I'm making a birthday cake today and I'm new at this cake decorating. I have never done a two tier cake before. I'm doing a bottom 8 x 4 and a top 6 x4. Do I need dowles? How many? Any help for a newbie would be great! THanks!

Yes, you need dowels, and each cake needs to be on its own board too. I would use 4 dowels in the 8" (I use the bubble tea straws). Take the 4" pan and center it over the 8" - I "draw" a line around it so I know exactly where that tier needs to set on top. (use a toothpick)

And make sure your dowels are all exactly the same height! Don't stick them in the cake (8") and then measure each to the height of the cake, measure ONE at the lowest point of the cake and then cut them ALL to that length so the cake sitting on top (6") will have a level surface to sit on.

I have done cake up to 3 tiers without dowels but I used pound cake in these cases. They were not very big either 7; 5; and 3,5 inches and more or less 3 inches heigh