How Do You (Personally) Stack A Cake? (Long)
Decorating By confectionsofahousewife Updated 5 Aug 2013 , 4:28am by janbutterfield
I have been having this same problem!! Thanks for posting this question and thanks Indydebi for the pics!
You dont' put the full weight of the cake down with that initial contact. Your hand is still supporting the weight. As you lower the cake into place, the dowels (or support system you are using) picks up the weight.
Well I'm just glad I'm not the only one that has some problems with this. I know as I practice more it will get better but I felt like I needed to explore a different method.
Toptier- I love the idea of placing the central dowel before stacking the cakes. It would definitely take the guess work out of centering the cakes which is one of my major issues. Does the dowel push through the cake okay without making tears or cracks? Also, do you use sps? If not, is there a reason you don't?
Indy, what do you use as your dowels?
Toptier- I love the idea of placing the central dowel before stacking the cakes. It would definitely take the guess work out of centering the cakes which is one of my major issues. Does the dowel push through the cake okay without making tears or cracks? Also, do you use sps? If not, is there a reason you don't?
I too always put the center dowel in first and then stack...it always worked great until I did a 3-tier bridal shower cake. I was sliding the top tier on through the pre-made center hole and suddenly it stopped midway on the dowel. Now this was cold icing so I pushed down on the top to lower it but it would only go so far...not all the way down. I pushed down and pushed down not knowing that I was creating pressure on the second tier (apparently the board was thicker than it should have been so it was down as far as it would go). I stopped pushing to check and saw that my second tier was all bowed out and cracked. I had to take the top tier off (which thankfully was not injured) and totally re-bake, ice and stack the 2nd tier. I redid the top tier board...made a much bigger hole in it and still had to push down more than I wanted to. And now I think it was because my cake was cold. AAAAGGGHHH. Never had that problem before..but then I haven't done many 3-tier cakes! Live and learn!
I too always put the center dowel in first and then stack...it always worked great until I did a 3-tier bridal shower cake. I was sliding the top tier on through the pre-made center hole and suddenly it stopped midway on the dowel. Now this was cold icing so I pushed down on the top to lower it but it would only go so far...not all the way down. I pushed down and pushed down not knowing that I was creating pressure on the second tier (apparently the board was thicker than it should have been so it was down as far as it would go). I stopped pushing to check and saw that my second tier was all bowed out and cracked. I had to take the top tier off (which thankfully was not injured) and totally re-bake, ice and stack the 2nd tier. I redid the top tier board...made a much bigger hole in it and still had to push down more than I wanted to. And now I think it was because my cake was cold. AAAAGGGHHH. Never had that problem before..but then I haven't done many 3-tier cakes! Live and learn!
Oh no! Glad you shared this though. I have been refrigerating my tiers before stacking because it firms up the buttercream so I feel like I'm less likely to make a mess of it. I'll have to keep that in mind if i do the central dowel thing!
I just use plain wooden dowels. On a larger cake (5 tier min), I'll use the wilton hollow plastic ones in the bottom tier only.
I just use plain wooden dowels. On a larger cake (5 tier min), I'll use the wilton hollow plastic ones in the bottom tier only.
How do you cut them evenly? I used the wilton plastic ones this past weekend because I figured I could cut them so the edges were even.
The wooden dowels? By taking the advice of many CC'ers, I bought a set of dog nail clippers (geesh, only five bucks! What had I been putting it off for?). Wow, these things are AMAZING!!! Snips thru those wooden dowels in nothing flat! SOmetimes I'd sand off the bottoms, just to get those "wispies" of wood off of there, but I'm tellin' ya, if you use wooden dowels, these clippers are the only way to go!
GREAT INFO! one question though. What is SPS? I would really love to know. PLEASEEEEEEEEEEE
Single plate system - works great!
http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-603925.html
SPS stands for Single Plate System. It's a stacking system sold by Bakery Crafts. Take a look in this thread...
http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-603925-sps.html
Debi - Do you chill or freeze your cakes? I don't have room for either. I also have a hard time getting my cake of the my counter to place on top of the next tier without getting smuges on the bottom. So frustrating when everything looks grand until I acturally have to move something.
I never refrigerate my cakes. Never. I will freeze them right after they are baked, but they never go in the freezer once any kind of icing is on them.
