Is dowling an absolute must when amking a stacked cake? And when you are making a stacked cake can you torte each layer to fill with bc? Or is that too much? I am attempting this when I wake up so I need lots of help! lol
Thanks

What size stacked cakes are you making?

You can torte as much as you want. If you're just experimenting, you can do it, and see if you like it. It may seem too much to you, so you don't do it again

The cakes are 10", 8" and 6". It is going to be my Christmas cake. My first stacked cake and my first time working with fondant. I'm feeling rather daring!

I always dowel, even when there are just two tiers. I would imagine you could torte as you wish.

Ok thanks. I know it was probably a silly question but I am trying to learn as much as I can as quickly as I can. Thanks everone for all your help.

Yeah, I would dowel them. You can get them at WalMart and find instructions on the internet if you don't know how. That's how I did it!

and a bit of advice courtesy from my original instructor.

Get one of those Dremel tools and use it to cut the dowels. Faster and more accurate.

She told us she "borrowed" (as in permanently) her husbands and he and to get a new one.

Definitely dowel. Don't be shy--use some nice sized ones, and don't skimp! Dowels are your friend.

You definitely want to dowel them...especially if they're all covered in fondant. That stuff gets surprisingly heavy. Sometimes you can get by without doweling if the cakes are small enough and there aren't very many, but I would dowel with anything more than two tiers. If in doubt, dowel the lower cakes...better safe than sorry.

I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT use dowels at least wooden ones! I CAN NOT see HAMMERING something into my cake. Depending on the size tiers and the overall size of the stacked cake, dowels of any kind may not be needed. The weight of the tiers themselves is plenty of weight, especially if you are using fondant.

You can torte the tiers as much as you like. Sometimes the more you torte the more stabilizing you might need so in that case dowels would be a good idea.

When I make a large stacked cake, I use separator plates and plastic dowels! It's so much easier and less mess. No hammering, no poking holes in the cardboard, no trying to make sure all the holes are aligned properly, no mallet!!!!!


Use whatever technique works for you. The separator plates and plastic dowels work for me.


Amy

I have used lollipop sticks instead of dowels, also found at wal-mart. These are easier to cut, you can use sissors on them. Got this trick out of Toba Garretts book, The Well-Decorated Cake.

So it only took my 6 tries to get my last post in. Site was hung up! I never use dowels in my tiers to support the cake above it. The swiss/cornelli wedding cake I did (in my gallery) I used the separator plate/plastic dowel method! I even transported the cake 20 miles already stacked and NO PROBLEMS. Of course I don't recommend everyone transport a stacked cake but this is what I learned from a NON-WILTON instructor. I was told the Wilton way is messy and unnecessary!!


Amy

I would use dowel rods to secure the cake you do not want them going for a spill, are you double stacking the layers? If you look at my photo I just did for my husbands work party I did foundant covered 12x3 10x3 8x3 and yes used dowel rod in between each layer and one down the middle. That is my advise hope it helps you.

Having a lot of wedding cake experience, I would strongly advise you dowel, either plastic or wooden, so the cake does not slide off or cave in on itself. While I have never used the lollipop sticks, they might work for a smaller cake, but I have been to a wedding where the cake decorator used them in a large wedding cake, the paper lollipop sticks absorbed the moisture from the cake and got weak and bent, causing the cake layers to start sliding off right at the reception. Good Luck with your cake!

I would definately recommend doweling in some way,shape or form. I know of people who use plastic drinking straws. While I have done this, I would never do it with anything over two tiers.

I'm with Cakemommy--I prefer to use seperator plates and plastic dowels on larger cakes. Just be warned, though, when you use the large, plastic dowels, you are taking away a serving of cake for each one.

When I do use wooden dowels--I have a pair of dog nail clippers that I use to get a nice, straight cut with NO splinters. And NO, the clippers have never been used on anything except for wooden dowels! lol!

Lisa

I always dowel rod my cakes.

Just have this fear of my cakes sinking into the bottom one.

