Getting Tiers The Perfect Height, Help!
Decorating By Tashablueyes Updated 22 Sep 2008 , 1:02pm by indydebi
So I know i should know this and I even asked the question before but now i am not able to find the darn post.
I am doing my first ever wedding cake and it's a doozy! It's a 16" round, a 14" round, a 12" round, a 10" square, and then a 6" round. Huge, massive darn cake. I felt pretty confident about it and even order the SPS system for it and everything. And then she spazzed out a week ago (2 weeks before the event, mind you) and added the 16 to the bottom. Crap. I don't have the proper parts to use the SPS for the full thing and now I have to do the most unstable supports in the very bottom layer. Not happy about that if you can't tell. Anyway, I bought some Wilton push in pillars and I'm just going to use a lot of them and do the SPS for the other layers.
There's the long story and why I'm so paranoid, but the real question is, how do I get my tiers to all turn out at 4"? I am using 2" pans and I am pretty sure Leah said that's what she uses (and everyone knows that it's best to emulate Leah as often as possible for tiered cakes! 
) And I overfilled them a little and just flattened the slight doming. But I don't see now how they will be tall enough. Was I supposed to bake two layers for each tier? I feel really silly asking this, but please help!
Thanks!
There are no silly questions on here! All of us did every technique for the first time at some time in our life.
Yes, you need to do two 2" layers for each 4" tier cake (2" cake + some filling + 2" cake = 4" tall). If your cakes end up slightly less than 2" tall, usually by the time you add the filling and icing, they meet that 4" height ok.
And you're already starting out smart by following anything leahs does! 
I'm one of those weird people who likes filling with my cake...not cake with my filling LOL....so I only use two layers with one layer of filling. But as long as you make sure your cake is pretty much level with the top of your 2" pan (either by leveling it in the pan, or making sure it bakes nearly to the top) then you can be sure that the cakes will all be the right height.
You'll do fine!
Its way easier for me for some reason to bake 3 cakes in the 2" pans because once I level them they are always shorter then what I think they should be. I only do this for wedding cakes, for birthday cakes I only do 2 cakes and I am usually at 3 1/2" for some reason. I haven't perfected it, but doing this just saves me worries that it isn't tall enough.
I think the height of your cakes is related to the recipe you're using, where you live (altitude) etc. With some of my recipes, I have to bake 3 cakes to get to 4" too. I personally think that's easier than torting, but probably more expensive.
Good luck on the cake! After awhile, you'll just tell the bride that she can't have the 16" tier because you have already prepped for the other sizes. It's a great feeling! 
I have troubles getting the 4" as well. How much batter goes into each pan? Maybe that'll help me get the hight.
I've found the Wilton charts are fairly accurate. I have to use a bit more batter than the chart says for a few sizes, but all in all it's pretty close.
Each recipe rises a bit differently too, once you get used to using the same recipes, you can eyeball the pan. But yeah the Wilton chart is helpful.
(I learned that the hard way, I had a spice cake recipe that didn't seem to rise as high, so the other day I overfilled the pans and man did I have a smelly mess to clean out of the bottom of the oven!!!!)
So I know i should know this and I even asked the question before but now i am not able to find the darn post.
I am doing my first ever wedding cake and it's a doozy! It's a 16" round, a 14" round, a 12" round, a 10" square, and then a 6" round. Huge, massive darn cake...
Thanks!
Hey, the corners of that 10" square will hang off the edges of the 12". I mean if it's separated it won't be as obvious or if they are floating you're ok. But if they are all stacked you need to reconfigure. I guess if you are using sps they are stacked?
Hey- go to Home Depot or whatever hardware store and have them cut you some 3/4 inch or 1-inch dowel 4 -5 inches high for the big poppa bear cakes on the bottom. Cut them however long your tiers will be tall. No worries. Dip them in wax or cover in foil or something to protect the cake from any woodsy smell--it can affect the area right next to the dowel.
Best baking to you, Cake-Buddy.
Since you might be reconfiguring let me recommend using at least 3" between tiers like 16x13x10x whatever square fits on a 10 then an appropriate top tier to go on that. The cake you have planned will look like a pear, big heavy full bottom topped with a pinhead which works for some designs but I just wanted to point that out.
BB2U
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