This is probably the silliest question ever posted on CC. But im in trouble.
I running out of Dowel rods and have a cake due for saturday morning. I need to stack a 6inch on top of a 12 inch cake. I have only a small piece of wooden dowel which I would be able to cut into 2 and insert into the cake.

My question is can i use a cookie stick ( i have one whole pack of the wilton cookie sticks) in addition to the 2 dowels which im gonna use. Will it provide enough support?

TIA

Yes, you can use cookie sticks. I have used them before with no problem. I saw in one of Toba's books that she uses them. They are much easier to cut. I only use wooden dowels for the center dowel. for the others I use plastic dowels or cookie sticks.

no more replies???????????

I am not sure what cookie sticks are. Are they simiilar to the lollipop sticks--white sticks made of paper, or are they wooden sticks like popsicle sticks?

I have used the lollipop sticks in a cake before (really easy to cut), but would be worried about doing this with a cake that would be sitting for more than a day or so before delivery. I don't know for sure that it would be a problem, but I would worry about the paper getting soggy and sagging.

I guess the cookie sticks r made of paper since they're really easy to cut. The cake will b sitting for abt 7 hours.

Im still confused someone plssssss help

I have heard that you can use plastic straws as well. REALLY easy to cut. Tried it once with success.

If you want to be doubly sure, stick a cookie stick through the middle of the straw hole.

by straw u mean the regular straw tht we drink from????? TIA

Yup, a regular drinking straw. For maximum support, use several and make sure you put them in really straight so that they don't shift.

7-11 probably has some of the strongest ones. McD's too.

How does that work out when they cut the cake? I have been trying to put alot of effort into making sure my cakes are still pretty when they are being sliced, evn filling and such. So I wonder how it works out when they are cutting into it and hit a straw from MCD's? Do they just remove it and move on? I really want to try this but want to be sure it doesn't look tacky.

I have only stacked 6" onto 8" cakes but always use cookie sticks. Never a problem. The wooden dowls were impossible for me to cut.

I know, I was just wondering how it looks when they hit a yellow and red striped mcdonalds straw, lol.

You can buy solid color bubble tea straws that are suppose to be very strong and a lot of peole use those for support. Just do a google search and you'll find them.

I work part-time for banquets, and we always remove the dowels or whatever before cutting it so I assumed everyone did. I always let people know about the dowels in the cake and tell them to remove them before slicing.

How do they remove the dowels before cutting. Aren't they hidden?
I'm sorry I must sound like an idiot! But I never use them. The only time I have ever used dowels in a cake is for wedding cakes, but I always used premaid kits, with the plastic dowels. Not straws or cookie sticks.
So I wonder, if you use those things, then you hide them and they don't see them until they start cuttin' in to it.

You can see the hole where the cake as been doweled. I wouldn't use paper lollipop sticks though. They are paper and could become damp who knows what glue they use to make them. I like the bubble straws. I don't think I would worry about a 6 on a 12 though the 12 has enough strength to support the 6. IMO

Straws will work used them once, in a pinch. For next time, keep in mind you can get wooden dowels at Home Depot, or any home improvement store. Stocked up today, I get them for $0.69 in three foot legnths. If you get pruning shears you won't have any difficulty cutting the dowels. I also use PVC pipe. It's even less expensive under $2.00 for 12 ft. it's great when you really need strong support. And they are white so they don't look so bad in the cake. They're also very easy to remove before cutting the cake. You might need to get pipe cutter to make cutting it easier. HTH

I use the wilton plastic dowels, the are a lot easier for me to cut than the wooden dowels.
I was always told not to use regular dowels because they aren't good for food, but I dont' know
we use everything else on cakes around here lol
anyways, i see what people mean when you use the sucker sticks made from paper, they may get soggy, but they do also make plastic candy sticks too
i don't know if i would be okay with putting mcd's straws into a cake and serving it, just don't wouldn't want my cakes to be associated with mcd's
i guess

I use the bubble tea straws and I love them. They're much fatter than regular straws and really sturdy. I still use a center wooden dowel through all the layers.

I use regular drinking straws for support and wooden dowels for the center dowel.

thnx so much for all the gr8 comments.... i would be stacking the cake in the next one hour n feel so much more confident than last night ( btw its morning here so i read all the comments right now)

Thanx once again!

thnx everyone with their responses.... i used the cookie sticks with the straws n stayed on very well.....

We take the top layer off first, then pluck the visible dowels out of the next layer and cut, repeating the process.

I am so glad I have been exposed to all the different processes of the cake business. From getting to watch the delivery and set-up of the cake, to the cutting and serving was really helpful when it came to delivering my first wedding cake. And especially for when I had to cut and serve my own 3 tier cake recently at a huge party for my mom. They announced it over the microphone and dragged the cake table in the middle of the dance floor! How nerve-racking! But I felt fairly comfortable after watching it so often, since I knew most of them wouldn't have known where to start.

That's why I explain and include a little instruction sheet with my cakes, pointing out where the dowels and inedible decorations (if any) are. Most businesses and professional caterers/banquets should already know, and exposed dowels/straws should not be an issue.

By the way, I don't really use McD's (I steal them from my boyfriend's liquor cabinet). I just suggested it since you seemed short on time and resources. I do believe 7-11 has solid colors, though, if the stripes are off-putting to you, and you need a quick fix.