I don't use cardboard, I trace the SPS plate directly onto a piece of foam core. Peg down, this also marks perfectly, without a doubt, dead center of the board you are about to cut. Cut out foam core. Flip over. Again-FLIP IT OVER. Cover with Press n Seal. Put cake on the foam core circle. Now here's the trick:

A while back, I made templates of each SPS plate, basically like I described above. BUT, I cut them about 3/8 inch larger in diameter. I have several in each SPS plate size. After filling the cake and allowing to settle, place the cake (still on it's original board) on one of the larger diameter boards, for the size of the tier you are working on. For lighter/smaller tiers, you might want to smear a dab of BC onto the board before putting the cake on it. Center it, and start icing. Do your icing, and smooth, letting your scraper/whatever you use, follow the edge of the larger board. When you're all done, pop cake in fridge to firm up a bit.

Take cake out of fridge, carefully pop the cake off of this larger board.....and looky there! Perfectly perfect edge. No need to cover with ribbon.

Ooooh, nice. Assume it would work the same way for fondant if you roll the fondant the same thickness as the larger board?

Yup.

I'm sorry....I do so much better with visual directions than written ones! I can't figure out what you mean about putting the cake on a larger board and how this helps.

Are you saying that between your bottom and top cake there is a 1) sps plate that matches the size of your top cake's diameter AND 2) a piece of foam core that is slightly larger in diameter than the top cake?

I can't seem to understand how a larger diameter cake board helps with height? Sorry......!!!!??????

Secondly, has anybody had success in stacking a cream cheese frosted cake with SPS?

If you're referring to my post....you only have the cake on the second slightly larger board while you are icing it. When it is firm and ready to remove, you take it off of that one. You now have your cake on it's original board and that's all. Now it's ready, and needs no border. If that's what you're going for. If you are going to have a border or decorations covering the bottom edge of your cake....you don't do that method at all.

SPS = success with cake with any type of frosting. Personally I won't ever do cream cheese again, but I hate working with the stuff. It has nothing to do with SPS.

Aha....too funny. Yep, that's me. I had to start over with a new account. I wasn't banned or kicked out....I just can't access it for some reason. Well.....maybe it's cause I deleted all of my pictures, but....anywho!

Yeah--that's me.

So basically you are icing the cake all the way down to the cakeboard? It's actually a visual trick, so that you are only covering the SPS plate with a border because the cakeboard is covered with icing?

Do I have it now????? Did I have an a-ha moment???

that's it.

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Ding ding ding!

Although that "other" site refers to these pillars as "adjustable", what they actually are, are the 9 multi-piece pillar. And yes, I keep them on hand at all times. The multi-piece set comes with 1, 5" leg, and 2, 2" extensions. You can use the 6" leg by itself, add one extension to make a 7" leg, or both extensions to make a 9" leg.

I use the 7" height for cakes with separations and find it perfect.

That's why I have said in the past that SPS legs come precut in 4", 5", 7" and 9" lengths.

Oh ok, I understand it now. The picture they posted of them made it look as if you screw them longer or shorter.

Thanks for the clarification.

Does the cake have to be exactly 4"? Will it still work if the cake is a little bit shorter of higher- like 3.8" or 4.2"? I'm going to be trying this system for the first time tomorrow! I have to transport a 3 tiered cake about 2 hours a way and won't have time to assemble it once I'm there. Thanks!

I actually reasked this question on a new post bc I didn't get any replies here. I'm not sure if this will show up as a link or not, but here is the other post with answers: http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopicp-6690017-.html#6690017 . (you can always just copy and paste it in your browser if I didn't do it right!)

To answer the second question, it seems that a lot of people charge an "equipment" fee and don't get them back from the customer. I've heard you can only reuse them a few times. I decorate for a hobby, and have reused parts at least twice now and they still are ok. Good Luck!

THANKS!!

OMG This is such great information. Just wish I'd seen this thread sooner, where I can order in time for a wedding cake I have next weekend. Guess I have to use the wooden dowels for now.

If next weekend you mean a week and a 1/2 you may be able to order it and get it delivered in time. It's an awesome thing to have handy. I always over order parts so I have what I need just in case

Call GSA, find out the estimated shipping time.

Would anyone know if I can use a 10" square plate (SPS) to support a 12" round cake if it's on a foamcore board?

Leah ,
Quick question about stacking using SPS. I did my first 4 tier fondant cake and I stacked 2 tiers at home and brough the other two unstacked. Not because it would fall but because I couldn't lift that much weight.

here is my question, how do you place a fondant tier on the sps plate without screwing up the bottom of the fondant? I know if you use dowels people leave them tall and let the weight press the dowels in the rest of the way. But I am not sure if that would work with SPS?

Also you would be so proud, this was my first cake where you could not see the plate at all. I think I finally got it

Cherry cake, I don't see why you couldn't use the smaller plate. I know someone on here always uses a size down so that she doesn't have to worry about the plate showing.
I have used round plates for square cakes so I think it would be basically the same.

You can simply pull up the plate and leg assembly a bit (dont' take it out), place the tier and let in sink back down.

Thanks Leah i'll try that next time

Hi leah_s i finally used my SPS system this past weekend, and i really like it. The next time i get to use it is in June on a really big cake, and im going to stack it and transfer it to the venue, Im going for the Gold (:
Thanks for your help

ok i have read about 5 pages and so i am going to ask a question. sorry if it has already been asked. i am doing a 10 tiered cake in april.it will be a 24" hexagon to start and finish with a 6" hexagon.

would that mean i would start with covered cake board, cake, pillars through the cake and sit on cake board, then plate to pop into the pillars then uncovered cake board and cake and so on and so on?

then since the bottom tier starts out so large, will this not work or do i just use the 18" plates for the 24", 22", 20" and 18?

will this still work since there are only round, squares and hearts in these plates and this cake is hexagon?

i do not tort and fill my cakes just two layers with a little icing in between. i bake them and level them put icing in between and stack them and i end up with a cake tier about 4" thick. is this a good height for this product?

doing a cake that is 10 tiers i imagine it is not a good idea to put them all together and take them where they are going so what do you suggest i do? should i take all tiers separate and take the plates and pillars separate and just assemble the whole thing at the hall?

if this product would not work for this cake what is the next best thing to use in your opinion, dowels, straws, plastic pillars...?

i think this is all the questions i have but i am sure after i get answers to these questions, it will trigger more.... lol thank you so much in advance for your help.