Three-decker cakes are not made simply by stacking the layers on top of each other. Learn how to construct a sturdy, topple-free wedding cake.
Ice Each Cake On a Separate Board
The bottom tier of your cake should be firmly stuck with dobs of icing to a large cake board, serving platter or cake stand. Any other tiers must be iced on their own individual boards, sized to the exact measurements of the cake. These boards will not be visible; they are there for support. Cake decorating shops sell foil-covered thin boards in a few shapes and colours (gold and silver are the most common, although the colour does not really matter). Alternatively, sturdy cardboard or thin plywood can be cut to the shape of the cake—trace around the cake tin to make sure of an exact fit. Each cake should be firmly stuck down to its board.
Ice each cake separately. Some touch ups and delicate decorations may be added after assembling, but the cakes should be masked beforehand, regardless of the type of icing.
Cut Dowelling to Support the Tiers
Contrary to popular belief, the layers of a cake do not hold each other up. The weight of each tier is supported by wooden dowelling in the tier below. In the case of tiered cakes with pillars, the dowelling goes through the hollow 'show' pillars—again, the pillars themselves do not actually support the weight of the cakes. Hence, a light cake can safely be placed under a heavier cake without risk of collapse
Short lengths of dowelling can be purchased from cake decorating shops, pointed at one end for convenience. Obtain three lengths for every tier except the top one (ie, six lengths for a 3-tier cake). For very light cakes, ie. sponge cakes, sturdy drinking straws can replace the dowelling.
For a stacked cake, cut the dowelling so it is the exact height of the iced tier. Measure this by plunging a length into the cake until it hits the bottom (use the pointed end first to make the hole). Measure for each tier separately, as cakes are not usually exactly identical in height. Remember not to measure for the top tier!
For a pillared cake, measure the dowelling to the exact height of the iced cake plus the height of the pillars.
Insert the Dowelling
Using the pointy end of the dowelling to start off your holes, sink the lengths of dowelling into the top of the cake until they are flush with the surface. For a pillared cake, the dowelling will stick out of the cake; slip the pillars over the top, ensuring that the dowelling is flush with the pillar tops.
The supports should be arranged in an equilateral triangle for stability. When placing them, consider the size of the tier which is to be placed on top, as well as the design of the cake—will the tiers be stacked evenly or asymmetrically?
Stack the Cakes
Before you stack the cakes, consider transport. Tiered cakes tend to be extremely heavy, and can be difficult to move. You may want to wait until the cake is at its final destination before assembling it.
To stack the cakes, you may need to use a fish slice or palette to help move the tiers on top of each other without spoiling the icing. In this respect, pillared cakes are easier to manage. Ensure any decorations are facing the right way.
Once stacked, final decorations such as ribbons can be added. Professional caterers are aware of cake decorating conventions, and will disassemble the cake and remove the dowelling. It may be worthwhile to remind the bride to cut the cake's bottom tier, rather than trying to slice through several tiers and cake boards!
The copyright of the article How to Stack Cake Tiers in Baking/Decorating Cakes is owned by Sarah Tennant. Permission to republish How to Stack Cake Tiers in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
I just have to say that this is a beautiful cake! I love the burgundy
ribbon accent.
Aug 29, 2008 2:45 AM
Guest :
First class, Simple instructions that have really helped me. You explain it
in understandable language. Thank you. I'm about to make my daughters
weding cake and now feel more confident!
Mar 1, 2009 7:15 AM
Guest :
youre the only person to have written in plain understandable English...how
to stack cakes!!!! Thankyou so much!!!
Jun 13, 2009 2:53 PM
Guest :
Thank you for the wonderful and clear instructions. Where I live it is
impossible to buy specific dowel rods for cakes, however, and I really want
to try making a stacked cake with at least two or three tiers. Would anyone
know what I could use as a substitute? Could I just buy wooden rods from a
hardware store or a craft store and use them instead?
Jun 13, 2009 6:11 PM
Sarah Tennant :
Absolutely. The dowels in cake shops are just regular wooden dowels,
sharpened at one end. Any kind will do (a sharpened end makes them easier
to poke into the cake, but isn't strictly necessary). Or if your cakes are
lightweight, such as sponge cakes, plastic drinking straws will do.
Jun 15, 2009 4:16 PM
Guest :
I am making a wedding cake in Sept. My question is: each cake has it's own
piece of cardboard or plywood cut exactly the same shape and size as cake.
Don't we need to put it then on a cake plate (plastic thing sold in stores)
when we assemble the stack? Or just put dirty ole plywood and cardboard
right on cake everyone will eat?
Jun 15, 2009 4:25 PM
Sarah Tennant :
No, I'd suggest using clean cardboard or plywood. :) Plywood/cardboard cake
boards are usually covered in a tough foil/silver paper substance, which
prevents any sawdust or splinters getting into the cake! I've never seen
the cake plates that you mention, but if they're strong enough - good rigid
plastic - you could use them as the bases and dispense with the cake boards
altogether. The material's not particularly important, as long as it's
strong enough to bear the weight of the cakes and, as you say, clean.
Jul 13, 2009 7:16 AM
Guest :
Sarah, I've never done flush stacked layers before and I'm nervous
about the cardboard from the upper layers sticking to the lower layers
frosting and ruining the pieces underneath. I have heard that some people
put coconut in between, but the bride hates coconut. What do you do? Thanks, Camille
Jul 13, 2009 10:30 PM
Sarah Tennant :
I've never had a problem with the tiers sticking, although I've always used
fondant rather than, say, buttercream. If I were worried I might dust the
fondant with a little icing sugar or cornstarch, and make sure all the
tiers were thoroughly dry before stacking.
