I routinely do 5 and 6 tier cakes and have certainly done a 7 tier. I use SPS - every cake, every time. It's easy, cheap, strong and reliable.
Hey leah - I also use the SPS, but the tallest I have done is 5 tiers with it. I have a 6 tier cake coming up in August and want to have the entire cake stacked and finished during delivery. My drive is about 40 min. Are your cakes fully stacked during delivery?
Absolutely no way, no how should you use just dowels to support a 7 tier cake.
You should be able to put some of the cost of the stand back to the customer. I charge an extra construction cost for anything over 5 tiers that makes up for the extra material, work, transportation, assembly (and yes, stress) of a larger cake.
The absolute cheapest route that would go would be metal pipes on a sturdy wooden board as the base that is at least 3/4 inch thick, with melamine or mdf board in between supporting each tier.
ok I feel stupid. I went to search what SPS means? could someone help me out on what you all are talking about? thanks.
Absolutely no way, no how should you use just dowels to support a 7 tier cake.
You should be able to put some of the cost of the stand back to the customer. I charge an extra construction cost for anything over 5 tiers that makes up for the extra material, work, transportation, assembly (and yes, stress) of a larger cake.
The absolute cheapest route that would go would be metal pipes on a sturdy wooden board as the base that is at least 3/4 inch thick, with melamine or mdf board in between supporting each tier.
One person's "no way" is anothers "swear by". I did this with bubble straws. Strong and sturdy as anything. And I wouldn't support someone's thousand plus dollar cake on something I didn't completely 100% trust. 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/yuma_couture_cakes/5583963950/in/photostream
1 inch center dowel fastened to board. Hole out the center of your cakes and individually dowel each layer. Then when you get to venue you just thread your cakes onto the dowel. If your cakes are level you will end up with a sturdy and level cake. I will go ahead and put the first 3 or 4 layers on at the shop so I don't have as much to do at the venue.
One person's "no way" is anothers "swear by". I did this with bubble straws. Strong and sturdy as anything. And I wouldn't support someone's thousand plus dollar cake on something I didn't completely 100% trust. http://www.flickr.com/photos/yuma_couture_cakes/5583963950/in/photostream I also use bubble tea straws in smaller cakes, but she didn't say that, she said DOWELS, as in wooden dowels. And I completely stand by what I said WOODEN DOWELING a 7 tier cake is asking for trouble.
Nice cake, btw.
AnotherCaker, fantastic accomplishment, love it! No central long dowel?
Thanks! Nope, no dowel, not necessary if completely level when set up. I transported this in two sections, 4 bottom tiers assembled, and the three top ones assembled.
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