I'm doing my first stacked cake! Woo-hoo!
Got a question though...
Is it better to put the dowels in before covering in fondant, or after? Or, does it even make a difference? TIA

eh i dont do fondant, hate the taste and wont sell anything inferior tasting...plus i have clients ask, can u please NOT use fondant...OK no problem lol

but back to your original question
When im doing a tiered cake. I completely frost each part of the cake. Put in the support dowels. Then stack. Then nail in the central dowels to hold it all together.

Lastly, finishing touches and details and borders to boot

Put them in after the fondant is on.

I think its better to put the fondant on and then put in the dowels.
Southrnhearts.....When putting in the big central dowel all the way down the cake, do you have to go through all the cake boards too? How do you do that? with a hammer?

I put the dowels in after I cover the cake with the fondant. Just remember to put one dowel in the center and trough all the cakes to keep them from shifting.

I have never done a stacked cake, but I was there when my wedding cake was set up and they put the dowels in after it was already covered in the fondant. (I wasn't a nosy bride, I just happened to be there at the right time!)

Since any pressure on the cake can cause it to bulge, I would think that you want to make sure the thickness of your fondant is accounted for when doing your dowels so that there is absolutely no pressure on the bottom tier. HTH!

I have SO many questions about stacked cakes, since I've never done one.

So...when using buttercream, how do you place the cakes on there without denting the buttercream with your fingers? How do you disassemble and serve it? I know there are lots of threads regarding this subject, but I can't seem to find the answers I'm looking for.

To put in the Central Dowel, I sharpen the end of it in a pencil sharpener, then yes...HAMMER thru all the cakes and boards .... its very easy, and youll only be nervous the first time u try it.. I promise.


and to answer the other question I saw, about not denting the buttercream, when you stack the cakes.... well, I've never had a class, so I pretty much just wing it on this technique, I hold the top layer over the bottom, lightly with my fingertips just under the board..I steadily "eyeball" where i want it and then ....get this.... LET GO ... lol...just let it plop gently and quickly down in place (mind you, hold the cakes as close as u can to each other, just so you can pull out your fingers in time for it to fall). HTH

Sorry, I can't remember who I picked this tip up from (it was one of our resident)...but, regarding denting the bc when you place the cake, don't push your dowels all the way in, let them stick up out of the cake a little, set the cake on them and let go...it gently settles onto the bottom tier.
I am way too chicken to hammer the center dowel through, I put a hole through the boards before I assemble the cake and mark the cakes to line up the holes.

mmo88 what do you mean by troughing?? I've never heard this term before.

TIA

One more question...
How do you transport these without panicking all the way to your destination? My nerves are already bad, and I've got 15 hours until I have to deliver it! lol
Not saying much I guess, I worry about simple cakes when I'm having to deliver them. This one is really giving my nerves a work out!

Im still trying to figure this one out. No matter how sturdy the cake, I still dont do well with my deliveries...

Thanks Shelbur10, I thought I'd found a new technique to try to make cake delivery better!!! I guess if I'd read it a couple more times it would have come to me!!

shelbur10, how do you mark your cakes for the holes in the boards to line up. I have only done a couple of small stacked cakes. I used dowels, but, not boards under each layer. I, also, used a denser cake for stacking. Please, explain how to mark the cakes, and, I'll try using the boards. I have two stacked cakes this coming weekend.