Hi ALL!!
I have seen some gorgeous extended tier cakes in the galleries and I have a question (which is probably really obvious to all the experienced cakers on here!!)

Here goes...

Do you put a cake board between the 2 layers of cake, then ice as one? Then when you serve you cut across horizontally first to get the two cakes apart?? Does that even make sense??
If you look in my images you will see i had a go at one for my sisters birthday (giraffe cake)... but ONE was a dummy cake, so we seperated it to serve...

Also, what is the secret to get rid of the bulge... I hated the fact that it LOOKED like a stacked cake, instead of a super sleek CC looking cake.... I know I'm amateur/hobbyist and will probably never achieve the look I'd like, but any tips to try out would be greatly appreciated!!

Please don;t panic about me selling cakes, I am not licenesed and I do this as a hobby/ for friends and family....

Thanks in advance for taking the time to check this thread out...
Lolly x

If you look in my photos there are a couple of extended tier cakes in there. The audrey Hepburn one is three tiers. I board and use support dowels between each cake . I use ganache to even out the seams it is good if the cake board you use is just ever so slightly larger than the cake as you can get these to line up well and use it as a guide for your thickness of ganache.


I rarely have to carve up my own cakes so I never really worry about how they will cut them up.

the one double tier I did carve up , I just cut down to the first board and cut a section out to cut up and them did the same by sliding my knife under the board to cut a section out of the second tier. I usually do different flavours so cut up some of each.

hey lollyponpon!
have u checked out Taya's tutorial on double barrel cakes on flickr?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/deliciously_decadent/sets/72157621850372685/detail/

She uses a smaller cake board under the top cake so that it doesn't show on the side when she ganaches them together (if that makes sense!) Check out the tute, its awesome!

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haha, JUST after i posted this i did a google and found that tute! It was reallly good!! however, im not very tech savvy so i don't actually know how to use flikr very well--i was looking at her topsy turvy and she says she has tutes on that--but have no idea how to find them... any flickr tips??
I have Taya on my FB and she is amazing... my eyes turn green with her work! And that's not to say she hasn;t worked hard, because I bet she has...i just severely question if i will ever have the time/money and downright skill to achieve anything decent in caking!!

Thanks again!

I too just cut the top "tier" as though doing a regular cake, but remove it first so it doesn't squish the bottom tier. It helps to put some powdered sugar and a cut-to-fit piece of waxed paper under the top board to prevent sticking.

I spent three weeks in Melbourne about 20 years ago and I must say - friendliest people in the world!

I just completed one this weekend, but the bride wanted buttercream. Luckily it was american buttercream vs Italian buttercream, or I would have worried about fracturing.
I did what the others said. I torted, filled and then FROZE the 2 tiers being used, and made sure there were at least 3 cardboard circles cut slightly smaller than the tier going on top. I also used a foamcore same size board for the bottom tier for support. The key is that you don't want that baby to move, and that the tiers are level and even.
Once frozen, I pulled the tiers out, trimmed all the sides, rolled them on my table with extra pressure to even them out. Stacked and made sure they were COMPLETELY even all the way around, and that no boards were peeking out between the two layers. Trimmed bubble tea straws (4 each tier) and inserted. Iced between the 2 cakes, chilled again, then iced the whole thing clean. Then it went into my dry fridge until stacking.
The cake came out pristine, which made me super happy. All the steps sound complicated, but really, its all about a properly chilled and clean canvas to begin with and you can do almost anything. I've also done it ala Planet Cake, with ganache and fondant, in a very similar manner.

Thanks for posting that tute link Iwantcookies!

Thank you so much for all of the help everybody!!
And mombabytiger, what a lovely thing to say about my hometown!! Like everywhere else in the world, there are a few grumpy people, but overall it's an amazing place to be... I only get envious of all the "caking" that happens predominantly in Sydney.... but that's a long rivalry between the Syd/Melb kids tehe! Well, I have no intentions of making a double barrel soon, I was just curious for the time, but whenever I can next find a birthday or excuse to cake I will give it another go and post pics!!

Thanks so much,
Lolly x

I'm curious, does the center support board have to be slightly smaller than the cake above sitting on it? I'm asking as I have my first double barrel coming up and I'm concerned that my cake due to it's texture will need extra support. Can I use a same size masonite support system with holes drilled in the center for a center support rod? (Mine are 2 8" rounds to be stacked). Can you ice the whole thing with the boards running up to the edge, like ice around the masonite and then fondant? I'm worried about air being trapped in my cake if there are 3 boards widths in between the two cakes, making it about a centimeter of space between the two cakes to fill in.

I had a quick question,
Would a 10" double barrel cake look good or would it be out of proportion.
I've been asked to work with a 3 tiered cake. 8",10"12" and they want the middle tier as a barrel.
Thanks

AWhat does torte mean?

Hello Cakers!

Question about how to serve extended tier/double barrel cakes; when you do one of these tiers and it's been covered with buttercream and fondant and you've got a board in the middle, to serve you'd separate the top cake off, fine. But then the bottom part of the extended tier is left with no icing on the top so you'd end up with cake but no icing except on the sides... am I missing something here? Help!!? :)

No you aren't missing anything, its quite correct that a fondant cake could be protected between tiers with a small disc of wax paper...the ganache?

I've never seen it successfully separate and don't think it matters really. Remember these cakes are about the initial WOW! factor and rarely is the baker around to actually cut the cake (unless its a family  affair) There would still be icing on the sides but unless a "hard" chocolate top was put on the cakes and protected, ganache would just peel off.

i have done a couple of extended and double barrel cakes. i ganache both cake seperately first on their individual boards (top and sides). Then i place a circle of baking paper on top of the bottom cake and support straws, a little piece of wet fondant on top of the straws and stack the top cake. Then i do another layer of ganache, especially on the sides. I let it set then cover as usual. When serving, i explain the board and support straws and just tell the client to cut the top cake as usual, then remove the board and paper and straws and serve the bottom tier. I always ganache the top of the bottom cake too, who wants cake with no icing???

I think that was the idea behind the two I witnessd being cut, however the top layer of ganache peeled right off both of them when the top tier was cut and the board removed.

It could have been  the caterers fault of course, the baker wasn't around.