I've read about "throwing them in the freezer for 10-15 minutes" but in that short of time, cakes aren't going to freeze solid. Cakes that ARE frozen solid will thaw in 10-30 minutes, so logically (to me) throwing them in the freezer prior to delivery is a waste of time because it won't be cold or frozen by the time the cake is unloaded at the venue, unless the venue is literally right across the street.
The wooden dowels? By taking the advice of many CC'ers, I bought a set of dog nail clippers (geesh, only five bucks! What had I been putting it off for?). Wow, these things are AMAZING!!! Snips thru those wooden dowels in nothing flat! SOmetimes I'd sand off the bottoms, just to get those "wispies" of wood off of there, but I'm tellin' ya, if you use wooden dowels, these clippers are the only way to go!
Dog nail clippers!!! Never would have thought about that. I have the hardest time cutting wood dowels so the edges are straight and have tried everything...except dog nail clippers! Do you use a central dowel also?
Sheilabelle- isn't it frustrating when all your tiers look great, until you starting picking them up to stack them!
Hey Debi - I just used your method today. IT WORKED!!!! I only had a couple of smuges that were easily fixed. Yeah!!!!!
Hey Debi - I just used your method today. IT WORKED!!!! I only had a couple of smuges that were easily fixed. Yeah!!!!!
YAY!!! (i'm glad you shared! somedays I STILL find it amazing that some of my advice actually works, so it's nice to get confirmation! )
You wouldn't believe how much of your advice I use. You could write a book and I'd be the first in line to buy it. I can't tell you how much I have learned from all of your comments on CC. I am self taught (with help from CC). I am so busy right now with grad. cakes and wedding cakes that I can't believe it. I couldn't do this without all of your help. Love you CC'ers.
I use a little different method which is using a center dowel, I'll explain...I first place the bottom tier in the center of the base board, using some bc, or ganache, or piping gel, or royal icing to secure (whatever I have around). Then I place my bubble straw supports as usual, then I place a sharpened center dowel right through the center of the cake and hammer that in place. I have precut the height of the dowel so that it stops approx. halfway up the top tier. Then, I thread each cake (I have premade a hole in the exact center of each of my base boards) over the central dowel and pretty much use Indydebi's method with a spatula once I get to that point. Sometimes I do use the "leaving up of the straws" trick to get the cake to settle gently but it has to be a heavy tier to push those back in.
The central dowel does keep things from shifting and has the added bonus of helping you place your tiers in the exact center. I find it very helpful, I've tried most methods and I like this one the best.
BTW if you're using SPS it is best to order your plates 1" smaller than the cake.
can i ask what you use for your centre dowel? most normal sized dowels you get from cake supplies dont come long enough?
I use the 12" long dowels which are sufficient for up to three tiers. Above that I use SPS (for four tiers or higher). If you refrigerate cakes and I do b/c I use perishable fillings, you must leave the cake out to come to room temp a good 5 hours or so or your customer may have trouble pulling out the sps to cut the cake. I just make sure to deliver sps cakes way before they're being cut - found that out the hard way. I think that you can get longer dowels, perhaps someone else on here knows where?
Long dowel either 36" or 45" are at Walmart (craft department) or any hardware store.
YAY!!! (i'm glad you shared! somedays I STILL find it amazing that some of my advice actually works, so it's nice to get confirmation! )
What! I follow your advice all the time! I am getting ready to follow your stacking advice. Its just a two tier wedding cake but hey it still needs to be stacked! Its not due until tomorrow night (I still can't figure out why someone is having a wedding reception at 8:30 pm on a sunday night, and father's day to boot, but whatever). Is it best to stack it today, or should I wait until the day of delivery?
YAY!!! (i'm glad you shared! somedays I STILL find it amazing that some of my advice actually works, so it's nice to get confirmation! )
What! I follow your advice all the time! I am getting ready to follow your stacking advice. Its just a two tier wedding cake but hey it still needs to be stacked! Its not due until tomorrow night (I still can't figure out why someone is having a wedding reception at 8:30 pm on a sunday night, and father's day to boot, but whatever). Is it best to stack it today, or should I wait until the day of delivery?
If it was me, I'd do it right before I delivered it (assuming you are delivering assembled?). Including adding the border, only takes 10 minutes or so to get it set up.
