Someone Please Help And Advise!!!!! Please!!!!
Decorating By OhMyGoodies Updated 25 May 2007 , 2:02am by OhMyGoodies
Ok so I asked the original creator of this cake I want to do how to make it and so on on. She gave me some really really great advice and help and tips! Now my dilema!!!
The party is Sunday! THIS sunday! I can't locate my round pan set, brand new, just moved, have no clue where the heck it is, I can't find Hidden Pillars ANYWHERE!!! I went to my only cake supply store in town, Ben Franklin's Crafts and they have EVERY SINGLE KIND OF PILLARS!!!!! but the hidden pillars. I called Walmart they don't sell them either. The nearest Michael's is over an hour away in either direction. Even if I could get them online it's too late even with overnight since most overnight isn't here for 2-3 days anyway.
Now what I need yalls help with is this. Attached is the photo of the ORIGINAL cake, NOT done by me. It's a 12" round, a 10" round right on top no board no plate no nothing, hidden pillars, a seperator plate holding a Doll Cake.
Also attached is the items I DO have already. WILL THESE WORK FOR THIS????? THANK YOU IN ADVANCE ANY AND EVERY ONE THAT HELPS!!!!
I am ignorant of the method you are talking about but are the hidden pillars the bits holding the plate on which the doll is standing, ie are they the bits that raise the doll up from off the top tier? And my next question is, if so, is it necessary to have the gap between the doll cake and the rest of the cake? Would she not stand just as well directly upon the cake on a separator board/plate? I know this is probably the dumbest set of questions asked and no help at all but just wondering and hope someone replies to your question v v soon.
Cute cake, however, you DON'T need hidden pillars to do this cake. Use a cake board and insert dowel rods. I would stack the round cakes, put about 5 dowel rods in it. Then, take a cardboard circle, wrap in saran wrap so it doesn't get soggy(make sure it's the same size as the bottom of the mermaid) Run 1 dowel rod through the middle of all the cakes, voila, no problem, basically you have a stacked construction. Don't panic! This is not a big deal. You just won't see that plate which to some people would look a little better even. Good luck as this is a realy cute cake.
Hope this helps,
Amy
OK I did forget to mention....
1 the hidden pillars are shoved down inside the two bottom tears to support the feet on the top plate it has feet just as the bottom one does.
2 the mermaid needs to be up off the top so I can remove it from the bottom rounds for serving, we don't want to serve the top at the party we want to bring it back home for our daughter to lovingly look at and cry in private when we have to cut it lol. (I know I sound like a mean mommy but she was crying when I told her we'd have to eat it lmao)
3 I've never done a stacked cake before this will be my first.... I'm scared to death of the whole dowel rod thing, although I bought two packages of them not knowing what I'd need (Before I spoke with the lady who made this).
UGH! I'm so stressed right now I could just cry. I've been fighting the tears all night as hubby went from kitchen to dining room to spare bedroom searching thru boxes and bags and storage bins with no luck and now I'm just about ready to give up and buy her a foodlion special screw up 
You can do it with out the hidden pillars. Just remember to dowel each layers. And cake boards also. It will be fine.
I agree with keonicakes. Are you going to find your cake pans? If not you could always bake a sheet cake and use a cake board as a template and cut your cakes from that.
For the mermaid you can still use your plastic separator plate if you want or use a cake board covered with fancy foil. Use the dowls as keonicakes said and place the plate or board on them.
First you want to put dowls in the bottom cake (about 5 or 6). Then place your 10" cake on that (your 10" should be on a cake board). Place 4-5 dowels in your 10" cake. If you're transporting I would also do 1 center dowel all the way through your 10" and 12" cake. Next place your cake separtor or cake board with your mermaid on it and place on top.
Jacqui
Thanks for your help gang! I'm a little less stressed now. Ok I've got to get the munchkin her dinner and then I've got about 20 boxes left to go thru for these pans lol. I never even thought of carving it from a sheet cake lol thanks! Ok yall anymore ideas keep em comin! 
If it was me and I REALLY wanted that space provided by the hidden pillars I'd first check with a local bakery to see if they had any they'd be willing to sell to me. Also, there are those post-type pillars made by Wilton that are intended to be pushed directly into the cake. They have a sliding "base" that you put on first, and then lower it into place to make it look like a tiered cake, only the tiers are closer together and there's no plate on top of the cake underneath. You might also consider non-traditional spacers like votive holders--you'd need to use separator plates. Another possibility would be to put the separator plate holding the doll with the feet facing UP into the cake, then place that on a cardboard circle that is resting on the top round cake. (Place it after you arrive at your destination--don't transport this way.) As a last resort I'd check the lumber yard/hardware store for pvc pipe.
