Transporting A Tiered Cake

Decorating By Spireite Updated 27 Feb 2013 , 9:07am by suzannem5

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Spireite Posted 25 Feb 2013 , 6:09pm
post #1 of 7

I am making a christening cake for this coming Sunday for my (to be) God daughter.  So I thought it would be a good opportunity to try stacking a tiered cake.  The bottom layer will be Chocolate 10" round, and the top layer Rich fruit 6" Hexagonal...both layers gluten free...so this has entailed already 2 or 3 practice cakes to get the recipe right!!!

 

I know that I have to use dowel rods, and I have them ready.  I am planning on covering them with marzipan, and then ready made roll out (fondant).  So I still have to make the chocolate layer and shall ice them this week.

 

My question is do I place the dowels in before I travel down to Kent (about a 2hour car journey), or place and measure the dowels just before stacking,....and adding the pretty pink ribbon to hide the join?

 

A really basic question, but I'm still very new to the decorating side of cakes  icon_biggrin.gif

6 replies
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CWR41 Posted 25 Feb 2013 , 6:31pm
post #2 of 7
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spireite 
or place and measure the dowels just before stacking,....  icon_biggrin.gif

Dowels are a "must" before stacking:

http://www.wilton.com/cakes/tiered-cakes/stacked-tiered-cake-construction.cfm

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mcaulir Posted 26 Feb 2013 , 2:06am
post #3 of 7

As I understand it, you're travelling with the cake unstacked either way? In that case, you can put the dowels in whenever suits you best: either at home before you leave, or hwne you get there. I would think at home would be easier.

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Spireite Posted 26 Feb 2013 , 9:41am
post #4 of 7

Thank you ladies(?).  As you can see I'm spending too much time thinking it through,,, Today I will put marzipan on the fruit layer icon_biggrin.gif

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mcaulir Posted 26 Feb 2013 , 10:53am
post #5 of 7

No problems. Good luck!

 

And definitely ladies!

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arlenej Posted 27 Feb 2013 , 2:57am
post #6 of 7

A suggestion? Put the heavier (fruit) cake  below? Just to err on the side of caution....
 

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suzannem5 Posted 27 Feb 2013 , 9:07am
post #7 of 7

Hello, I always dowel and stack cakes the day before they are to be transported - it is so much easier to do all the work in my own kitchen with all my tools and equipment to hand.  I often put fruit cakes as a top tier also, as the dowels provide the support and structure it doesn't really matter what cake goes where.  As you have the cakes baked it wouldn't be practical to consider changing them round now.

 

If you're going to stack the cakes when you get there I would put the dowels in at home - it really doesn't make any difference when they go in - some people put them immediately after covering the cake so that the icing doesn't crack - I personally prefer to leave it a couple of hours so that the icing firms up a bit and isn't so easily marked.  It would just be one less thing to do when you get there...
 

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