Does anyone use anything other than dowels or the large plastic tubes from Michael's for stacking cakes. I'm wondering if sturdy staws would work and if there are any other options.
The bubble tea straws work. i have recently started using "cake jacks". I love the fact that I dont have to cut any wooden or plastic dowels. And they are reusable. I found them at my local cake supply store and they are pretty cheap.
I use the bubble tea straws. Ordered them from Amazon.com. However after one cake disaster, I will use SPS system for anything over 2 tiers.
The bubble tea straws work. i have recently started using "cake jacks". I love the fact that I dont have to cut any wooden or plastic dowels. And they are reusable. I found them at my local cake supply store and they are pretty cheap.
I never heard of cake jacks before, so I had to go look them up. I'm liking what I'm seeing. Can you tell us more about using them? Are they easy to use? Are they expensive? pros..... cons.....?
I have found them in 3 inch and 4 inch rods. You can get another inch from both by just screwing the top up. I haven't found any cons yet. They are reusable and pretty easy to clean. I paid $5 for six in a package. I figured since i can use the on multlpe cakes that the price was good. And they are much quicker than trying to cut the dowels. You just stick them in the cake lke you would with normal dowels.
I have found them in 3 inch and 4 inch rods. You can get another inch from both by just screwing the top up. I haven't found any cons yet. They are reusable and pretty easy to clean. I paid $5 for six in a package. I figured since i can use the on multlpe cakes that the price was good. And they are much quicker than trying to cut the dowels. You just stick them in the cake lke you would with normal dowels.
Thank you so much. I have wasted dowels too because they cut a little off and I knew they wouldn't work. I think I just found another favorite toy. Can you tell me where you get them at that price? TIA
I use SPS which I love. The plates are reusable many times. I've been able to reuse the legs a few times but they are cheap enough that if I don't get them back it's not a huge loss. The pros work the cost of the support system into the cake.
cownsj
Not saying you're incorrect, but a Wilton class teaching you to use SPS? SPS is a brand name of a product made by BakeryCrafts. Wilton is pretty adamant about teaching you to use their products It's a big reason for having the classes - to sell their products.
Yes, the sps is so stable, I love it. I wouldn't use anything other than this method with 3 or more tiers, it gives me comfort that I can't match with anything else.
cownsj
Not saying you're incorrect, but a Wilton class teaching you to use SPS? SPS is a brand name of a product made by BakeryCrafts. Wilton is pretty adamant about teaching you to use their products It's a big reason for having the classes - to sell their products.
Yes, you're right. I just looked at the photo of sps and it looks the same as the Wilton. Is it somehow different? I've read about sps for so long, and have always thought it was the same as the Wilton product. The legs lock into the plate nice and secure, but I don't feel stable layer to layer. Is it just me?
I use this system and love it. You would want to make sure you get a deposit though because it is a little pricey to get started. I actually got mine for free because I made a wedding cake for a friend and told her that I would like to keep the support system after everything was over and done. I have the 8 and 4 inch discs with a couple sets of legs. I use a metal ruler used for sewing to measure and adjust the legs. It has been a wonderful system no more cutting dowels and extremely heavy duty. Some well know cake decorators use this system watch the video I think you will be pleased. I have owned mine for four years now and I love the fact that it's dishwasher safe. http://www.stressfreecakes.com/public/
http://www.stressfreecakes.com/public/cake-supports-work Great video
HOLY COW! I am a convert. You're so lucky you got them for free. They are expensive, but I want to start adding them to my collection. Plus, unless I'm wrong it does look like you can use regular cake boards and dowel them already stacked if you want. But it also looks like stacking on site is very quick and easy too, and alot less stress transporting the cake.
Thank you SO much for this video and information.
(hmmmmm, wondering if I can make something like this..... gotta look around Home Depot.... lol)
I think it was about 78.00 shipping included at the time. You can buy a set at a discounted rate but so far I have only needed the two rings. I haven't had any request for anything over a three tier cake. Yes you can dowel down the middle with ease. I did order a set of shorter legs last year because the bottom tier of my cousins cake was only about 3 inches high. It was supposed to look like the top two cakes were sitting on a cut piece of log. I love the system. The first cake I used them on had a two hour drive acrossed a dirt road and it made it in perfect shape. It had also been transferred from on driver to the grooms car along the way.
If the lady that invented it can stand on it then I think it can hold up a huge cake with no problems. http://www.stressfreecakes.com/public/about-us
[quote="cownsj"][quote="leah_s"]cownsj
Not saying you're incorrect, but a Wilton class teaching you to use SPS? SPS is a brand name of a product made by BakeryCrafts. Wilton is pretty adamant about teaching you to use their products It's a big reason for having the classes - to sell their products.[/quote]
Yes, you're right. I just looked at the photo of sps and it looks the same as the Wilton. Is it somehow different? I've read about sps for so long, and have always thought it was the same as the Wilton product. The legs lock into the plate nice and secure, but I don't feel stable layer to layer. Is it just me?[/quote]
YES SPS is different from the Wilton system. SPS is more stable, legs don't have to be cut, the peg holds the cardboard to the plate, the legs fit *much* tighter into the plates, basically SPS jsut works. Wilton can be a bit wobbly.
Please folks, remember that SPS is not a generic name, it's a proper name for a specific product.
Thanks for sharing all the good information. I think I'm going to give the straws a try.
I'm making my first tiered cake for this Friday and I just wanted to know if you put anything other than just the things listed above for support? Does there have to be a flat support between layers as well?
I'm making my first tiered cake for this Friday and I just wanted to know if you put anything other than just the things listed above for support? Does there have to be a flat support between layers as well?
You have to have a cake board between each layer. That is what the supports rest against to hold up the upper layer. Otherwise the supports would just pass right into that layer and there would be no support at all. You don't have to use a plastic cake separator, a regular cake board will do.
I'm making my first tiered cake for this Friday and I just wanted to know if you put anything other than just the things listed above for support? Does there have to be a flat support between layers as well?
You have to have a cake board between each layer. That is what the supports rest against to hold up the upper layer. Otherwise the supports would just pass right into that layer and there would be no support at all. You don't have to use a plastic cake separator, a regular cake board will do.
Thank you so much 
I haven't had much experience with tiered cakes yet, but I'm looking forward to a lot of practice so I know what to do with my wedding cake
Have a great day & Happy baking
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