Ok I think I understand what you're talking about HandyMama. When I was in the store tonight in a frantic search for the hidden pillars I saw these clear things. They had a larger top where the plate feet would snap in at, and then it was a slender tube like stick that you just shoved into the cakes below to support the top. I thought about them but I wasn't sure if I would need the little white stick thingies too or just those or those and dowels or what lol. I'm so lost at stacking lol. Now the little white stick thingies I'm talkin about are like things you would use inside pillars as a support system... I've never seen them but they are pegs of some sort lol...
edited to add photos. Here are the crystal like pillars I'm talkin about as well as the plastic pegs. These ARE available at the local store and I can purchase them tomorrow if yall think they'll work.
I wouldnt bother trying to use the center separater plate. I think it would be just as cute without it. I would try to make the bottom layers to look like part of the dress.
But if you never used dowels before you use one as a guide and cut the rest with either a hacksaw or clippers. They make plastic one's also. And just insert them into your cake and spackle the top with some royal icing. Then put your cardboard cake separator on the top and then add the next layer.
For your top layer I would use a cake drum or take about 4 of your cardboard circles and cover them with something so you can lift it off.
Then take a deep breath, and have a glass of wine. Everything will be fine!
LOL THANK YOU!!!!!!! I think it's all coming together now lol. I looked at hubby and told him I can do it now.... as long as we find the pans and laughed. He said well if I don't find them Amy (the pregnant lady at work) will have plenty of cake scraps to eat lol. She asked me the other night if I'd send her some cake since she can't make it to the party I said certainly! Well she came in today at 7 am and said "James! WHERE'S MY CAKE!!!!!!" lmao
I want to thank you all so much for all your help. Providing I can find the pans I'll be alright lol. I'm going to go to the store tomorrow and buy those fancy dancy pillars and not worry about the white stick thingies lol (tried explaining them to hubby but I haven't the slightest clue what they are for lol) and I think I'll be able to pull this off lol...
I appreciate everyone's help and ideas on how to pull this off in my current perdicament. I really want to stick with the whole "floating above" look. I want to be able to remove the mermaid cake from the tiers on the bottom without messing up the bottom cakes and I like the little gap in between lol. I do plan on using a scalloped plate on top though since that's all I have lol so I think it'll look nice and fancy for an 8 yr old princess' birthday lol.
Wow, sounds just like my husband. He always looks at me like I have two heads or something when I try to explain things to him.
I think they are trying to show their supportive but they really dont want to know!! Just want the finished product in a bowl in front of them with a big fork!!!
Im sure everything will work out fine. Worse comes to worse you can use a metal bowl or something to cook it in!!!
You can always do stacked construction with the mermaid sitting on top. no need for those pillars and you just slide a spatula under the mermaid to lift her off. Remember to use a cake circle though. You will be fine, this is a simple construction. Don't forget on the how to section, there is one about stacked construction.
Ok well I want to thank you all again for such great tips ideas and support and help here! You guys are my bestest friends!!!!
I wanted to update you all also. After searching all day my home and my mother's home... hubby coming home going thru everything in the dining room AGAIN, going thru everything in the living room AGAIN, going thru some boxes upstairs he didn't get to last night, and me sitting here all day thinking where can it be where can it be and going to this one cabinet in the kitchen 10 times, not once not twice but 10 times something said go to this one cabinet in the corner of the kitchen behind 15 boxes of cake pans and cake supplies that I couldn't even open fully to look into. Well I went and didn't see anything but a huge box with a bread maker in it, and the counter top grill and a few misc. pans that wouldn't work for this project. Well hubby came to the rescue! as usual!!!! He moved all the stuff from in front of that blessed cabinet and pulled the bread maker out and there they be just sitting there with this little look on thier faces like what the heck too you so damn long to find me and this little sad look like they were scared lmfao. I know I'm losing it but man I'm just so stressed and now that they've been found I'm realizing I still need to head to the supply store tomorrow and get the 14" plate and the pillar do-hickies lol... but it's ok it's all ok now lol HUBBY JAMES SAVED THE DAY!!!! 
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