Center Dowel - How To..

Decorating By ajay0665 Updated 4 Aug 2006 , 11:58am by campbelland

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ajay0665 Posted 3 Aug 2006 , 8:36pm
post #1 of 8

I am making a stacked cake and I understand that I need to have a center down through top cake, cake board and bottom cake. How is this done? Do you put the hole in the cake board before you put the cake on it? How do you find the hole with the cake on it without having to move the dowel all around and tearing up the cake....

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.

I am doing a 6 in round on top of a 9 in - both will be torted and filled and probably 3-4 inches in height..

7 replies
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DeniseRoy Posted 3 Aug 2006 , 10:14pm
post #2 of 8

I just measure my dowel cut it then sharpen it, if it is sharp it will go through the cardboard. I sharpen mine with an electric pencil sharpener. I use my meat mallet to gently tap the dowel through the cardboard.

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patton78 Posted 3 Aug 2006 , 10:24pm
post #3 of 8

I do the same as deniseroy although since I do not have a pencil sharpener, my husbands sharpens the dowel for me with his knife.

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ajay0665 Posted 3 Aug 2006 , 11:21pm
post #4 of 8

so you put the bottom cake on your cake plate. (foam, plywood, etc.) then place the cardboard circle in, then the other cake on top and then tap the sharpened dowel through?

Doesn't it cause the cakes to fall apart? I am so nervous about this.

If I am frosting in buttercream, not using a fondant cover...do I frost after this method or frost the bottom layer first?

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DeniseRoy Posted 4 Aug 2006 , 12:34am
post #5 of 8

frost each cake then put your bottom cake on whatever your using then set the smaller cake on top with a cardboard cake circle under it. make sure you have dowels under it for support. then put your cental dowl through both cakes then decorate. The first time I did this I was super nervous but everything held together and it was pretty easy. I hope I am not confusing you more.

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sarduengo Posted 4 Aug 2006 , 12:44am
post #6 of 8

Are you traveling with the cake already stacked? I recently did a stacked cake (a double layer 10-in circle on top of a 12-in square) and just used small dowels in the bottom cake to support the top cake. I didn't use a center dowel. Everything was fine; but I assembled it on site.

Good luck!

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SarahJane Posted 4 Aug 2006 , 11:21am
post #7 of 8

Hi, even if you are traveling with it as long as you dowel the bottom cake well I don't think you need a center dowel for a two tiered cake. I just did my first center dowel tonight. I was nervous too that the pressure of the dowel and the hammering and all that would cause the cake to compress or something bad would happen, but I just held my breath and did it and the dowel went through the cardboard just fine with no problems. I sharpened my dowels with a boxcutter.

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campbelland Posted 4 Aug 2006 , 11:58am
post #8 of 8

Hi, I learned this trick on here, it was not my idea.

First I put the hole in the cake board, cover board with your foil. Then after you get to the reception to set up, just start from the bottom.

Put down your big layer
put in your long dowel
Then slide your second cake over the big bottom cake( have you short dowels already in it), then slide down your 3rd cake, same for the next. That way your dowel is in your cake and you don't have to try and hammer it down the middle. This really works, I do it. Hope this helps and you can understand this. Sandy

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