Ok, ok, ok, you guys were right! I had a baby shower cake this past weekend that had to go 2 hours away and I knew I wouldn't have time to finish all of it after I got there (3 tiers,mmf w/mmf decos-I'll have pics later this week) so I bravely went where I haven't gone before, I stacked the bottom 2 tiers and.....I drove a stake thru the poor little cake's heart! 
I've always been afraid to do it so I always pre-cut holes the size of the dowel and lower the cake down onto the tier below (thax SquirrellyCakes!) but it was after the cake was already on the board when I knew what had to be done. It worked just like you guys said it would but I'm still afraid to do it again! 
Ha Ha.. I know what you mean.. when I made the gift box cake.. I HAD to put a stake in the back of the top part of "the box".. Man I didnt even predrill holes.. I just hammered and prayed, hammered and prayed, hammered some more and prayed some more.. WHEW! it worked!!
I had to do that for the first time this week. I was so scared.
I couldn't find a pencil sharpener anywhere in the house so I had to sharpen the dowel with a steak knife. It worked ok. I practiced hammering it though another board to make sure it worked.
It worked perfectly on the cake. I will definitely be doing this again.
I found really thick bamboo sticks at the grocery store and they are already sharpened. I will try those next time.
The stake through the cake puzzles me, doesn't that make a hole in the top of your cake that you just smoothed? I have an idea for an invention that will help me to make sure my cakes are perfectly stacked and the center dowel won't ruin the top of the cake. My brother and I made a protype yesterday, I'm excited to try it!
The stake through the cake puzzles me, doesn't that make a hole in the top of your cake that you just smoothed?
When I drive the dowel, I either have some kind of decorations that will hide the hole, or I wait till the event to place the top tier on.
I have an idea for an invention that will help me to make sure my cakes are perfectly stacked and the center dowel won't ruin the top of the cake. My brother and I made a protype yesterday, I'm excited to try it!
Can't wait to see it! Good luck. 
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