If you're using
buttercream or some other sticky frosting, what I suggest is cutting the
dowelling just *slightly* too long, so the board isn't quite touching the
frosting beneath. You could touch up around the edges with frosting so the
tiny gap isn't visible, if necessary - or better yet cover it with ribbon,
which is my panacea for all cake decorating ills! If the board isn't
actually touching the frosting, it can't stick!
Alternatively,
you could try placing a piece of greaseproof paper between the cake board
and the frosting. Good luck! :)
Jul 27, 2009 1:57 PM
Guest :
I have a quick question about the support.It's a first time for alarge cake
that I'm doing. The bottom is 18 x18...next is 14x14...next is 10x10 and
top is 6x6 and they are offsetting square tiers. I have bought the pastic
Wilton dowels and am wondering how I should set them up in the cake and how
many?
Jul 27, 2009 3:58 PM
Sarah Tennant :
Using three per tier is the most stable, as a triangle cannot wobble: but
for a square cake you might find it looks better to use four per tier
(assuming you're using pillars). Just make sure they're all exactly the
same height to prevent wobbling.
There are no fixed rules about
where to insert the dowels: the further out they are (closer to the edges
of the tier above them) the more stable the cake will be, but it usually
looks nicer to have them set in a little from the edge if you're using
pillars. If the cake's stacked, have them fairly close to the edge as
no-one will see them in any case!
Jul 29, 2009 10:03 AM
Guest :
I am making a birthday cake in the shape of a toolbox. I am expecting to
have 4 layers, 3 of them exact rectangular shape with the top one angled
along each side to resemble the top of the toolbox. Do I need to place
board between 2nd & 3rd layers? Do I need to use dowels for support?
or can I simply stack 4 layers, will this damage bottom layers??
Oct 10, 2009 1:00 PM
Guest :
Are you able to provide any information or tipS on storing a fondant
covered cake?
hiya, i just wanted to ask do you have to put a cake board underneath
each cake?? if not can i use a spring form cake tins bottom instead of
a cake boad??? thank you..
Oct 14, 2009 2:08 AM
Sarah Tennant :
You need to use something under each tier for support. It doesn't have to
be a board per se, but be aware the cake might be cut directly on the
boards or board substitutes, so your springform tin bottoms could get
scratched.
Oct 14, 2009 9:57 AM
Guest :
hi there, i just recently made a 2 tier cake, bottom being a 12" and
the top being a 9". i made it the night before my friend had to pick
it up and it was compleatly fine, didnt lop side or colapse or anything but
when she got home she said that it lop sided on one side. i put dale rods
in the bottom ( quite a few actually lol about 5 i tihnk as wanted to make
sure it didnt colapse) so that the top one wouldnt make the bottom one
colapse and used a board for the top cake too but yet she is saying that
the top half of the bottom cake had moved to one side and i see the picture
and it doesnt look like it has colapsed or anything, it just looks like it
has moved over one side slightly, could this have happened cos i put too
many rods in it lol or would it be more of a transporting thing, that it
moved whilst in the car or something if it was jerked? hope you can help.
thanks . anna xxx
Oct 14, 2009 4:33 PM
Sarah Tennant :
Hi Anna
I'm sorry that happened - cake decorating mishaps are
stressful! I'm not sure why your cake shifted. If you iced the cake upside
down without trimming the top, it's possible there were gaps around the
bottom edge of the cake which were invisible when covered in icing, but
which eventually collapsed..? That's the only thing I can think of, but
honestly I'd suspect something happened during transit. I guess in theory
if you stuck heaps of dowels into the bottom cake you could weaken it and
make one portion more likely to tear away (like perforating a strip of
paper), but 5 dowels shouldn't be enough to cause problems like that. Hmm.
A mystery! Sorry I can't be of more help.
Oct 19, 2009 2:26 PM
Guest :
hi , anna again :) thankyou so much for your reply it has helped
heaps even if the mystery in why it shifted isnt solved lol but least now i
know not to place to many dowel rods in the the cake, how many rothly would
you recomend on the size's of cakes i.e obviously bigger the cake like a
12" round cake do you have to put more in or does this not matter?
also is there a minimum amount of rods to use as obviously dont want to put
too less in and again it collapses or moves again lol i am doing a 3
tier wedding cake very soon, which she wants pillars in betwen each cake
and again, as you can emagine i really would hate for it to collapse or
shift. hope ou can help once again :) and thankyou once again for our
help last time xx anna
Oct 19, 2009 3:01 PM
Sarah Tennant :
For stacked cakes I usually do three pieces of dowelling, simply because
three can't wobble (think of a tripod). If the dowels are strong, you
shouldn't need more than that - I've used three very successfully with
heavy 3-tier fondant-iced cakes. Then again, four is fine too, and
depending on the cake might look better if you're using pillars.
For a pillared cake, I definitely recommend transporting each tier
separately and assembling it once it's reached its final destination - the
cake table. Otherwise disasters may ensue! Pillared cakes are easier than
stacked in many ways, so don't stress too much! Just make sure each cake
has its top sliced off to provide a flat surface, and any gaps or hollows
filled in. Good luck!
May 16, 2008
