I'm doing a three tier buttercream cake and wanted to get feedback on the best stacking method. Should I stack after icing the cakes or before?
Thanks!
I stack after icing the cakes. If using crusting buttercream, let crust well before stacking and "disassembly" later is easy. Once cakes stacked, then I do final touches. HTH
Liz
I dowel also, but don't usually get requests for stacked cakes in buttercream. They typically want fondant for stacked cakes. Thanks for the advice!
Since my question falls under this thread, I will just add to it. What is the best way to pick up and place a buttercream cake on top of another one? I have done it several times, but everytime I can't get the cake off of the turntable and then I completely destroy the bottom half of my cake. Advice?
What is SPS?
I just did a three tiered stacking cake. I did the buttercream crumb coating, and them stacked, and THEN piped buttercream on. I couldn't think of any other way!
Since my question falls under this thread, I will just add to it. What is the best way to pick up and place a buttercream cake on top of another one? I have done it several times, but everytime I can't get the cake off of the turntable and then I completely destroy the bottom half of my cake. Advice?
I don't know if others do this, but for my fondant cakes (it would work for buttercream too) I use bubble tea straws (it would also work with dowels)
I put one straw in the cake to mark how long to cut them, then I cut the rest using that one, then I insert them leaving about an inch and a half-2 inches sticking up out of the cake, then lift the top tier using an offset spatula, keeping my fingers only on the bottom of the cake board the top tier is on, then place the cake on the straws and slide the spatula out.
The weight of the cake should push the straws or dowels down and you shouldn't have any finger prints on your cake.
if it doesn't go all the way down, I just push down gently and it goes. As long as you are using crusting buttercream or fondant it shouldn't leave any marks, but if it does you can smooth it back out.
I try to make sure it's centered so I don't have to move it, but if I do, I just slide the spatula under and move it with that. Also, I put a small glob of buttercream in the middle of the bottom tier to hold the top tier in place. If you need to put one long dowel through you can do that too. HTH.
I actually don't have a problem with the "bottom" cake. The cake I am trying to place on top is the one I have issues with. I can never get the spatula under the cake board enough to get my fingers under it, and not feel like I am going to dump it on it's side. I feel like I need 4 arms.
I'm going to add a question to this topic too.... I'm making a 2 tier cake that is going to go on a 2 hour drive to its destination and i need to send it off already assembled! whats the best way to stack thats going to make it AS STURDY AS POSSIBLE?!?! i've never really used anything other than dowels but is that going to be sturdy enough??? btw its all bc.
Angela93, I sent two two-tier cakes on 4-5 hr drives with just dowels. I just double-stake them and make sure the dowel goes into the cake board.
pinkpiggie78- important question.... what did you use to cary the cake in???? i was thinking of making a homemade box! does anyone else do that? i've done it a couple times before. i just hate how they offer so many different shaped pans, but only a few different size boards and boxes!!! and why do they only offer them 4-6 in high?!?!?!? so annoying!
I have used bankers boxes that you can pick up at staples, office max, etc.
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