Any Ideas How To Keep Fingers Out Of Cake When Stacking??
Decorating By mocakes Updated 26 Aug 2007 , 11:36pm by fuzzykoala22
Does anyone out there have any brilliant ideas about how to keep finger marks to a minimum when stacking tiers???? 
No matter how hard I try...I mess up the icing somewhere on the cake trying to stack!! I was just curious, with all the genius minds out there, what you all do!
Any tips I should know about???? 
When icing the cake, I put it on something that is smaller in diameter than the cake itself and that is tall enough to get my fingers under (not too tall, because if the cake falls off, you'll have problems). This way when the cake is iced, i have room to slip my hands under to move it. Usually I use folded non-skid cabinet liner.
Then to stack it without a mess, don't push the dowels all the way into the tier below. Leave them sticking out about an inch above the icing. That way when you go to stack the next tier, you have room to get your fingers out of the way. Just lower, let go, and the weight of the cake will push the dowels down.
Hope this helps
It's not a perfect fix and I still muss it a lil but I use one of my small angled icing spatulas to hold the edge while I slide my fingers out. I'd love some more imput on this one as well though!
Then to stack it without a mess, don't push the dowels all the way into the tier below. Leave them sticking out about an inch above the icing. That way when you go to stack the next tier, you have room to get your fingers out of the way. Just lower, let go, and the weight of the cake will push the dowels down.
HOW SMART ARE YOU THIS IS PERFACT AND I WILL BE TRYING THIS ON MY NEXT CAKE. I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW EXCITED I AM!!! 
It's not a perfect fix and I still muss it a lil but I use one of my small angled icing spatulas to hold the edge while I slide my fingers out. I'd love some more imput on this one as well though!
i do something similar to this also
The dowels must be cut and inserted all the way down to the cake board first. Then, using tweezers, pull them all back up about 1 1/2". Place the top tier on the cake layer with the dowels sticking up, and then gently "drop and move your fingers" quickly. By pushing the dowels all the way down and then pulling back out before you place the cake, you have already tamped down the cake under the dowel rods. If you only push the dowels so far in initially, you run the chance of your dowels not going all the way down to the cake board when you place the top cake on. This method is wonderful for never having those "finger marks" on your cake. Good Luck!
OMG the dowel trick sounds great! I'm tryin' it!
The dowels must be cut and inserted all the way down to the cake board first. Then, using tweezers, pull them all back up about 1 1/2". Place the top tier on the cake layer with the dowels sticking up, and then gently "drop and move your fingers" quickly. By pushing the dowels all the way down and then pulling back out before you place the cake, you have already tamped down the cake under the dowel rods. If you only push the dowels so far in initially, you run the chance of your dowels not going all the way down to the cake board when you place the top cake on. This method is wonderful for never having those "finger marks" on your cake. Good Luck!
Thank you! I tried the dowel thing and it didn't work. Now I see it's because I didn't push them in then pull back up. I just left them sticking up a bit and it wasn't enough force to push them down.
The dowels must be cut and inserted all the way down to the cake board first. Then, using tweezers, pull them all back up about 1 1/2". Place the top tier on the cake layer with the dowels sticking up, and then gently "drop and move your fingers" quickly. By pushing the dowels all the way down and then pulling back out before you place the cake, you have already tamped down the cake under the dowel rods. If you only push the dowels so far in initially, you run the chance of your dowels not going all the way down to the cake board when you place the top cake on. This method is wonderful for never having those "finger marks" on your cake. Good Luck!
i agree.
Im kinda confused (not hard to do) can you push them about 1/2 way through so the cake doesn't slam upon the other cake? I am trying to envision this
yes. push them all the way down, then pull them up halfway to set the cake up on. the cakes weight will push them back in, but it'll give you a few seconds to remove your hands. if you pull them up too high though, you risk the dowels tilting, which could eventually give way and cause your tier to tilt.
The dowel trick is such a clever idea! I love Cake Central In a few weeks I'll be doing my first ever stacked wedding cake, and I'll DEFINITELY be doing that!
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