When I first started making cakes professionally, my second wedding cake collapsed during delivery. Cake was ruined! I had used wooden dowels and assembled the cake prior to delivery because it had fondant drapes that were easily to put on at home. During the drive, the wooden dowels shifted and the weight of the upper layers just caused the layers underneath to collapse.

Never again would I use wooden dowels for a 3 tier or higher cake. I started using the Wilton hidden dowels and that works perfectly. The weight of the upper layers rests solely on the plastic supports, rather than the cake itself. Because of the shape of the hidden dowels, they won't tip over.

Here in Canada, each package of Wilton hidden dowels cost me $5 so for a 3 tier cake, it cost me $10 in dowels and for a 4 tier, $15. That was much too expensive so I searched out a U.S. supplier (none in Canada!) to supply me with food grade, clear, hollow plastic tubes. The tubes come in 48" lengths and now I can cut them to whatever height I need. My hollow hidden dowels now cost only pennies each and I don't have to worry about getting them back from the customer because they are so inexpensive. The separator plates fit right into them so if I need to use them I can. Most often though I just use the dowels alone and put the cardboard cake boards right on top of the 4 dowel pieces that I put into each cake.

I don't have to worry about a cake collapsing ever again! This really works for me.....

One of the things I like about the BakeryCrafts SPS is that the legs fit securely into the plates. I also like that the legs are secure on the plates, which in turn peg into the cardboard cake rounds. Everything is tied together. Since I have enough volume to buy wholesale, my equipment charge covers what the system costs for each cake, so I have no returns. Works best for me!

Leah,
I just spent an hour on your website..........WOW! I love your cakes, and talk about easy to navigate and informational for a new bride who wants to get started on planning a wedding! Oh, and in relation to this thread, I use the Wilton hidden pillars.........but I might be checking the SPS out soon!

leahs, I have a question. Maybe I'm not understanding this correctly, but if you are using plate... why do you need a cardboard? Can't you just put the cake directly on the plate?

Leahs - i was wondering the same thing - why the need for cardboard if you're using a plate??

Classcakes - where do you buy the long tubes? What do you cut them with? What plates do you use with them that they fit together?

I use both cardboard and plates sometimes because I often am catering/cutting cake whatever and if I am there when the event is coming to a close...I am able to slide the cardboard off my plate into a box and take my sep. plates with me.

Because the plate and leg assembly goes into the cake below--the "receiving" cake. Then you have to pick up the next tier, fully finished and put it onto the "receiving" cake/plate. I need the cardboard to support the cake as I pick it up.

I partially assemble onsite.

And thank you for the compliments on my website. I did it myself. I added a page last night and did some updates. With statistics demonstrating that 70% of brides do nearly all their vendor research online, it's important for those of us in the wedding market to have a functional website.

Hi Jreimer,

Sorry.....almost missed your question.

I got them from Cleartec Packaging and I dealt with Mr. Ron Carson.

His email is [email protected] and their website is www.cleartecpackaging.com .

I cut them the same way I cut the Wilton ones which is by a small hand saw. If my hubby is around, then he takes them out to the garage and cuts them with some type of electric saw (sorry, don't know which kind -- maybe jigsaw??).

If you need anything else, please let me know.