hello, i am very new to cake decorating and am planning on making my first stacked cake for my sister in laws baby shower this month. I have never made a stacked cake before.
Anyway I was wondering if people would mind posting advise on different support methods for stacking a 6" cake ontop of a 10" cake. And could those giving advise please also mention where you could purchase those items.
Also do those more experienced cake decoraters feel that you can use boxed cake mixes for stacking or would they be to airy and collapse?
Thanks!!

Larissa

I'm so glad you asked because I'd like to know myself!

Theoretically you can stack any cake because one cake is not supporting the other--the support system is doing all the support. If you take a class you'll be taught to use dowels as a support system. I use a different system called SPS (Single Plate System) that was developed for consumers to pick up and transport their own wedding cakes. It's so much easier than dowels, at least for me. I'm pretty sure you can purchase it from Country Kitchens. (I buy wholesale, cause now I have that much volume.)

Every Wilton book has really good directions on how to stack cakes in the back of the book. Even has pictures to illustrate the process.

I agree with leahs- check out the Wilton books. This is only a hobby for me so I don't use the SPS System.

If you don't have any of the Wilton books, there may be info on their website and there are tons of info here too. You can also look into your library, most cake decorating books have directions for stacking. For support, I've used skewers and have read that others used heavy duty straws (like the ones at McDonalds) instead of the wooden dowels, which are hard to cut.

Good Luck

Delia

Hey delisa1,
Remember I'm talking about SPS not SFS. SFS is wildly expensive. SPS is so cheap its considered disposable.

I use Lolly Pop sticks here lately, good so far...My only worry is what happens if the paper stays moist for too long, but hasn't been an issue yet....I've used Straws and scewers also. I really liked the straws. And I use Dog toe nail clippers to cut the dowels/lolly pops/skewers, whatever is round and needs cut. Works like a charm.

I do not use any plates or systems. I just stack the cakes on top of each other using wooden dowles for support. For a 6 inch, I would use 5.

Frost bottom tier, insert dowel to measure where to cut. Cut 5 exactly the same height. Then insert into cake, leaving about 1 inch sticking out to help you set the top cake onto the bottom. Then frost the top tier with a cake board underneath. Slide hands under top tier and gently place onto cake, quickly pulling hands away. Touch up and finger dents or marks and add your border.

I only use cake mixes that have been doctored and have not had any problems stacking.

HTH

Stephanie

So Leahs, with that system, you just use the plates? You don't need pillars, dowels, etc?

Leahs...really? I didn't know there was a difference. Thanks, I will look into it.

SPS is a plate and pillar system. The legs/columns/pillars fit securely into the plate, then you ush that assembly into the cake. If your cake is 4" - 4.25" tall, then there's nothing to cut as the legs come at that height.

Ohhhhhhhhh, I see. That's interesting. I may need to use those for this square cake I'm doing in October. Haven't been able to find square cake boards locally and don't really want to order them because I don't know how often I'll get orders for square cakes.

You can also check out www.bakedecoratecelebrate.com and it has a great tutorial.

Also, someone here once posted a web address for a video on youtube that had stacking cakes. You might search there.

I think that the wilton books are great for learning how to stack cakes. I would do a practice cake before making the final cake for the party. Leahs, I cannot find anything on the SPS system you have mention and would greatly appreciate your help with finding more info on this product.

http://www.bakerycrafts.com/Items.aspx?np=10380,10423,10439&PageNumber=0

You may have to paste that into yur browser. Anyway, that's a page of a stack of different sized plates and legs all stacked on top of one another. Don't know if that will help at all.

There is info on it on (sorry) sugarcraft.com.

Here's a link to the "coast tiers system" same as sps at phiel n holing
http://www.cakedeco.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/st_main.html?p_catid=266&page=1
and here's the link to pastrywiz's bakeshop sps kits that include everything you need including the boxes for delivery.
http://www.bakingshop.com/bc/weddingcake0001.htm
If you can find someone to order for you bakerycrafts they have the sps wedding cake kits that also have the boxes and everything you need.

Just remember though that SPS and Coast parts are not interchangeable. You need to pick one system and stick to it to avoid keeping an inventory of parts on hand.

this is true.
nice thing bout the bakerycrafts is that it's an entire kit of all you need for a particular cake. Only prob is you have to have a business in order to order products from bakerycrafts.
pastrywiz has the same sps kits available and you don't have to have a business liscence to order from em

oo ooo ooo just had n idea, they use the bakerycrafts sps kits at walmart for their cakes
We would sell them to people for cost (couldn't mark em up). You might try there to see if they have any kits available or they can actually order them for you
it never hurts to ask.

You guys are the best. Thank you for sharing.

thanks for the links ya'll.

Dawn