I just made one of my worst cakes EVER!!!! I attempted to make a giant cupcake using 3 stacked tiers of red velvet (probably my 1st mistake), filled with cream cheese icing (mistake #2) and then inverted a pyrex bowl with RKT for the top. The top became too heavy with the fondant (crushing lower tiers) even though I supported it with dowels and the fondant began to tear too!!!

GRRRRR!!!

How should I have done this for better results? Which type of cake and filling would hold up the best to make this type of sculpted cake. I was going for the style of cupcake Andrea's Sweetcakes has circulating on Flickr.

Help! Save me! Suggestions for a second run at it?

got any pictures? it sounds like one or more of the dowels may have slipped? the cake being too soft shouldnt really be a support issue, but if the cake moves, could move the dowels.

how tall was the cake part? more than 4-6 inches and that should be supported inside too. (im assuming you mean layers not tiers - or else its a very giant cupcake!)

if im carving cake i use either maderia or pound cake, and i always just use regular bc (indydebis normally).
xx

Thanks Brincess_B. I did mean layers of cake -must have been an off day when I posted. The base of the cake was about 6-7 " BEFORE it got crushed. I used wooden dowels, how else can I support "inside" the cake? I did slip up and forget to place a board between the top and the bottom. Live and Learn! Now, what about the top and getting the nice swirl?

SS

I'd say forgetting the board was really too blame then, too much weight to support it's self.
I think people often use the really big pastry tips to ice the top part, or cut a bigger than usual hole on a piping bag.
xx

I made one last year the way you did, with the 3 layers and the pyrex bowl on the top. I used a cake board on the bottom of top. I placed a couple dowels in the the bottom layers. I had no problems. I used a chocolate cake and just regular buttercream.