I am a relative newby to cake decorating. I am making a two tier bridal shower cake. I have 3 inch round pans and am using 14" and 10". After torting and filling the layers it looks so "short"....my question is when you are making round cakes - do you bake and use TWO of each size for the layers or one? I looked at alot of your cakes and each layer looks so tall...mine definitely don't come close.

I do 2 of each size cake and torte each cake. So I end up with four layers of cake and three layers of filling for each tier. HTH

Are you saying you only use 1 of each size? Or are you using 2 of each size, and torting and layer those (now 4 pcs)?

I do the same as kaat...4 layers of cake, 3 filling. My cakes are ususally around 4 inches tall. I think that's the norm.

thank you! I have time - will get some more cake mixes tomorrow, bake another layer of each, tort, and I should be good to go. I appreciate your input!

don't forget to post pics when you're done!

yep same here! two cakes per layer, but i usually use 2" tall pans

I had used 2" pans in the past but thought perhaps I needed the 3" ones....really, probably wasted my money but lesson learned.

You can always bake a 2" cake in a 3" pan. A 3" cake in a 2" pan is a little trickier!

Here's a pic of the cake - I so wish I could smooth buttercream nicely - but after a long patient try at it I said forget it and did another "pattern"....It was well received so I can't complain, I guess.

Sorry, wouldn't let me upload the pic? Any idea why? I have tried before and not had luck at uploading pics, too.

On the topic of height- what happens if you don't torte the 2'' layers? I am doing a tiered cake now, and I was planning on doing 2 - 2'' layers, but not torting it. Am I going to lose a substantial amount of height?

Many use only two layers (no torting). You just have to make sure you are getting nice full layers! This is where the 3" pans come in handy.

okay, I posted the pic. Would like some feedback - it always helps!

Its really pretty! I like the way the frosting is on the sides- very cool look. Did you end up torting one pan or two pans?

I torted two pans for each layer and it was really too big....perhaps 1 and a half would have been perfect but 1 was too "short" and two was too big....but there were leftovers so the bride and her father, especially, were happy!!! Better to have too much than too little.