Having Trouble Getting Stacked Cakes To Look Right.
Decorating By dandy207 Updated 5 Jan 2007 , 11:02pm by love2chat
Proportion wise, They always seem like the sizes are off, i usually do 4 in. inbetween sizes. Is there a rule of thumb to fallow when choosing what size cake pans to use? And what about the tallness of each tier? I have been doing 4 inches. It seems a little high. I guess im just afraid to try other sizes for fear that they would look really bad. I Hate the learning process of this all lol.
Hello neighbor!!
There really is no standard for tier sizes in a stacked design. You typically though want to have no more than two inches of space on either side of a cake tier. IMO that size difference is the best as anything smaller than that doesn't allow for much room of a bottom border. There is room but just not too appealing. Of course if your tiers aren't stacked but separated then it really doesn't matter the size.
As far as tier height, this is just my opinion, the more tiers you have the 4" height is the maximum you should go. If you just have three tiers then I believe a 6" height would be just fine. I learned that when doing a stacked wedding cake you want your top tier to be the shortest tier if there is going to be a tall topper on it. It would just make your cake look off balance if you had a tall top tier and a tall topper on it.
This is all just my opinion and the rules I follow and have worked for me.
Amy
Wow, 6 inches high... wow. My fiance was going on and on because I was making 4" tall tiers, asking why I was making "foot-tall" cakes. Can you tell he's used to sheetcakes? LOL But, really, 6" tall - how would you do servings? Is it hard to cut? Please, tell me more! 
I think she meant 6 inches tall for the full three layers? not 6" for each tier?
Melissa
6 inches tall for 1 tier is not uncommon for cakes with larger diameters i think. my cakes are usually 3-4 inches tall.
i agree...my stacked cakes always look unproportional. then again, i've only made a total of 2 and didn't really follow a specific size guidline.
Yep, six inches per tier! If you have a three tier cake and make six inch tiers it "elongates" the cake and can give it a more sophistocated look depending on its decoration. IMO a cake of this size would look absolutely gorgeous if it were decorated very simply like with dotted swiss and a simple ribbon and a nice gumpaste arrangement on top and around the base! Man, I want to make one now!!!
Amy
I get to do stacked cakes a lot as wedding cakes. I have several on my website. It depends on what the bride is having on the cake. Usually I would make a 10" 8" 6" placed on a 14" board, if the bride is just having decorations on the top with ribbons around the bases. If she wants something placed on each layer as well as the top I would then do 12" 9" 6" placed on a 16" board. Most of my cakes are 3" - 4" in depth. I think it is just personal preference. I was told by a South African cake decorator that you aim to have the finished cake like a triangle, wide at the bottom and tapering at the top. If you know what I mean. Hope this has helped.
thanks for all your help ladies! I was asked to do a cake last summer that i didnt post because it came out horrible, luckily the dog of hers ate it anyhow lol. Sorry im bad. But she was a florist and just patched up the spot anyhow. 
So the pic she wanted the cake looked elongated, i think i should have done the tiers 6 inches tall. I did 4 inches and a 12 and a 8 in round. It didnt look good, it didnt look like the pict at all. I hated that cake. So ill have to be more daring when it comes to that and quit sticking to what i always do , thanks!
Can anyone tell me why my cake sunk in the center? I baked it at the appropriate temperature according to directions. Could I have overfilled the pan? Also, its crusty around the rim. Do you suggest I slice this cake into and fill it with the filling (9x13x2) and where its sunk in the center, cover with more icing? Eatible art is going on the cake and I don't know what to do. Even wrong side up its slightly sunk.
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