First Time Stacking Square Cakes. Helpers Wanted!
Decorating By gucci Updated 29 Apr 2008 , 6:53pm by vdrsolo
Hi everyone! I have a 3-tiered square cake coming up that I'm so nervous about. Thankfully, it's only going to be 10", 8", and 6". Is there a special technique to stacking square cakes? I guess what I'm most nervous about is how to prevent the edges and corners from sagging. The cake is all in buttercream. I would love some helpful hints on how to do this. I'm such a beginner!! Thank you: )
Make sure your layers are COMPLETELY level, that way your corners won't be low.
I prefer for my cakes to bake over the pan about a 1/2", I don't get a hump because I bake at 325 and use bake even strips. I also use Magic Line pans. If the cakes are a little low on the corners and the cakes bake over a bit, I can still completely level the cakes.
I use an Agbay leveler, my layers are perfectly level, love that thing!!
When I ice the cake, I use a sewing gauge that I set at 4 1/16", and make sure the icing is exactly this height all the way around (I like my finished cakes without the icing on top to be around 3 3/4"). If the cake is to be fondant, I decrease the amount of icing on the top to allow the thickness of the fondant. I then use the Bakery Craft SPS system with the 4" pillars for my stacking. The plates settle in the icing just a bit but not on the cake itself so there is no pressure on the cake but there is also no gap between the plate and the cake. Most of my brides only want a teeny tiny border or only a fondant ribbon so I can't put a big border on to cover up a gap.
If you use the dowel support system, I place the dowels near the outer edge of the upper tier, near the corners. If you're really unsure about it, put the upper tier on a plate (I did it this way for years, until I learned on CC that plain cardboard is just fine).
Sorry, double post I can't delete for some reason.
The only time I had a problem with my corners seeming to fall in the middle I had used a Wilton pan and it was those rounded corners. It was the bottom tier so I know it didnt sink, but it turned out ugly. So I just suggest using magic line pans, or even Wilton is coming out with the new square edge pans. I suggest making sure your batter gets all the way into the corners too. Push it with your spatchula and drop it (gently) on the counter.
I've used plates and dowels, and plates with dowels. The only problem I've had was I accidently put a dowel where the plate went into the cake and I had to adjust the dowel while trying to balance the tier without it pushing into the back. But my corners seemed fine.
vdrsolo-what is a sewing gauge?
You can find sewing gauges at any fabric store or in the sewing section at Walmart, just ask someone in the fabric dept, they will know exactly what it is. I have one that I use only for cake decorating.
It is a 6" metal ruler, it has an adjustable slide on it that you can raise it up and down, it's actually used for measuring seams and making sure you have them turned down the same amount and for sewing the same distance away, etc.
The adjustable slide on it has a pointed end on it, so you can actually go around your cake and make marks at where you smooth your top. I ice it high, then take off what needs to be taken off. It also works very well when you need to put some type of decorative band, etc around the cake. I had a cake recently that had a 1" cornelli lace band in the middle of the cake , I used the gauge to mark my bottom and top so I knew exactly where to pipe my beaded border, then just piped the cornelli lace inside of it.
Here's an example of one:
http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog.jsp?CATID=cat3439&PRODID=prd3125&source=search
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