Ok, this is probably a super stupid question...but...I'll ask anyway. I've only been decorating a little over three months now and am wanting to make more stacked cakes. I've done two now, the first was obviously a first and my second wasn't too bad. (I love and NEED ideas on how to improve! So please look at my stuff and critique me, good and bad!) I try desperately to made delicious, moist and tender cakes--which seems like a good idea. However, I've watched LOTS and LOTS of cake shows now and have noticed that many of these cakes are tough (like homemade bread) and dryish. Is this necessary to support weight? I even noticed one decorator on "challenge" complaining his cake was too moist. Thanks in advance!!

Most of the cakes you see on challenges are not about the taste. They are about being able to cut and carve and stack and do crazy things with. They bake them before they come and ship them to the challenge. They aren't fresh baked cakes you would feed your family.

Would you want to eat a dry, tough, tasteless but pretty cake? I don't think so.
It is helpful to bake the cake at least the day before decorating it but I have at times baked and decorated w/in hours when I had my shop.
I believe cakes should be moist and tender. They should taste as good (or better!) than they look

If I had to choose between a good tasting cake OR a pretty decorated cake, I'd hang up my icing bags for good. It's definitely not an "either/or" deal.

The cake isn't what supports the upper tier. It's your support system. You can make a cake-shaped bottom tier out of 100% cool whip and if your support system is set up right, it will support the upper tiers.

I can't tell you how glad I am that you guys feel the same way! I was begining to wonder if taste was unimportant in the decorating world. Does anyone else wonder about Duff's cakes? I know "Never a Frozen Cake", but when it takes time to bake and then 3 days to decorate...isn't it stale?

I'm such a newbie myself that I question whether I should give any advice at all, but I will give my two cents, for what it's worth! What "I" am finding is that there are some ultra moist, tender, AND delicious recipes that work great, such as WASC, and others that seem to have trouble holding themselves up, let alone a second layer of cake. Those seem to always cause either that awful bulge around the sides, or sink somewhat in the middle (for me). I've been compensating by adding more icing to make them look level. I will absolutely NOT compromise quality for beauty, and I'll find a way to have both without always having to use WASC! I've even tried using different box mix flavors with the recipe for WASC and each different flavor seems to perform differently.
So, to answer your question, no, I don't think you have to compromise taste for looks, I just think you have to perform a lot of trial and error and see what works for you. And I am definitely a cake "freezer".....my personal opinion is that it does seem to make the cakes more moist, but for some recipes it makes them too wet and sticky. I've started binder of recipes to try, and those that I already have, and I've tested each recipe twice; once frozen and tested, and once not frozen and tested, then I make notes on the recipes to remind myself what I did, or didn't like about each. Hope this helps?

Thanks everyone, you're awesome!!

Yuppers, your support system is the key. You can use light cakes if the system is sturdy.

Jen