends on and used them to drive slightly down into the cardboard base to anchor them, like leily said.
It was my biggest cake ever, covered in fondant with box tops, 10" and 8" squares. Drove 1/2 hour in city traffic, and the whole thing arrived unscathed!
Now, could just be my luck hasn't run out yet, but seems to me they worked pretty well.
hth
Bekah
if you just have the cookie sticks/lollipop sticks you can wrap them in foil to keep them from getting wet. i like using them because they're so easy to cut
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