Ok well maybe it's more that I don't understand dowling? I saw the diagram here on CC and the part that confuses me is that you put the dowels in flush with one layer. They don't go in one layer and protrude up a bit to set the other layer on top of? I guess I don't see how (if I am correct from what I can tell of the instructions on CC) putting dowels in the middle of the cake and not through 2 layers (I don't think I am explaining what is in my head very well) does. I will do it because I don't want anything bad to happen to this cake. Maybe once I do it I will figure it all out.

I think I understad what you're confused about... you don't understand how dowls only going through one layer can keep the cakes from sliding? Is that right? If so, the main purpose for dowling is to keep the cake from sinking into the one blow it. To keep cakes from sliding or shifting you need to put one (2 is better) long dowl down through all of the tiers. To do this you need to use cardboard cake boards, and sharpen one end of the dowl. Then use a mallot or hammer to get the dowl through the cardboard. I've never acctually done this becaue I've never had to transport a stacked cake. You DEFINATLY need to use something to support the weight of the cakes, but depending on transportation, and the stabitily of where the cake will be set up, it isn't always necisarry to use the long dowls through all of the tiers. Hope this helps.

Thank you waterfallsoygurl!!!! I understand now One more question though. Do the dowels that are in each layer have to be directly above one another? That would be difficult to line up. Thank you for helping me with this. I was so confused. And I'm not transporting the cake so amybe I don't need the one that you have to hammer in.

No, the dowels don't need to like up. Just make sure you have each cake on its own cake board. The dowels only support the cardboard that each cake is on, so they work independently. And remember to put powdered sugar, or parchment cut to fit under each tier so they don't stick when you try to seperate them to cut.
For me the hardest part about using wooden dowels is cutting them. The tip Lisa (llj6 gave about dog toenail clipers sounds good though to me! Also I had trouble seting the tiers down on another cake, but then I heard the tip of using one dowel to put into the cake (at the lowest point) and mark it, then pull it out and cut all the dowels for that tier to size, BUT instead of pushing them all the way in, leave them sicking up about an inch, so when you put the next tier on top, the weight of it pushes the dowesls in and you have time to get your fingers out of the way. I hope this makes sense. It works great for me!

I used bamboo skewers for the dowling of my last cake. Bamboo is surprisingly strong and easy to find, look in your grocery store, they have them for doing kabob chicken and such. I got the larger of two available sizes, although I suspect either would be fine.

I did find they were very hard to cut though, even using garden sheers which tended to split them so I'll be pulling out the dremmel next time around.

I quite like the idea of letting the top layer push them down that last couple of inches to get your hands out of the way! Good idea!!

Just as a tip....when putting your dowel rods in, push each one all the way down in the cake, then use tweezers to pull them out till they stick up about 2-3 inches above the top of the cake. Then, when you set the next tier on top of the dowels, you have time to remove your fingers, and the dowels go all the way to the bottom of the cake. If you don't do it this way, the dowels sometimes will not go all the way down and some will stick up leaving your cake uneven. This makes sure the cake under the dowel rods is already packed down for them to slide down again.

tip on dowels...I had a cake fall because I used the dowels in the craft isle that were flexible. If you get dowels make sure the dowel does not bend.

To check the levelness(I think I made up a new word ) of your cake. I went to kmart and bought a 6 inch level for .98 cents. Once I cut the dowels I put a carboard on top temporarily and place level on top. If its not level now then your cake will NOT be level. You can then pull dowels up with tweezers to give yourself finger room.

tomato -to MAY toe....I think she meant that she doesn't use the wooden ones. Plastic plates and plastic dowels are used differently than the wooden ones.

A dowel is a dowel is a dowel...its purpose is to support the weight of what is placed on top of it.

For cakes 10" and smaller I use plastic straws...usually 8 placed in a circle.

All I can say is...well, .

Those cakes must be incredibly dense to bear the weight of other cakes without the use of any structural support within the cakes.

Cake_Princess, are you really as rude as you seem or do you just say things to get a rise out of people?

Oh my goodness!! I guess CakeMommy needs to make sure and get her facts straight before she misleads someone like that! How horrible!!!
Gee, is the holiday baking getting to people now or what?

oi veh,
I think I will just tiptoe out the way I came in. Sheesh.