Hi everybody, I just completed a three layer vanilla cake all layers are 8 inches and 1 1/2 inches high. I did not dowel the layers and only put one bubble tea straw in the middle to make sure the layers didn't shift during transport (about a half hour drive through traffic) I made sure to make the buttercream inbetween the layers thicker so I could avoid any icing squishing out. So heres my question, without the dowels will the cake start to fall or condense or do you only have to worry about this when the layers are thicker and different sizes?

I've done three layer cakes before and never had a collapse. I dowel actual tiered cakes because it's basically stacking the weight of another whole cake on top of another cake.

I have done those exact layers, but I've done some pretty tall ones, like for a topsy turvy, and they held up just fine, you should be ok

No, I don't think you'll die from this...

If you really meant the cake is three LAYERS (6" tall, including filling) and not three TIERS, then you didn't even need the straw in the center.

I allow all my decorated cakes (usually consisting of only 2, 2 inch torted layers) several hours to 'settle' after crumbcoating before applying final coat of icing...others, I've read, use methods to assist their cakes in settling that involves weighting the cake...this also helps the bulging that can occur even in single tier cakes

No dowels necessary for single tiers(condensing/settling will take place with or without dowels...dowels won't prevent a cake from condensing/settling)

You should be ok.

Anything more than this, should be doweled or supported in some way.

Jen

Thank you, I just needed a little reassurance, I started to frett thinking I might wake up tomorrow to a disaster and didn't want my friend to be disappointed and all my hard work to be for nothing.