At What Height Of Cake Do I Need Support And Under What Conditions?
Decorating By kinchi Updated 11 Jan 2018 , 12:37am by bubs1stbirthday
After how many inches of cake layer do you need to add dowels for support? Does the filling also matter in this decision? Like buttercream dam with pastry cream filling vs. all buttercream as filling? My total cake height will be about 6" and I'm wondering if I should use some straws or wooden dowels? This would be either 2 3" layers that were torted to make 4 layers 1.5" thick, or even just 3 layers that are about 2" thick.
Also just wondering, in the event I made a tiered cake of two different sizes, do the dowels extend all the way from top of the cake to the bottom through the supporting cake board?
Novice baker for my kids birthday cakes! :)
Let's answer your second question first. No, your dowels or straws (whatever you choose to use for support) do not extend all the way through both tiers. Your supports are placed in the bottom tier within the circumference of the second tier. Your second tier should have a cake board under it and the cake board will rest on the supports in the bottom tier. If it is a tall cake, a central dowel can be used that does extend through the entire cake and anchor into the cake board at the base.
Now your first question - I occasionally use a few straws in a single tier cake if it is particularly tender and tall. There is no set rule. Some cakes are very sturdy, like pound cake, and needs no support. Most of the time, you will not need supports in a single tier, regardless of the height.
If I was going to be doing a 6 inch cake with nothing heavy sitting on top of it and it was not going to be moved apart from set out on the table at home etc I personally would not use any additional support in the cake for the purpose of making it structurally sound.
However I would for servings sake make the overall 6 inches up out of 2 cakes that were each 3 inches tall and on their own cake boards. If I was doing that I would probably lay some baking paper between the two cake to minimise sticking when you remove the top cake board (after cutting the cake. In this instance yes I would use dowelling under the top cake so that there is support under it and you don't need to remove it prior to cutting.
So in other words, two cakes made on separate board to be 3 inches high each, both filled and crumb coated but the one going on the bottom I would also ice the top of. Insert dowels in to 'bottom' cake (I would measure with a rules as I filled to make sure the cakes are very even (measure all sides on square or 4 equal points if round cake). Stack and finish icing as one complete cake.
Doing it that way you can cut twice as many pieces without risking thin slices that tip over or having lots of big pieces of cake that no one eats. To cut simply cut down the cake until you hit the board, finish cutting, remove board and repeat with bottom cake.
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