I am making a 3 tiered, stacked, square wedding cake in October and she wants a shiny poured chocolate ganache covering to go with her wedding colors. (I am SO excited... first ganache wedding cake!) I have worked with ganache plenty, but never on a stacked cake. After pouring the ganache and letting it set up, when I stack the tiers will I have problems like:
1.) Will the ganache crack under the weight of the above tier even with dowels?
2.) When they try to serve it will the divider board between layers pull the ganache off the tier below?
I have time that I could make a small practice stacked ganache cake to be certain, but I would definitely love to get some feedback from my fellow CC cake geniuses! I just love picking your brains!! 
Ganche is very soft. No need to worry about it cracking. It may stick. I would suggest lining the bottom of your cake boards with parchment or waxed paper. I even spray mine with a touch of pam...but that make a lot of people very nervous.
I would think that the ganache will stick to the bottom of the board even if it is covered 
However... you just MIGHT be able to get the same effect without the cake touching the ganache 
Hidden pillars.. you can have the pillars SLIGHTLY taller than the cake ever so slightly!! They are pretty strong and I think they will hold up. This will only work if you are going to be putting a border on the tiers though.. otherwise the space will show. 
Hidden pillars.. you can have the pillars SLIGHTLY taller than the cake ever so slightly!! They are pretty strong and I think they will hold up. This will only work if you are going to be putting a border on the tiers though.. otherwise the space will show.
This is why I love it here... I never even thought of using them! I have only used them once, but I have them and know how, so... duh? Yes, there will be a border, actually quite a tall one, so I will have a little room to play with. Thank you for that suggestion. I just don't want the top of the lower tiers to turn into naked, quivering messes!!
I would think that the ganache will stick to the bottom of the board even if it is covered
However... you just MIGHT be able to get the same effect without the cake touching the ganache Hidden pillars.. you can have the pillars SLIGHTLY taller than the cake ever so slightly!! They are pretty strong and I think they will hold up. This will only work if you are going to be putting a border on the tiers though.. otherwise the space will show.
What a great idea!
Stephanie
Just between us, I am DYING to make this cake. I have never made a tiered cake covered in ganache, but any time I make a single tier with it, people lose control... it is SO good. And, with this being totally non-traditional, I am excited! This cake should really make a statement... and hopefully the statement WON'T be, "I should've gone with the Buttercream!" 
I've made a couple of ganache-covered wedding cakes that were stacked, and I am doing one this coming Saturday. Square tiers, with chocolate curls for decoration. Lovely. I cut my dowels a bit taller than the cake underneath (and I do this on ALL my stacked cakes). That way, there is less liklihood of "stickage" to the board between the tiers. Good luck to you ... I'm sure it's going to be a beauty!
I love the idea of using the slightly taller dowels or pillars to keep it from sticking. I was just wondering if everyone who does this transports the cake stacked or do you leave it separated and then assemble at the venue? I would be so paranoid about the cake layers shifting when you turn a corner or go over a bump in the car. Has anyone had a problem with that?
Just curious about the pillars and transport. Your input is alway appreciated. 
Hi
I have just completed a chocolate wedding cake course (i live in the uk) and this what i learnt. You stack the cakes using dowels to hold the weight then pour the ganache over the complete cake (all three teirs at the same time), this will leave a nice smooth coating. Put in large box to transport, i drove my cake over bumps through narrow twisty roads and fast at a distance of around 200 miles and the cake was fine!!
Hope this may help
... transports the cake stacked or do you leave it separated and then assemble at the venue? I would be so paranoid about the cake layers shifting when you turn a corner or go over a bump in the car. Has anyone had a problem with that?
I don't generally transport with more than two tiers stacked. Of course, when I stack them for transport, I will use about three wooden dowels or skewers that have been sharpened and put through both tiers and cardboards for stability. Many times, I won't even put borders on my cakes as too many roads around here are bad; too much construction; too many idiots who like to tailgate and cut me off. I only do one wedding per calendar date (two at most), so I allow myself plenty of time to set up and fix/finish any details at the site.
Hi
I have just completed a chocolate wedding cake course (i live in the uk)
Oh man... why can't I get that around here... a course THAT specific. Well, I could leave my baby for two weeks and go to Chicago to the Wilton school, but I don't think I could handle that. You are SO lucky!
I just want to offer a caution about using dowels that are higher than the height of the cake. This will make for an unstable cake as the cake board is resting on 6-8 tiny dowels and nothing to "grip" and the last thing anybody wants is a wedding cake on the floor! It might be slightly better with the hidden pillars since the feet from the plates could sit in the holes but I'm waaaaay too cautious and just wouldn't chance it especially with something as important as a wedding cake. Call me chicken-cluck cluck!
I would experiment a bit since you have time with different methods/ideas to prevent sticking.
I think your questions have been answered already, but I just wanted to let you know that I recently did a two-tier cake with chocolate ganache, and I did just what Gingoodies suggested. I left my hidden pillars slightly taller than the bottom tier. Once I setup the cake at the reception site and piped the bottom borders, you couldn't even tell that there was a space between the two tiers. It's the most recent picture in my photos. Chocolate ganache wedding cakes are so elegant and classy, and fun to make! Good luck!
Hi
I have just completed a chocolate wedding cake course (i live in the uk) and this what i learnt. You stack the cakes using dowels to hold the weight then pour the ganache over the complete cake (all three teirs at the same time), this will leave a nice smooth coating. Put in large box to transport, i drove my cake over bumps through narrow twisty roads and fast at a distance of around 200 miles and the cake was fine!!
Hope this may help
WELCOME TO CC---your new addiction--have fun with it!!!
Jess, thank you for that feedback! I am glad to hear that it worked so well for you, I think that is what I will end up doing. I am so glad to have that off my mind! Of course... I still HAVE to make a test one, don't I? (I think we ALL know the answer to that question!) I have been searching for good chocolate icing recipes... would you consider sharing yours? If so, please PM me at your convenience! Thanks again for the feedback!
Jess, I would love that recipe too if you don't mind, it looks yummy!
Sweetcakes23
... a caution about using dowels that are higher than the height of the cake. This will make for an unstable cake as the cake board is resting on 6-8 tiny dowels and nothing to "grip" ...
When I suggested cutting your dowels "higher" than the height of the cake, I only meant about 1/8" - 1/4" taller than the cake height. Also, I use the white plastic "tubes" that I can cut to the height I need to support any cake 10" or larger above it. I also use plenty of them. (Generally 6-8 in a 16" tier, 4-5 in a 14" tier, never less than 4 in a 10-12" tier).
And finally, once the tiers are in place, I ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS take at least one (and usually 3-4) sharpened dowels of at least 1/4" width and drive it down the entire height of the cake from the very top tier. This helps to minimize the shifting. I don't place these dowels in the very center, but nearer the edges, which helps to minimize the shifting problem, also.
Of course, it's whatever works for you. My methods may not be what works the best for the baker girl down the street, but that's okay. As long as we're both plenty busy, who cares how we get our cakes together? They just have to look (and taste) great when they are at the wedding. I always tell my brides: if I'm the right baker for you, then great. If you find that someone else makes you more comfortable, or you're getting a better deal from them, that's okay. There's plenty of work to go around and plenty of us to provide what every bride needs.
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