Hello,
I've noticed that Duff seems to always deliver fully assembled (large) stacked,etc. cakes, even long distances... how is this possible????
I understand delivering a stacked 3 tier, but 4-5 tier? And some of them are quite intricate and fragile. I've never seen him assemble a cake on site (unless they were staying for an event, etc.)

Does anyone know this secret? I have a tiny car, so that option is out for me, but I'd love to know how he manages this... to me, this is an incredible feat !!

thanks ~

I have wondered this myself. Geof delivered his sister's wedding cake to PA and it was all stacked but the top layer
I hope someone has a clue??

Good support and stacking skills... and careful driving lol (although with the former, the latter is less important). The largest I have had to deliver on my own was 6 tier and I delivered it fully stacked. I always assemble prior to delivery.

you delivered a 6 tier cake assembled??? What????

Are you driving a gutted-out double decker bus???? That is amazing!!!

With Sugarshack's tips I was able to deliver a 6 tier as well, I've done 4 tiers no problem but the 6 tier was a bit scary. I learned from Sugarshack to put a dowel all the way down through the entire cake, worked wonderfully! I do have a huge van, too. My computer is going wacky so I'm not able to upload the picture of the cake

Yeah but what a lot of people don't realize that with Duff's cakes, most of the cakes are partial styrofoam, partial wood, partial whatever he creates the cake out of and it's not ALL cake.

So those of you who actually can stack a 6 tier and drive it completely stacked....kudos to you for doing it all cake...all the way!!!!

A 6 tiered cake isn't THAT tall.. LOL. That'ssix tiers at 4" tall each.. 24" or so.. 2 feet tall.. maybe 2.5 feet if your tiers are taller. That will easily fit in a cargo bay of any SUV.. even my little Ford Escape.. it'd even fit on the floor behind the passenger seat in some cars. I'm more amazed because it'd be HEAVY... pink.. you must eat your Wheaties..

Yes it fit in the back of a yukon XL, and yes it was VERY HEAVY (especially since each tier was on masonite, but that adds to the stability, I believe)... I had two guys carry it... I could barely lift the bottom two tiers myself once they were together lol

You sharpen one end of the dowel and push it on through. I don't like doing that with cardboard cake circles.. since they are corrugated and can bend "with the grain" so-to-speak. Sharon uses foam core under her cakes and you don't have the issues with the bending like you do with normal cake circles.

I use masonite circles drilled with a hole in the center under each tier and lower them onto the center dowel, rather than drive the dowel through after stacking.

When using masonite or foam core to separate tiers, what do you cover your circles with?

Thanks everyone.

All I can say about Duff delivering his masterpieces is that he's Duff!

i take all mine preassembled using a central dowel, i predrill central holes in my cake cards prior to using then on my base board i drill in a hole and glue in the master dowels then 'drop' the cakes over the dowel (premeasure the heights of you cakes and make the dowel come to half way up the top tier) dowel each tier as normal then i glue each tier with a combo of fondant balls and RI I deliver up to 2 hours away and have taken 5 tiers (even topsys) pre assembled like this with no trouble (well one disatser but that was the roads fault not the cakes) i box the cake in a large removal box with lots of tape and nonslip matting (as i have a nightmare of the box bottom comming open!) then place rolled up towels on my front car seat as it is sloped and this levels it, then i put in the box and seat belt it in then move the chair as far forward as it will go so that the box cannot move run the aircon on high and drive slowly around corners and check regularly, once i'm on the motorway it all good! i live in a hilly area with lots of roundabouts so it can be nerve racking but i don't have time to assemble onsite either! I ALSO HAVE A LOT OF MY CAKES PICKED UP SO THEY NEED TO BE ABLE (oops caps lock!) to be transported by 'non cake people'! i have had several 4 tier wonkies picked up with no problem! even a 5 tier taken interstate by the brides mother! its all in the support system and i know people hate the old dowels but its all i use!

adatay,
I am in AWE!
So you predrill the base and glue in the center dowel, then lower your cakes with predrilled bases. The cakse are dowelled in the normal fashion. Could you explain wha tyou mean by "glue" the tiers? Do you mean to the individual boards...or something different?
Also, do you use masonite for your boards between tiers or something else?
Thanks!!

I just realized... (with NO disrespect to Duff at all ~ he's great).... most of the cakes on that show are made by his incredibly talented staff. I didn't mean to sell them short. I'd really love to see more of Duff's work on that show.

Thanks for the tips ~ I just received both a Colette and Debbie Brown book in the mail today (amazon.com, baby ~ free shipping's a good thing). Colette also mentioned the foam core supports. Now I can't wait to try that!!!!

Wow!!!!! the light bulb just went off in my head. Can you see it. LOL I just learned something pink, I always wondered how that was done. I was thinking wow they are some awesome decorators that can find the center from the top. I didn't realize that you'd be going from the bottom. Thanks so much for the info.