i am just finishing my first fondant covered cake. and i am wondering how to keep the tiers together. i don't have anything really sharp to sharpen a dowel and i used bamboo skewers to support the top layer. can i use a bamboo skewer to dowell my two tiered cake?

I've used bamboo skewers before, but they were the thicker ones. I think you might be ok if you use enough of them at appropriate intervals.

I have a little pencil sharpener that I use to work on the dowels. It is one of the cheap style. I have heard that bamboo skewers can splinter very easily. I use bubble straws also. HTH

thanks for the help....i couldn't find my daughter's little pencil sharpener and yes, the bamboo skewers splinter.

i delivered the cake unscathed....thank goodness! i will try the pencil sharpener for my dowels.

I use the corrugated plastic cake boards on my cakes (because I feel like they are sturdier), how do you dowel through these? I have been afraid to even try. That plastic is tough and I am scared it would bend the cake board instead of piercing it.

make sure it is really sharp and hammer quickly... not that I have tried that, but seems like it would work... you could make a practice cake just to see.... in your spare time of course!!!

Just switch to SPS (see multiple threads) and throw those dowels away.