I have an order for my first square wedding cake and have the following questions:
1. Is there a supplier of square cake cardboards? If not,what do you do for supporting each tier in a stacked square cake where you don't want separator plates to show? Cut your own?

2. My client wants 4 tiers and she will either have it serve 150 or 200. What sizes would you make the tiers? I know that 14/10/8/6 would serve 200, but this is not symmetrical. Do you think that would be aesthetically unappealing? And what about 4 square tiers for 150? Would I have to use a dummy tier?

3. She wants real ribbon around the base of each tier. For 4" high tiers, what width would you use? I was thinking 1", but would that be too wide?

4. Any tips for applying ribbon when using non-crusting SMBC icing? Or applying ribbon in general? I have not used real ribbon on a cake before. Do they simply remove it before the bride and groom cut the cake?

5. Any tips for swiss dots I should know about?

Thanks in advance for all your help! The participants on this website are a wealth of knowledge!!

Best to you all,
Susan

1. I cut my own boards.

2. Here's a 12/8/6: http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=750403 to give you an idea of difference in 2" diff and 4" diff in cake sizes.

For 150, if she absolutely wants 4 tiers, I'd do 12/10/8/6 (serves 172)
For 200, I do 14/10/8/6.

3. I use about a 3/4" ribbon. I find it in the cake decorating aisle at Walmart.

4. I use a crusting BC, so I can't help with the non-crusting question. But yes, the ribbon is removed before the cake is cut and served. When they are doing the cake cutting photo, I just tell the couple "...the ribbon will collapse when you cut it" or they can just pull it aside.

5. With a powdered sugar coated finger, go back around and mash the tips down on the dots. As a CC'er taught me .... dots are dots and should not look like chocolate chips.

Here is a thread with how I ice corners. http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopicp-5396443-.html#5396443

Antgirl hope this helps !!!
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