Leahs - I have recently started using the SPS system. It rocks! I did a cake yesterday and delivered completely assembled to an outdoor (read HOT) venue. I didnt' have to worry about the chilled and SPS'd cake collapsing. It was great and a wonderful stress reliever. One tier was a 2.5" so I just cut the legs on the correct marks to get the right height.

My next investment is the Agbay so my tiers are a little more uniform.

Thanks so much for all your advice!!

It is a wonderful system! It's almost hard to believe how easy it is to use and how truly inexpensive it is.

I have been reading the SPS post and have a question.

I am making my first wedding cake this month which will have a 6" and a 10" tier with a 14" dummy base. I am going to order the SPS system for stacking these and have a question about the dummy cake. How do I use the system with this? Do I use the 10" SPS plate on the top of the dummy cake but don't use the columns with it, just push the plate into the styro dummy without the columns? If this is not the proper way to use a dummy on the bottom tier, please let me know the proper way.

I am really interested in trying this system as I also have another wedding cake in September with the possiblity of one in August and a 60th anniversary cake for my parents in October.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Hi I don't know if this question has been answered already but does anyone know of any SPS suppliers in the UK? It's so expensive to ship from the US to the UK

Quick question and not really sure if it was answered already but do the plates come with the 4in pillars or do you have to buy them seperately?

All parts are sold separately.

[quote="kimbm04r"] I am making my first wedding cake this month which will have a 6" and a 10" tier with a 14" dummy base. I am going to order the SPS system for stacking these and have a question about the dummy cake. How do I use the system with this? Do I use the 10" SPS plate on the top of the dummy cake but don't use the columns with it, just push the plate into the styro dummy without the columns? If this is not the proper way to use a dummy on the bottom tier, please let me know the proper way.
[/quote]

Decorate the 14" dummy and put it on the base.
Decorate the 10" cake on it's cardboard and then set it on top of the 14" dummy. Using a long skewer or sharpened dowel, pound that thru the 10", thru the 14" and into the base (hopefully a cake drum)
Put the 6" plate and leg assembly into the 10" cake and proceed to finish the 6"cake.

Please could you talk me through which plate sizes and columns I would need to buy to make a cake set up similar to the attached? Since it would have styrofoam dummies as separators I am a bit stuck as to where the plates and columns go. So if the cake was 14", 12", 10" and 8", and the dummies were 6", what should I get?
Thanks in advance!



(Cake by ConsumedbyCake http://www.flickr.com/photos/consumedbycake/4482486516/)

Has anyone had problems with the legs cracking when inserting them into the plate?

I'm a recent convert to SPS and have started to do more tiered cakes and am using the SPS system more frequently. I have the white square plates and have never noticed the legs cracking. But I have the clear/frosted round plates and every time I insert the legs at least 2, if not all 4, crack at the top. It doesn't seem to effect stability, but it's driving me crazy because I think it could pose a problem.

(My DH says that maybe the legs crack on the white plates too, but I just can't see them.)

hmmm . . . I've never used anything but the white plates. The only time I've seen cracking it's generally at the bottom of the leg, and only in the odd circumstance when someone return them. I wonder if the clear plastic is somehow different from the white plastic (other than in color)?

Dayti,
From the bottom up:
Cake drum
14" cake tier with a 6" SPS plate and leg assembly in the cake.
styro
12" cake tier on FOAMCORE, skewered into the styro with a 6" SPS plate and leg assembly in the cake.
styro
10" cake tier on FOAMCORE skewered into the styro with a 6" SPS plate and leg assembly in the cake.
styro
8" cake tier on FOAMCORE skewered into the styro.

Thanks for all the info on these, can't wait to try these!

Leah,

They only crack at the top and they do seem to fit very tight. I also wondered if the clear plates were somehow different from the white plates.

Got it, thankyou.
What would be the best way to get the styro to stick to the top of each plastic plate? I think the hole in the styro for the peg to stick into would make itself bigger, you know, on moving it or vibration in the car? Or do you think I don't need to stick the styro with anything, and the peg will be enough? I just wonder if cake on a smaller, lighter material such as styro would be a bit top heavy.

I'd use some RI on the SPS plate to stick on the stryo.

Great. Thanks for all your help!

Does anyone have an exact amount of filling for each layer in order to reach 4 inches? I have 15, 12, 9, & 6 in tiers.
Thanks!

I have spent quite a bit of time reading this topic. I don't have a leveler so is there a way to figure out how much cake batter would be needed to measure up to the recommended 4 inch height per lets say 6", 10", 14". (3 or 4 layers each)?

for a 6 inch" 12.5 ounces of batter per pan
10 inch: 2 pounds per pan
14 inch:4 pounds

good luck!

Honestly, no I haven't noticed any change in materials at all. And I use a lot of SPS!

I am having a problem with the cakes fitting on the SPS board b/c my cakes shrink a little after baking. I was thinking if I put a border to cover up the SPS board? Pls help- I have to decorate today.

thanks! yes unfortunately I only have the size of my cake that I am making. I have nowhere to get the SPS but online. So I think I will cover it with icing. Thanks again!

Ok, I have read from page 15 on and have a request...

If you were new and had to order your "stock" (enough for a cake or two with 4+ tiers) what would you order? And as I have browsed sites looking to buy I am a wee bit confused as to the type of pillars...so for us "dimmer" folks could you please be specific?

Many many many thanks!

You'd order one plate for every tier EXCEPT the base tier that will be sitting on a cake drum/board

one bag of legs = 12 legs, or enough for one four tier cake.

The four inch legs, CG-4s, are for stacked cakes.

The multi-piece legs are for cakes with separations.

The 9" legs are for cutting down to odd lengths or crazy high separations.

Hey Leah,
I'm having trouble visualizing an SPS solution for an upcoming cake.
I want to do a cake that has some space between the tier. However, I'm thinking I want to put in styrofoam separators smaller than the actual tiers. My logic being I don't want open space behind the flowers. So if I use the styro, I can cover it and also have something to attach the roses to which will help stabilize them in the transportation.
Here is my plan. 6/9/12 inch tiers. maybe 3 inches of space between the tiers, gumpaste roses to hide the space.
Let me know if this sounds right or if Im missing something.
In my 12 inch tier, I would place a 6inch SPS plate and legs. Attach the 6 inch covered styrofoam to the plate. Place the 9 inch cake board on top of the styro. Do I need to have pillars into the styro or can I just "glue" the cake board to the styro? Then in that 9 inch cake I'd place another 6inch plate (since they dont make smaller) and attach another styro (probably 3 inches around) place 6 inch cake board on top of styro.
My other thought is to use the longer SPS legs and press them all the way through the styro but Im not sure if thats more or less stable for this design.
Just curious what your thoughts are for using SPS for this kind of design.
Thanks.

I'm not sure if this was asked already but how do you get the cake to not stick to the SPS. PS? reg sugar? I'm doing a buttercream cake for sat and the both times I have used it it has stick to the bottom layer.

I have heard using PS or shredded coconut (if it fits the flavor, or you could cut a circle of wax paper that would fit inside the legs and place that between the bottom tier and the SPS plate.

Are you using a crusting buttercream? If so make sure the bottom tier is well crusted before you put the SPS plate in.