I saw on a youtube video someone posted here that a a decorator used straws for dowels. I also saw Geoff on Ace of Cakes use something that he could easily clip with scissors for dowels. I'm wondering if those were straws, too. Anyone here know? Could these be regular drinking straws? Surely it can't be THAT easy!
TIA!
Like Ali, I get mine at an Asian grocery. Or here if you want to get it online: http://cgi.ebay.com/1-Bag-Fat-Jumbo-Bubble-Boba-Pearl-Tea-Straws-Straw_W0QQitemZ4397073439QQihZ001QQcategoryZ38180QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem
I use dowels INSIDE straws for my cakes that are 2 & 3 tiers. $10-15 high-quality Fiskars pruning shears are all you need to easily cut the dowels. Put the dowel in first to displace the cake, then put the straw around it. This way, that (potentially) icky wood is not touching your cake! If you have a Cash & Carry in your area, they have the large diameter, strong straws in large quantity, very inexpensive.
Anything taller than 3 tiers, and extra large 3-tier cakes, get the Stress Free Support System, which I cannot rave about enough - it is FANTASTIC!
Best,
Jen N
I should add that I used straws alone for more than 5 years in my cake biz. This summer, on a 95 degree day, for the first time ever, I had a cake fall. A wedding guest ran into the cake table (literally, fell full-force into the table from the dance floor, according to the bride), and the top of the cake fell off. While not my fault (I was not blamed in the least), or the fault of the straws in the cake, this incident convinced me to "muscle-up" the support structure, and also to buy the Stress-Free system.
Anything can happen - best to be on the super-safe side!
Jen N
I used to cut the dowels to support my cakes (could never get them quite as even) until my pastry instructor told me she has always used straws. I've been using regular grocery store bought straws for the past 4 years and have never had a problem. I do have to say though, that I've only done 3 tier cakes. I just recently purchased bubble tea straws, I guess since they are wider, they will add a bit of extra support.
You know, I work at a bakery with a large wedding cake business (probably 200+ wedding cakes a year, we did 10 this weekend!), and we NEVER put anything down the middle of all the stacked cakes. We only use Wilton plastic "dowels" though. Never had a cake fall... (knock on wood).
I don't add any dowels/straws down the middle (through all the tiers). I usually stack them when I get to the event. I've also stacked them prior to getting to the event without a dowel and the cakes have arrived just fine. I do add a straw in the middle of each tier on which I will be stacking another.
extensive discussion of use of straws and multiple sources for them in this thread:
http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopic-270153-0.html
I saw Geoff use those on Ace of Cakes and how he snipped them off so quick. I'm always sawing away forever on my wood dowels. Is it really that easy, and can you just snip them when they are IN the cake and they will be even? (I guess you can if you're sure your cake is level already?)
I saw Geoff use those on Ace of Cakes and how he snipped them off so quick. I'm always sawing away forever on my wood dowels. Is it really that easy, and can you just snip them when they are IN the cake and they will be even? (I guess you can if you're sure your cake is level already?)
Email him and ask him. They will tell you anything you want to know.
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%