Hello............... I was wondering if someone can please tell me what kinda of styrofoamdo I use to do the topsy turvy cakes? My daughter's BLing Bling Birthday Bash is Monday and I really need to make her cake cute....so I thought topsy turvy! Any info. u are willing to share is helpful and usefull and for sure I am gratefull! Thank You

I have seen the wedges before on the web but can't remember who sells them..Try Dallasfoam.com...or google it.

For my wedge topsy turvy I used small cake dummies and carved them into the wedge shapes I needed.

You can purchase the styrofoam tilted wedges from cake stores. Not sure where you are located. But there is a cake store in Richardson where you can purchase it.

I use the green foam you use for flowers, its so easy to cut, you buy them in blocks and cut it in wedges.

I understand you use styrofoam for topsy turvey cakes but do you just cover it in fondant like it was part of the cake?

When I used foam as a dummy layer I covered it in fondant.

Im new to the forum and I have fallen in love with cake decorating in the past two months. I would like for some of you to tell me what kind of cakes to use if carving is involved in my decoration. please help and a recipe would be nice too. [/b]

You can also make the same size cake pan of rice krispie treats and 'carve' your wedge to save money and time if you haven't already ordered the styrofoam. I also heard at the ICES convention this past week that some people in some areas can by sheets of rice krispie treats already made, but not cut at their local Sam's, I can't say I've ever seen them at ours though!

Here is a link to an awesome instructional DVD on Topsy Turvy with NO styrofoam involved. Sharon (sugarshack) has lots of other great DVD's. They have helped me a lot...worth the money!!

Good luck!

http://www.sugaredproductions.com/

I have used even styrofoam, I just cut it myself and cover it in fondant..
Edna

My first topsy turvey cake was a disaster...these foam piece you are talking about go between layers of real cake?? How do you secure them, can anyone post a pic where they used these I am soooo confused (easily so) LOL Thanks

alidpayne,
Thank you that cake is beautiful! So the white styrofoam separates the tiers to add height? What about stability? How do you make it so it won't tip? I sound like such an idiot. Sorryi'm still trying to put it all together

You are totally NOT an idiot. LOL It took me MUCH thought and planning, and I was still scared to death! lol.

So, what I did was take a piece of plywood the size I wanted the base to be, got a thumb sized dowel rod, and screwed it to the plywood from the bottom. Then I cored a hole in the center of the bottom tier and slid it down the dowel from the top. Then I cut the top of the first wedge to the angle I wanted the second tier to set at. I cored the foam wedge at the correct angle (this is kinda tricky), covered it with piping gel and then fondant, then slid it down the dowel. Then each cake and wedge were done the same way adjusting the angle of the wedge and the the angle of the cored out hole to make them sit at the appropriate angle. When I got ready to do the top tier We held it up and marked the center dowel so that it would only go halfway into the top cake, wrapped the whole cake SUPER well with plastic wrap and then sawed the dowel off. Then I partially cored the top tier from underneath, slid the top cake on and YAY! Done. LOL

That cake was super, super sturdy. I mean You couldn't move it with a dozer. We drove that sucker almost an hour away at midnight fully assembled. The center dowel was the key.

I was the one to serve the cake, so it wasn't a big deal. I just slid the top tier off and put aside to wrap for first anniversary, then slid each wedge and cake off and put the plywood assembly under the table before cutting each cake.

If you have any questions I am glad to help. It was so much work figuring it out, and if I can help someone else have an easier time I am glad to help.

Thank you, now I understand. My first topsy literally slid apart because I didn't cut into the tier enough to make it sit straight! I love your design and the styrofoam separators add such height and elegance. Thank you for spelling it out for me!! LOL

No problem! I have learned SO much from this site. I am just glad I am finally able to pass it on.

I would like to say thank you all for helping me out...... I hope this comes out cute!

wow thanks alidpayne that is the best layout data, I just wondered did you have to put anything on the bottom of the wedge between the wedge and the cake such as icing or filling. I am a newbie and thanks for the info. Yall are so helpfull

thanks i still never made one but thinking about it maybe by Christmas I'll dare try

This is what I use for all my stacked cakes now. I buy precut masonite boards, 1/2 inch thick, from a cake supply, paint the outer area with food grade safe paint [you only need to paint the exposed are that will not be under the cake] drill a small hole in the center of the board and into the end of a 3/4 inch dowel rod, put a little wood glue in the hole of the dowel, then put a small screw through the base of the board into the dowel....rock solid when the glue dries. I also glue several 1/4 inch thick 1 inch round wooden disks to the bottom as "feet" for the board....makes it so easy to get your fingers under it.
I add the cost of materials for this support into the cost of the cake...nothing to return!
I ice my cakes on foamcore circles cut the same size as the tiers

I'm getting ready to tackle a cake with topsy turvy separators so the cakes will be normal but sitting on angled styrofoam to make it topsy turvy - is there a limit on the angle that I should cut the foam to avoid too much pressure on the cake - I don't want gravity to take over and make the cakes slide or lose stability?  I'm thinking no more than 10 degrees?