I plan on making a cake like this one this weekend in 10", 8" and 6" tiers (thank you ellepal for a beautiful inspiration). I've never stacked three tiers before and I need to transport the cake to a party. I've gotten lots of good information for how to stack a cake from hanging out here, but what advice do you give for stacking before transport or after? What about partially stacking before? Do the 8" and 6"? or the 10" and 8"? The 10" is going to have to be three shorter layers b/c the chocolate cake did not rise as high as the 8" and 6" WASC. All layers will be filled with toba garrett's french vanilla buttercream mixed with raspberry puree. Also, what do you suggest I bring for a fix kit? Any advice would be HUGELY appreciated.

First of all you want to your usual dowels inbetween all the layers with separator plates. If you choose to stack a three tier beforehand you should put a dowel all the way through the entire cake and plates. Also if you dab a little RI on your plates it will help with any slipping.
As for transporation, I usually drive atleast 2 hour for my deliveries. I have a minivan that I use. I bought one of those non-slip mats that you put under your rugs and use that under my cakeboards. They dont move! Anything fragile like gumpaste flowers I would put in a separate box with batting that you use to make quilts with or foam and pack them so that they cannot touch and bump out. Put those on when you arrive at the site.
For fix it kit: RI in the colors of your cake is a must! Bring extra dust colors if you need them and always make extra flowers just in case. YOu can always use them on another cake later if you have to. Wilton has a wonderful little tacklebox type thing you can buy at Michaels to carry everything in also.
Im sure someone else will have some other good ideas for you. And good luck! That is one beautiful cake there!!

weirkd,

when you say separator plates, is that the same as cardboard cakeboards? Also, I have questions about driving a dowel all the way through. How thick a dowel? What would I need to use to drive the dowel through the boards? Do I dowel before putting the fondant on my top layer? there is not going to be a topper to cover a hole.

When doweling all the way through, you have to use cardboard separators (won't go through plastic ). Make sure that you sharpen the dowel and use a hammer, or better yet, the flat side of a meat tenderizer works the best because of the surface area. If there is not going to be a topper, you can either dowel through all the tiers except the final tier or if you feel more secure doweling through all the tiers, use some royal icing in the same color as the fondant and "spackle" the whole just like you would a hole in the wall. Works great everytime!

If this is your first time stacking a cake, my advice would be to assemble on site. You'll have enough nerve wracking stress just trying to stack the thing and making sure you've done everything you should. This would eliminate the need for the central dowel.

If you choose to use a central dowel and don't want a hole in the top of your cake, you can do the method backwards. You put the dowel into your bottom tier, making sure it's not any taller than your finished cake will be. Cut holes in your cardboards for the dowel to fit through, and stack each layer onto the next, pushing the dowel up through the cake, rather than down into the cake. This also helps with centering because you can make sure you center your holes in your cardboards. I hope this makes sense.

sun33082, are you saying to assemble each tier and THEN put it on the dowel, or do each layer on the dowel? If that is the way, how do you ice, etc.? How do you handle the tiers and not mess up your icing??

sun33082 thats the best idea/advice I never heard of it done that way and I would have never thunk it!!!!!!! I tryed the hammering the dowel through all cakes once before and got a split in my cake Can't wait to try this.

Can I jump in here with a query please? When you put the dowel through the stacked layers with the cake rounds under each one, won't cause the boards you are trying to push through to sort of mash down in the middle? I am going to have to try this so I can get the fear out of my system. Thanks for explaining.

You assemble each tier like you would for any stacked cake, but instead of stacking and then hammering a dowel from the top to the bottom, you start with the bottom tier, stick a long dowel in the middle, and lower each tier onto the dowel.

I've attached a picture.

So you make a hole in the board and cake before you put it together. Boy was I backwards. I could just see that cake dropping down as I hammered. Good show!

check out www.logicpic.com for the method I use--I've been driving 3-tier cakes around lately with a ton of confidence because of this system. Dowels go up through the bottom...LOVE it!

nicksmom,

I really like doing it this way. I don't use it for transporting, i use it for centering, but would work just the same for transporting. Also I've heard people have problems getting the dowel out after they've hammered it in (because it's so tight) and with this method, you can make your holes big enough that the tiers lift right up.

I'll have a look. I wanted to thy the SPS as well but I hate buying the set for each cake since they are throw aways. I'll look at the site. Thanks for the info.

[SPAM].com is hormel meat.....did I look the wrong place?

