Want To Try Royal Icing/ Dowel Disaster Please Help
Decorating By Crakerz01 Updated 13 Aug 2006 , 5:10pm by joandykes
What is exactly is royal icing and how is it different from buttercream? Can you put it in decorating bags and use it just like bc or is it more of a substance that you mold? Thanks for any input.
Also yesterday I tried tiering a cake for the first time. I used two 9 in. bottom later and one 9 inch later on top. I used four plastic straws (heavy duty) about 1/4 inch in diameter to suspend the top layer. Well I was really proud for about 10 mins while it lasted until I discovered the cake tipped. One of the straws tipped over and ripped through the cake. I really liked how it looked at first so I wanted to try another one. Next time do I need more straws??
Royal icing is made from powdered sugar, meringue powder, and water. I dries VERY hard. It's great for flowers and decorative pieces. Certain cakes are even covered with it.
I'm not sure how you stacked all those 9 inch layers, but I like to use wooden dowels for the layers, and one long one down the center.
Good luck!
Angie
Your bottom cake should have as many dowels as your very top cake is in inches diameter. (that's for multi tiered cakes). What do you mean suspend? Were you attempting to separate the layers with space in between them? In that case, you need columns and separator tiers or something equivalent. If you were just stacking one on top of the other, just try using more dowels/straws. Also, the top layer must have cardboard on the bottom.
Keep trying! You will get it!
You can not use straws to hold up a cake. You can only use those to help support the weight of a cake when you place on tier right on top of the other cake. If you want the tier to be above the bottom tier you need to buy the parts that are made to hold that much weight.
You can get them at most craft supply stores or cake supply stores.
Take a look at the tutorial on CC:
http://www.cakecentral.com/article49-Building-The-Cake-Combination-Pillar--Stacked-Construction.html
That is a good start. You could probably check out the wilton site for other types of separators. They now have some really cute ones shaped like balls that are only 2 or 3 in.
I think it's great that you are being creative and learning new things.
You do need right tools to seperate a tiered cake . I have found that I can take a piece of pvc pipe (water line) that you get from the hardware store, and cut it to the needed length and use it instead of woodwn dowels . It gives a lot more support,when you are stacking layers. Don't worry if you love cake decorating like most of us you will find a way to make it happen ... DON'T give up.. 
Joan
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%