I am making my first tier cake. It is a 10 and 8" round cake. I am covering both with fondant. Now my questions.

1. Do I need a dowel or something through both to stabilize them?

2.. Do I need a cardboard or something under the top cake? or will it attach and hold to the bottom cake?

3. Should I wait and attach the top cake when at the place where the cake is being eaten or transport it all together!

I am putting a fondant ribbon and bow around the bottom of the cakes.

thanks. any help and advice would be greatly appreciated!


Letisha

When I make tier cakes, I put the top on a cardboard, and trim the cardboard so it is the same size as the tier. Put about 5 dowels (bamboo skewers work well too) into the bottom trimmed so it will be level with the bottom tier. Then just put a blob of buttercream and stick the top tier on, and pipe a border to hide the cardboard. I travel with my cakes constucted like this and have never had any problems. I hope this helps! Good luck.

I just finished an 8 and 6. Yes you need a cake board under the top tier. And yes you need some kind of support. (i know because i asked these questions too) You can use dowels or bubble straws (which are like regular straws, but bigger... like sonic straws). also, I assembled my cakes before I traveled. But I ALSO had me neice to hold it on the way over. But my cake seemed pretty stable and I'm sure it would have made it wothout her. HTH

Hi, don't stress. It's not a difficult thing to do.

1. Yes, you need to dowel the cake . Be sure to use supports in the bottom layer or the top will sink into it. (I use bubble tea straws & some use wooden dowels.)

2. Definitely use a board or foam core under the top tier. (I use foam core, so I can hammer the dowel into a thicker space.)

3. I always stack the cake at home and transport it finished-to me it's easier. I just delivered a 5 tier wedding cake assembled-no problems. I like to dowel in 2 places (mostly for 3 or more tiers) to ensure it's stability.

Good luck, you will do great!

gritswife,would you mind sharing with us how many dowels you use and what size foam core-board use are using.thanks

1. I would suggest you use a dowel that will go through the center to avoid it tipping over.

2. I would suggest you use a cardboard. It will also help once you desconstruct the cake.

3. I would assemble it right away. If it's two tiers, I wouldn't worry.

Good luck.

If you use a dowel that goes all the way through both layers in the center, how do you get that through the cake board underneath your top layer?