What Are The Best Size Cakes For A 3 Tier With Pillars?
Decorating By butternut Updated 11 Jul 2006 , 5:59am by cakesondemand
Hi everyone. Alright I have a bit of a dilemma. I want to make a wedding cake. I've never made a tier cake before and I just realized that I may have purchased the wrong size plates, etc. What I want to do is make a small three tier using the push in pillars between each cake. I was going to do a 6, 8, and 10 inch but now I see that won't look very good. I'm starting to think that you need like a 6, 10, and 14 in order to make it look the shape it should be. If this is correct, that's a bit larger than I wanted to make, however I may have to go with that if it looks better. My question is what is the smallest size cakes you guys usually use when doing a tier cake with pillars? Also, am I right in thinking that you would use a seperator plate that is 2 inches larger than the cake? Lastly, should the bottom base be 2 or 4 inches larger than the bottom cake? Whew, I know this is a lot but I've got this thing coming up in the next couple of days and suddenly I realize that I'm not sure of what I'm doing 
Please help me if you can. Thanks so very much!!!!!
Thanks so much cowdex. What I had planned was a 10 inch on the bottom which would sit on a 12 inch drum. Then use the 7 inch push in pillars and for the middle of the three tiers would be an 8 inch sitting on a 10 inch plate, and then push in pillars for the top tier which would be a 6 inch cake sitting on an 8 inch plate. But then I got to thinking that if my bottom cake is 10 inches round and then I place a 10 inch seperator plate (to hold the 8 in middle cake) wouldn't it look a bit straight up and down? Hmmmm, it sure is confusing when you're doing something for the first time.
Butternut, you suggested Wine and Cake Hobbies to me before (for the Hi Ratio Shortening-Thank you) and I am suggesting them back to you. They have always been very helpful whenever I have had any sort of question, including sizing. Personally, I like to use the separator plates that are only 1" bigger than my cake size, at most. If you really wanted to do 6-8-10 you might want to use the plates that are the same size. You just have to be very careful with the borders. But I would definately take a trip to Norfolk and see what they have to say!
That's a great suggestion Bridgett. Thanks so much. I think that the 10, 8, and 6 inch would look better if I did use the same size plates as the cake but I am a bit concerned that with my lack of experience I wouldn't be able to get my border on without it falling off of the plate 
How in the world do you do it?? Buying the plates only 1 inch larger might just work for me though. I do think that would be better than going with them 2 inches larger than the cake. I don't know why but I thought I had read that you were supposed to get the plates 2 inches larger. I guess it's really whatever works best for your personal situation. Alrighty, so off to Wine and Cake I go tomorrow. Thanks so much for your help. I really do appreciate it!!
Margie
butternut how many servings are you doing, I have a wedding coming up and am making mine in the heart pans. I usually do 8, 10, 12 etc but I may have to rethink this because I need 50 servings and I'm not sure what sizes I need and it is for a lady I work with and want it to look good. But I'm thinking rule of thumb is 6, 10, 14 etc good luck with your cake
Hi irisinbloom. Actually, I'm not really concerned about servings. I know that sounds strange but I'm making the cake for my son and daughter in law's wedding anniversary. They eloped last year and they never had a wedding cake. So, I thought that for their anniversary I would surprise them with a cake and put a bride and groom topper on the top tier. It's only going to be about a half dozen people at the dinner we are having for them so there will obviously be lots of cake left over. I just wanted them to have a wedding cake. I've never done a tier cake so it's a bit of a challenge especially when you've never taken a class and have no one to tell or show you how to do it. Thank goodness for CAKE CENTRAL!!! 
I answered your other posting on this subject but it looks like this the active one! Here's my 2 cents in case you missed it:
http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-32057.html
I'm doing a 6/8/10 this weekend with pillers and plates looks fine if your pillars are not to tall i was given tall ones and did'nt like the look so I found some shorter I think they are 5" and 3" the for the bottom and 3 for the top.
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