Although I HAVE stacked cakes the day before and they hold up just fine!!
Yeah I think I'll wait till tomorrow. Its going to have a fondant pearl border so that will take a little time but the top is 6 inches so not huge. And since its only two tiers I will be delivering assembled. Right now I have to put the 9 inch tall double barrel bottom tier onto its cake board! That I'm afraid of because its top heavy. I'm delaying doing it because I'm so nervous!
Other than the SPS, what do you all use underneath your tiers with stacking? What does the cake sit directly on?
I have read to use foam core. I bought some and cut it and I'm not sure I like the way the edge looks-kind of raggedy paper/styrofoam combo going on there. I'm not sure how well the icing will hide it and I also want to achieve the "clean" look of no borders and my tiers sitting directly on top of one another.
Buying the packages of Wilton cardboard is getting expensive and I end up cutting those anyway because they are not even with my cake edges. Has anyone tried the corregated plastic they sell at craft stores? I suppose this would be ok for square cakes but it would be easier to buy the SPS circles.
Debi - Do you chill or freeze your cakes? I don't have room for either. I also have a hard time getting my cake of the my counter to place on top of the next tier without getting smuges on the bottom. So frustrating when everything looks grand until I acturally have to move something.
Put your cake that your icing on top of something smaller (I use 1" masonite bases for my cakes so I have all sizes) or place it on top of anything smaller and sturdy enough to hold the cake while you're icing it. That way you can get your fingers underneath the iced cake.
Put your cake that your icing on top of something smaller (I use 1" masonite bases for my cakes so I have all sizes) or place it on top of anything smaller and sturdy enough to hold the cake while you're icing it. That way you can get your fingers underneath the iced cake.
That's a good idea. On a side note, do you cover your masonite cake bases in fondan? If so, how do you go about cleaning it off to reuse? Or do you not reuse?
on the foam core I would cover it with florists wrap just like making a cake drum. cut it with a SHARP x-acto knife in as few smooth deliberate cuts as possible for a clean edge.
For wedding cakes I use cake stackers. The way it works your tiers are automatically perfectly centered. It is absolutely stable and solid. I really love it.
However for small events birthdays etc... where someone wants to come pick up the cake and I do not want my pricey stand off on the adventure, and on birthdays (people are going to really balk at the deposit I require for the cake stackers, where as at weddings they are used to paying equipment deposits etc... so not such a big deal) anyway for those tiered cakes for graduations/birthdays I am starting to think about sps for that. I have never used SPS and my biggest concern is that I want a center dowel running top to bottom of any stacked cake and I do not think SPS allows for a center dowel. Does it?
I use wood dowels/ wilton hollow plastic dowels on the bday cakes but I have not found the perfect thing to cut the wilton hollow plastic dowels with.... what does everyone else use to cut those?
Put your cake that your icing on top of something smaller (I use 1" masonite bases for my cakes so I have all sizes) or place it on top of anything smaller and sturdy enough to hold the cake while you're icing it. That way you can get your fingers underneath the iced cake.
That's a good idea. On a side note, do you cover your masonite cake bases in fondan? If so, how do you go about cleaning it off to reuse? Or do you not reuse?
I either just cover them with cake board foil or if I'm going to cover the board with fondant, I first use the foil and then fondant.
I have had 2 cakes fall during delivery in the last 6-7 weeks. I use wooden skewers, and then do just like indy said, except I usually put 3 skewers down through all 3 tiers. The only thing that I used to do differently, is that I didn't put dowels/skewers in each of bottom/support cakes. The cakes themselves supported each other, but this sometimes caused a bulge- esp. in the bottom. I'm thinking that the skewers are too thin and maybe I am putting TOO MUCH support, and weakening the system? A friend of mine said that she read that could happen on here- Idk, but I am going to be getting the SPS system!!! I'm too scared to deliver a 6/8/10! That's pitiful, I know, but up until 6 wks ago, I had never had a "cake disaster" and now I'v had 2! I said I wasn't taking any more already assembled after the 1st one happened, but b/c of the design of this last one, I felt I had to in order to get the decor right. NEVER AGAIN! It's the last 2 3 tiered wedding cakes in my pics that it happened to (not the golden anniversary one). I was mortified!!!
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