I am so embarrassed! I just delivered a cake and the bottom tier split when I delivered it! The bottom tier was a 10-inch round, 2 layers. Middle tier was 7-inch 2 layers, and top was an 8-inch square, torted and filled and covered in MMF.

If anyone has any idea as to why this might have happened, I'd sure appreciate it. I am so embarrassed. I used the CMD's recipes and doweled everything including the one between all the layers. TIA!

It's the 3-tier tiara one in my photos.

Was there enough support under the cake? sometimes if you don't have something thats sturdy enough the cake will split.

By the way, I'm sorry that happened to you, but you did a great job on that cake!!

WOW I sure hate that happened to you, I don't have any answers but that sure is a gorgeous cake

Thanks for the compliments!

I had 3 of those "tuffboards" underneath it, so I thought that was enough support? It didn't feel like it was lacking in support. Who knows!

I now only use plywood for my bases. I use double cardboard circles or squares for in between each layer. I used to have problems with my icing moving on the sides of my cakes during delivery, but now, with plywood, it never happens.

I had read somewhere on here that the dowels caused a cake to split during delivery. The shifting of the cake during delivery, caused the dowels to "saw" the cake in two! I can see where that could happen. That's made me very nervous as I have my first wedding cake in a month and it is a bit over an hour away! Some people were saying they used straws instead of wooden dowels for this reason.

BTW that cake is beautiful!!!

I mostly use plastic dowel rods and have not had that issue happen. I am fixing to deliver a wedding cake in about 30 minutes...Keep your fingers crossed for me!

I am so sorry this happened to you...the cake is so cute!

So sorry this happened to you! The cake was beautiful. Did you have enough of frosting around the filling between the layers? and if so, was it thick enough? If not, that can cause the cake to settle and split down the middle.

WOW that is a beautiful cake. I would have stacked it at the site. I just don't take any chance trying to transport an already stacked cake after seeing all the disasters posted here.

First of all I'm sorry this happened!! It really is disheartening when you have worked so hard on a cake.It appears to me by the picture that the top pillow tier is quite a bit larger that the middle tier and even the bottom.The fondant alone adds extra weight to a cake therefore causing tremendous pressure to the bottom tiers no matter how much dowelling you did.Along with the car ride the constant shifting and weight caused the cake to crack...If you wouldn't have had dowelling it would have crushed the bottom two layers completely.The cake design is a wonderful creation but I wold suggest that you scale back the top tier a bit to be smaller and maybe cover either everything in fondant or at least the bottom tier so the top isn't heavier than the bottom two.Love the design!!

Beautiful cake.

I would agree on a wood base. At least 4" wider than the cake. Also, I would transport with the first two together and add the top on arrival....Or maybe not since you would want to dowel all the layers together with a center dowel.

I think the narrow center layer concentrated too much pressure on a small area. Maybe if you put the middle cake on a larger cake plate, that would do it.
I have heard the bottom layer should have as many dowels as the top layer is across in inches. So according to that calculation you should have 8 dowels in the bottom.

Don't give up. Every cake can presents a challenge. Think of all the experience you are gaining!!

I have a similar question!

Made a square 2 layer, using a flower nail for the first time. When frosting, the top layer split right in the middle where the nail had been.

What could cause that? It was a tiny hole, but everything else was flat, and no amount of "glue" worked! Luckily, it was a "stormy seas" cake, so this added to the effect, but was it from the flower nail? The only other change was sour cream added to the batter.

TIA!
Nichole

That's a mystery to me. I have only had cakes crumble at the edges. The only think I can think of is that somehow during the handling the cake was not held flat and was allowed to bend or fold a little causing a crack. Do you always put it on a flat rack or a cake board? It's especially important before the cake is completely cooled. Using parchment paper on the bottom helps the cake release from the pan smoothly and in one piece.

I would say that it is the cake mix type of cake, except that I made a huge cake with many layers using a doctored cake mix with no problems.

That's a head scratcher for sure. If it's only one layer, I'd just put a bunch of frosting on then flip the cake over so the good layer is on top.

That is a beautiful cake.

I can't imagine why straws wouldn't cut a cake the same as wooden dowels.

I used plastic straws the other day when I couldn't find the lollipop sticks I usually use.

Straw worked well, but unsure why a straw would be "safer" choice.