Hi,
I have not ever used the wooden dowel rods in stacking a cake, but from what everyone has said it seems to work. When I stack cakes I use the plastic down rods cut to size ( I use a pvc pipe cutter for this, it's like $5.00 at your local hardware store). Anyway I usually put four in the cake and sometimes one in the middle if a bit heavier. Then I use a cardboard round covred in foil, ice the next layer on that and then stack that on top of the bottom tier. I don't always like using a plate set when stacking becasue ever time the plate get's moved it moves the rods on the inside and sometimes causes damage to the cake. I only use a plate set when I am seperating any teirs. If you look at some of the cakes I have posted, I have done this with all of them. Like this weekend I have a 4 teir cake a 12", 10", 8", and a 6". I am stacking the 12" and 10", seperating and then having the 8" and 6" on top. With something like this I will stack the 12" and 10", then stack the 8" and 6" but put the 8" and 6" on top after I get to the place I am going. I hope I have helped and not confused? Please feel free to e-mail me if any questions.

Dee

what diameter should the dowel be for either method? Do you "predrill" a hole in your cake, too? Any tips on how to do that?

No need to pre-drill your cake. What kind of cake do you bake?

The dowel doesn't have to be too thick for centering, like I said I don't do this for transporting, but if I did, I would use a dowel that didn't bend too easily. I actually use drinking straws attached together, but that's just because I use it for centering.

the cake is going to be a 10" tier of double chocolate layer cake (3 layers), and an 8" and a 6" WASC. So like a 1/4 inch dowel?

I still want to know how you handle the tiers to do this please. Is this bottom up dowel sharpened also?? Do you just kind of "let go"???

havingfun: Since you make holes on your cake boards before you put the cake on it, you don't have to sharpen the dowels. I think the purpose of the sharp point is, if you are driving the dowel from the top with a hammer, it pierces each cardboard without bending it.

No no need to sharpen. You handle the tiers like you would with any stacked cake. Very carefully.

You already have dowels in each tier to support the one above it. You dont' want to push the small dowels all the way into the cake, you want them to be sticking up out of the cake about an inch or so. That way when you lower the next tier on, there's room for your fingers to get out of the way and the weight of the cake pushes the dowels down into the tier below.

If I'm going to do a border around the bottom of each tier, I wait until the cake is stacked to do that. If I have ribbon going around the bottom, then I put the ribbon on before and it cake doesn't get messed up.

Thanks for all the input here...
I have yet to do a tiered cake for transport...but this makes it sound more doable!

the dowels sticking up an inch idea is fantastic. I'm still wondering what the diameter of the center dowel should be? 1/4"? 3/8"? larger?

Ok, let me see if I am understanding this correctly.

1. Drill a hole in the bottom of my cardboard separators, center the holes.
2. Decorate my cakes on the separators, as I want them to look when finished...details and all.
3. Insert support dowels into the layers, but leave them sticking out of the top a bit (weight of the cake above will push them down).
4. Transport separate cakes to location.
5. When at the new location, insert a large dowel (height of all tiers of cakes) into the center of the bottom tier.
6. Place the next tier onto the dowel (through the pre-drilled hole) and lower it onto the bottom tier).
7. Continue step 6 with the remaining tiers.
Voila, cakes will be centered, supported and all.

Did I miss anything? I didn't have coffee this morning, so let me know what I missed.

Heatherly30,

Step 2, you don't have to decorate everything on each tier before you assemble. It's really up to you and the design as to what you do before you assemble and after. The cake in my avatar, I did the designs on the sides before assembling, but did the border after. In the other wedding cake in my photos, I did the design on the sides, the border on the corners and top, and the ribbon and then assembled on site and fixed any mess ups. So it's just your preference.

Step 5. It doesn't have to be a large dowel if you're not using it for transporting and only use it for centering. Like I said I use a drinking straw, so that's not very big at all. Just long enough to go through all tiers, but short enough to not stick out the top

Also make sure your small dowels are all cut the same height. I do this by inserting one all the way into the cake and cutting at the icing line. Then cut the rest of the dowels using that "template." I'm guessing you knew that part, but wanted to make sure.

I love the backwards doweling idea!! Takes care of centering and stability at the same time, thanks for sharing!

Thanks! You all must have some mega long straws in Indiana...I'll have to check those out. Another question...what is the easiest way to cut my dowel rods?

Well I mean I attach drinking straws together. I use drinking straws as my small dowels for support too.