I have seen several times where cakes of the same size are stacked really high - like 4 or 5 cakes. What I want to know, is do you have to support these with dowels or such? Or do they simply support each other because they are the same size? Thanks!

Use dowels. Think of it this way, if a normal cake tier is 2-layers (4 inches high or more total) and then you stack another 2-layer tier on top of it, you have more weight being added that could end up sinking your cake. So, having the tiers the same size or smaller, you should still use dowels... HTH

Thanks. But, do I put the cakes on cake boards first, or just right on top of each other with dowels? I'm just a little confused. I'm sure I could probably find this information in a book somewhere or something. You know how on tv, for examle, Duff stacks several cakes and then carves them, dow you still put dowels in it?

I guess it is a matter of bravery and stability. I would most likely use a board between the tiers. When doing Whimsical cakes, I do three 2 inch high layers for each tiers and even that can get scary, but the tier above each one is supported by dowels. I wouldn't even dare to try some of the things that Duff does--goes to that whole bravery thing...

You DEFINITELY need cardboard cake boards at the very least (and dowels, of course). I speak from not only experience but also from seeing Duff mess up more than one cake on his show or in competition. I tried to make a multi layer cake for sculpting a X-mas tree. No boards, no support; just buttercream in between each cake. That sucker FELL! I wound up with two (what I call 2-D) trees. Delicious! but boy was I ever grateful that experiment was for my own family!

As a rule of thumb, I place each 4" high cake on its own cake board and use dowels to support it. So if I need a tier that is 7" high, the tier would be in 2 pieces: a 3" high tier and a 4" high tier, each on its own cake board and supported by dowels stacking them to be 7" high.

Wow - this place is so great. I realize I could probably get this information in a book somewhere, but I like getting it here so much better! So here's a follow-up question, and it may sound really stupid but I just don't know! If I stack, say, an 8" high cake, with cakes boards and dowels, when it's cut for eating, do you take the cake apart at the boards and cut it, or leave it, cut to the board until the cake is gone, then remove the board and start over? It's so confusing! I assume this would be hard with fondant, but I've never tried it or seen it done so I'm not sure what you would do. And believe me, I'm not attempting anything Duff does - just used it as and illustration! He's crazy!

I think Duff uses some kind of a dense pound cake...cuz if ya watch him while they sculpt their cakes, there's no fluffiness there, they hold together so tightly...like they're sturdy enough to be stacked a few rows up without any cakeboards needed.