I'm working on my first wedding cake. It's a three tier. Each tier is pretty heavy (about 4 1/2 inches tall - I torted so there are 4 layers of cake in each).

I have the hard plastic dowels (wilton). I planned on doing dowels and one big wooden dowel rod down the center for my support system.

The wedding is not until Sat (tomorrow) at 7:30 in the evening.

If I stack it tonight is that too early? How far inadvance of the event do you stack your cakes?

Also, I'm using cake rounds (cardboard) under each tier so that my big dowel can go through. Do I need to put 2 of them together for extra strenght and support or will 1 do it? (My cake is 6, 10, 14 inch). So mainly concerned about the 10 I guess if it needs an extra cardboard round under it.


Thanks for your help.

I'll answer the stacking part, since I use a different support system.

With what you're using, I would finish the decorating and stack onsite.

I also never use 2 cardboards under a cake, especially one that is only 3 tiers.

I frequently stacked a cake the day before delivery, but as mentioned above, since it's not until evening, I'd just wait and do it either later in the afternoon or at the site. No scientific reason ..... just because I'd have plenty of time the day it's due to finish it up.

Thanks everyone! I was thinking of doing it tomorrow. I have to do some scroll work and put a ribbon around each tier. So I'll probably stack it late morning tomorrow and finish everything so the scrolls can set/dry before traveling.

I was hoping to take it stacked so then I don't have to assemble, seal, ribbon and border on site. And since it is only 3 tier, it's not terribly tall so I think it will ride okay.

Thanks for the advice on the cardboard as well. I'll probably just do the one. It will have lots of dowel support under it and there's only a little 6 incher on top of it, so I think it'll be okay.

I think I'm just nervous nelly b/c it's my first. Thank goodness it's a little one (although, as much room as it takes up in my fridge, it feels like a 5 tier LOL).

Why is the cake in your fridge?

Silly question.. but when the large dowel that goes down the centre of all of the cakes - how does it go threw the cardboard?
If it's a buttercream cake - do you have to decorate it when its stacked? TY

Thanks for the help everyone. Indy - you are my hero. Thanks for your story. I am nervous but have watched so many demos and read so many cake books I feel like I'm as ready as I'll ever be.

As for my refridgerating, I had only crumb coated them, and to get that nice, clean second coat, I let them refridgerate over night so they'd be nice and hard while I did the finishing coat.

Now that all the tiers are finished being frosted, they are sitting out at room temp so they can dry and set over night.

I plan on stacking and doing some simple scrolls and dots tomorrow (and of course adding the ribbon she requested etc).

It's very hot and humid here in Tx, so I find (just for little old me) that refridgerating after the crumb coat stage helps the final coat go on smoother.