Best Cake Board/support For 2 Tiered Wedding Cake?
Decorating By twosweetcakes Updated 31 Dec 2010 , 10:48pm by bakingatthebeach
I am doing my first wedding cake and I'm slightly nervous! AGH!!! The cake appears to be very simple, but I'm more worried about cake disasters. What would be the best kind of support for the cake? It's going to be 2-tiers, but each tier will be fairly tall (maybe 6"). I will make sure to put a cardboard round board in between the layers. I need the board on the bottom to be fairly discreet...she will be putting it on a tree trunk (very unique wedding).
Another very embarrassing question - I am so new to all of this! I see photos of many cakes on boards with the foil on them...do you just simply take a round cake board and cover it with the decorative foil? It looks thicker than one cake board...just wondering what people use
Any other tips on doing my first wedding cake and overcoming my fear of a cake disaster would be appreciated - THANKS!!
The base boards you're likely looking at are cake drums. They come foiled. And of course, I'd recommend SPS for support. It will give you tremendous peace of mind. Check the SPS thread at the top of the Cake Decorating Forum. Scroll to page 15.
Read this website as much as you can. Everything you need to know is on here. I've heard great things about the SPS system. I haven't tried it yet. I transitioned from using wooden dowels to using the bubble tea straws. They are much easier to work with than cutting wooden dowels for stacked cakes.
For 2 tier cakes, I buy the foil covered cake drums (Wilton), preferably 2-4 inches larger than the bottom tier. Construction: I put a cake drum, non-skid kitchen shelf liner taped to the drum, cake board (same size as bottom tier), cake, cake board (same size as top tier), cake.
If you choose to use the bubble tea straws for support, i'd suggest you make sure you cut them even and short enough to go just below the icing. Leave them sticking up a little so that when you stack the top tier, your fingers don't get in the icing. The weight of most top tiers will push the straws down into the cake. Smaller tiers may need a little help to sit flat, because they are not very heavy.
Anything you have a question about, do a search on this website and you will find several answers and options.
I use those cake boards (come two in a pack from Wilton at Michaels) but lately I have noticed they are bending when I lift the cake, never used to do this before. I did a 5 tier wedding cake and ordered a foil covered board from sugarshack or global sugar art, anyways it was very sturdy. Another thing I have done is get a board from Lowes, they will cut it to size for you, its cheap and I used the collars from the sps plates and glue them on the bottom of the board which raise it up slightly off of the table surface so I can get my fingers under it to lift the cake.
For a beginner, as Leah_s posted, SPS is the best way to go. Once you have played a while, you can branch out to the bubble tea straws!
I use the bubble tea straws - and if you use a crusting buttercream, you want to cut them even (or a tiny bit above) with the icing. If you cut them below the icing, you run the risk of the icing cracking from the pressure, and that doesn't look nice. I learned this the hard way when I first started out!
I also leave mine sticking out of the cake about an inch so I have something to set the next tier on without messing the icing up with my fingers!
Good luck!
Thanks so much for your help everyone! I love this website and I'm still learning to maneuver my way around
I was speaking to a professional decorator in my area the other day and asked him what he used and his suggestions made sense to me. Instead of the cardboard rounds in between the layers, use foamcore. If your cakes are moist, the cardboard can get "wet" and we all know cardboard doesn't hold up well when wet. Instead of using wooden dowels or straws, he suggested using the Wilton plastic dowels, which I have used and personally did feel more confident in them. I have used the cake boards and like them, but I'm also considering going to the hardware store and having some cut out of plywood. I loooooove the nonskid mat to help keeping my cakes from sliding in my car. You can pick that up anywhere. I've even been told they sell it at the Dollar Store.
Leah_s....i've heard you mention teh SPS system before, but don't know what it is. I can't seem to find the thread on it you are talking about. Can you explain it to me? Thanks!!!!
Oh...i took your advice before and stacked my wedding cake there. It turned out great and i didn't have to worry about it tipping!! Thanks for that too!
I hear that SPS is the best for peace of mind.
For basic sturdy cake boards, I am a big fan of MDF from your local hardware/home store. They will cut it to specified sizes.
Leah_s....i've heard you mention teh SPS system before, but don't know what it is. I can't seem to find the thread on it you are talking about. Can you explain it to me? Thanks!!!!
Oh...i took your advice before and stacked my wedding cake there. It turned out great and i didn't have to worry about it tipping!! Thanks for that too!
Look in the How Do I forum and she has a Sticky up at the top with instructions, I love it love it love it. No more crooked cakes, drive them with confidence, and it is so easy to stack them.
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