Tiered Cake Disasters

Decorating By helavacakes Updated 7 Dec 2013 , 4:43am by kakeladi

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helavacakes Posted 7 Dec 2013 , 3:42am
post #1 of 10

AHi, I am new to cake baking/decorating.. I have loved baking since I was young but am now expanding my baking/decorating skills.

I have made a couple tiered cakes.. And I have used dowels, skewers, straws int he bottom tier to support the top, but they till squish. I am unsure of what I am doing wrong, am I using the wrong cake. I've tried, mud, pound, vanilla and butter cakes.. All do the same thing. Should the cakes be cold/frozen before I stack it?? I think they should be able to stay stacked for at least a day but they seem to collapse after a few hours. Please help I would love to have a successful tiered cake!!!!

Thank you.

9 replies
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Norasmom Posted 7 Dec 2013 , 4:05am
post #2 of 10

After you torte and fill the cake, do you put a heavy object on top to settle it?  Leah S uses a floor tile on top.

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helavacakes Posted 7 Dec 2013 , 4:07am
post #3 of 10

ANo I dont. Am I suppose to??

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dukeswalker Posted 7 Dec 2013 , 4:13am
post #4 of 10

You didn't mention cardboard cake rounds,  Is each tier on its own cardboard round?

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-K8memphis Posted 7 Dec 2013 , 4:15am
post #5 of 10

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

 

Quote:

Cakes are supported and stabilized by dowel rods and cake boards.

 

dowels are cut the exact same length to each other not cut to the height of the surface of the cake--

 

i set my dowels well within the perimeter of the cake that sits above it--you don't want the dowel too close to the outside perimeter--

 

for example for a 10 x 7 i'd place the dowel into the 10" cake in a circle that's about 4" or 4.5"  in diameter--so the 7" tier can balance itself  without collapsing the 10" cake--

 

you might want to describe your method so peeps can diagnose it for you--

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helavacakes Posted 7 Dec 2013 , 4:25am
post #6 of 10

ANo I use a cake board for the bottom tier, but not the top.. I am very new to stacking and decorating but really wanna know what I'm doing wrong. Should I be using a crdboard cake board for the stacked tiers?

I have been making the dowels to the top of the cake (bottom tier) so I should be making them smaller?? Deeper into the cake..

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kakeladi Posted 7 Dec 2013 , 4:28am
post #7 of 10

.........do you put a heavy object on top to settle it?.........

 

That has nothing to do with a cake  not staying upright when stacked/tiered.

Are you putting each tier (2-layer, filled cake) on it's own cake board?  All the supoort in the world (straws, pillers dowels, etc) will not hold up a tier.  It must have a solid cakeboard under it (that sits on the support.)

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dukeswalker Posted 7 Dec 2013 , 4:31am
post #8 of 10

Quote:

Originally Posted by helavacakes 

No I use a cake board for the bottom tier, but not the top.. I am very new to stacking and decorating but really wanna know what I'm doing wrong. Should I be using a crdboard cake board for the stacked tiers?

I have been making the dowels to the top of the cake (bottom tier) so I should be making them smaller?? Deeper into the cake..

This is 100% the problem.  Each tier needs its own cakeboard under it otherwise your dowels, etc will sick right into each tier of cake.  

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helavacakes Posted 7 Dec 2013 , 4:37am
post #9 of 10

AThank you so much for your help!! Fingers crossed there will be no more squished cakes :) thank you thank you thank you!!

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kakeladi Posted 7 Dec 2013 , 4:43am
post #10 of 10

Dowels go *into* a cake.  They are cut at the heigth of the tier.  Example: cake is 4" tall; dowels should be cut *just shorter* than 4" and pushed into the cake.  In fact you should find what looks to you to be the tallest part of the cake, push one dowel into the cake until it rests on the base; mark it, remove and cut ALL dowels to that exact heigth.   If some stick up above the cake you know the cake is not level but the dowels will be & will support the cake level as needed.  They should be exactly the heigth of the cake OR just a bit (no more than 1/4") shorter so they can be pushed into the cake completely.

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