How Do You Deliver Your 4 Tiered Cakes?
Decorating By cakesbyliane Updated 14 Apr 2017 , 3:43pm by -K8memphis
I have a 4 tiered cake I'm delivering (all ganache, so heavy) to the venue and I wondered would you stack all tiers at home and deliver assembled or would you part stack and finish at venue? (Btw I physically shake under nerves so really worried about finishing at venue)
And if you do build the first two tiers together (10" & 8") and then the the other two (6" &4)how do you transport the 6 & 4 inch? Someone suggested placing it on a cake board with a bit of non stick foam underneath.
I've delivered 3 tiers stacked but never 4.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated
Thank you
I would deliver them stacked especially since they aren't big tiers and nerves while stacking a cake can be dangerous. I would be nervous stacking them at the venue too so I would leave that as a "only if you must" option. Put a wooden dowel through the whole cake in order to make it sturdy enough for transportation and you don't have to worry about it as much.
If you do decide to only partially assemble them then I would say to keep the 4 and 6 inch on another cake board with either the foam or I use my buttercream to stick it and I've never had a problem. Remember to take any tools or fillings that you would need to complete the stacking. Good luck!
I stack mine using the Coast/SPS sytem, and deliver it stacked. It doesn't move a bit (and on one occasion, it was a 6-8-10-12" in 105ºF heat with a 90 minute drive!), and it's a lot easier to just touch up any dings once I get to the venue. I also use a Cake Safe for additional peace of mind.
So long as you can fit it in the car you should be able to deliver it stacked.
Use a central dowel attached to the base board then make a hole in each of the individual cake boards just slightly larger then the hole the thread each of the cakes over the dowel as you stack. I usually place non-slip mat in the box under the cake and then under the box in the car.
i like to jab a skewer into the top tier sometimes down into the cardboard cake board underneath it so i have a "handle" then i just pull it out and fill in the hole -- often another cake covers it or some decoration --
also i typically use the 3/4" hollow plastic tube type dowels -- so i of course measure and insert them before delivery -- but i pull them up a few inches to stack the next tier -- just stick my finger in and unscrew them while pulling up -- so i can center the cake as i'm hovering it over the dowel -- and have just a moment to get my fingers out of the way as the cake sinks the dowel back down -- and this is where i started using the skewer jabbed into the cake because for lighter/smaller cakes -- they don't sink the pillars all the way back down so i push them down with the skewers
true confessions of a wedding cake deliverer hahahahaha
I never assemble anything 5 tiers or smaller on sight...the only reason I would do any site assembly is if the box is too tall for the back of my SUV.
I use the center pole impalement method to stack my cakes.
I glue a center 1/2 inch dowel cut two inches shorter than my finished cake into the center base (a 1 inch thick foamcore base from cakethings.com). I cut a slightly larger than 1/2 inch hole in the center of my tier boards (3/8 inch foamcore boards again) before icing my cakes on them.
When ready to stack, I slide the CHILLED* cakes down over the dowel....they are perfectly centered with no measuring and it's as sturdy as it gets...with proper tier doweling you could transport a cake assembled this way as far as you'd like!
*A well chilled, very cold cake is much less likely to have any issues with shifting, etc.
Thank you so much for all your replies.
I will stack at home thanks to all your recommendations.
make sure you can carry that load through the gauntlet from car to cake table :)
10x8x6x4 shouldn't be prohibitively heavy but it will be at least 16" tall and awkward to so be aware and careful -- fully box it so you can grab the box for leverage not the cake
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