While watching Ace of Cakes I noticed they use straws for support when stacking cakes. They also placed them in under the fondant first. Can I do this when stacking these sizes: 12, 10, 8 and a 6?

Yes. Their called bubble tea straws. You can find them at Asian markets or online. Also, if you buy Sharon Zambito's Successful Stacking dvd, she shows you how to use them step by step. They work great because they are very stiff but not as hard to cut as a dowel!

I use them for small 2 tiered and 3 tiered cakes...not sure I would trust it with four. But I would love someone with more experience to chime in. But I do love the bubble tea straws!

Sharon uses them for four tiered cakes. I usually have a long travel (atleast an hour on most deliveries) so I dont trust it stacked until I put it together at the venue. But once there, I do use them.

I am anxiously waiting for Sharon's boxes and bows DVD and the Topsy turvy DVD to arrive. I am also expecting a cake shipment to come tomorrow with bubble tea straws in it. Do you know if Sharon explains how to use them in the boxes and bows dvd? I didn't order successful stacking.

I watched a tutorial that tonedna did and she used the bubble tea straws. I got them after I watched that and I LOVE them. They are very sturdy and easy to use! So much easier than wooden dowels!!

tonedna's tutorials are great.!! So how many levels have you stacked?

One cake was a 8" & 7" with a styrofoam divider in the middle with picks around it (obviously wrapped in plastic wrap so no styrofoam touched the cake) and the second was 10", 8" & 6". And tonedna's tutorials rock! I will watch anything she posts and if you email her, she always answers you! Love her!

Is tonednas tutorial on youtube for stacking?

Yes. And she has some great ones on making gumpaste flowers, too.

I don't think Edna used bubble tea straws on that video. I remember her saying that she used something else. And plus I believe she cut it with a serrated knife and not scissors. Correct me if I am wrong.

I always use a combination of bubble tea straws and wooden dowels.

when i was in baking and pastry school, we used bendy straws to support our cakes... and they were pretty heavy but we only did two tiers.... they were made out of pretty dense pound cake though

Edna uses some sort of cardboard straws I believe. Similar in principal to the bubble straws, and of course, not quite dowels either.

I use bubble straws or SPS, depends on the cake.

For a 6" on top of a 8 or 10" for example, I only need three. They are strong.

Thanks everyone.. if jammjenks did a 5 tier square and drove it assembled those straws must be sturdy. It is morning here now,just like Xmas. My package comes today with my straws and fmm funky cutters. I love how they look on everyone else's cake. I just hope that my DVD's from SHaron arrive soon.....

Sharon doesn't use them in the Boxes & Bows DVD but may use them in the Topsy Turvy one as that will be stacked cake.

thanks tiggy 2.

Thank you for the help. I am not transporting the cake assembled so I will try the boba tea straws.