I am wondering how bakers get their wedding cake layers to look so tall. I use 3" pans, cut and fill, using a dam which raises them a little. Yet my cakes look small compared to many I see. Do you do two 2"? or 3"? Just wondering what a typical layer is made of for you.
j.

I do this just for fun - don't sell anything - but I bake 2 - 2" layers and torte and fill. My tiers are usually 4-5" tall. I think the standard in the US is 4" tall.

I always use 2 layers 2", with dam and filling they can go a little over 4"

I'm a newbie but I baked a wasc last night that looked SO much different than any other cake I've ever baked. I use 9 inch pans that are 2 inches deep. The cakes both rose to the top and very even. I still have to level them a bit just to make sure they're perfect but the only thing I did different this time was fill cake pan 2/3 of the way instead of 1/2 way and used wet towel strips around each pan (baking even strips). awesomeness. So I imagine when I fill and frost them today, they're going to be tall!!!

I know some ppl who use three full cake layers on their cake tiers and also some will add not one but two or three stacked cake circles under their tiers. once it gets iced and put the fondant on you cant tell

Interesting.........................thanks!!

I do whatever fits the style. I know the standard is 4", but I don't think I have ever made a cake that short. I bake 2-2" cakes and fill normally, but I have done 3-2" cakes on several occasions for added height. I seem to always have problems baking 3" cakes, so I have given them up!

I read a comment yesterday (I can't remember where) where the poster said they cut 1/2" foam board and put it under their cakes to raise them.

yeah sometimes my cakes are taller but I do take extra care that my wedding cakes are most of the time exactly or barely over 4 inches because a lot of times anything taller will hang over the dessert dinnerware at the reception

I think that 4" tall (however you get it inside) is the standard for tiered cakes but you can really do any height depending on design and servings needed.

I have been noticing with some of my cakes when I use a 3 inch that they are really so big that I torte them in 3 layers, just seems to be so much cake and even my 2 inch cakes that I do not over fill and put 2/3 of the way full to bake, comes out so high too, so my 2 - 2 " cake are now torted seperatley and are now 4 layers tall, very odd... not sure if it is the new recipes or what...lol any clues of why?

I don't torte mine, but I do bake 3 layers at a time. My cakes are typically somewhere between 5.5 and 6".

It is problems with the 3" pans that has be looking for alternatives. They take forever to bake and mine almost always fall in the center somewhat, no matter what I use. A heat core, rose nails, baking strips, etc. So I have now marked my 3" pans 2" up and am going to fill them only that full. Hope that works out better.
thanks;
J.

I just finally said screw it, and use only 1/2 the batter the 2"inch layer calls for so my cakes are only about 1" tall. Between 3 layers of cake, 2 layers of filling, and the frosting on top, it hits 4 and a touch generally.

The layers bake quicker and handle a lot easier for me... And I don't have to torte. Baking ahead and letting the cakes settle means I rarely have tops to lop off.

I'm really not sure when you'd have to put in another cardboard. I never have had to do that, but again, my cakes aren't over 6".

Rule of thumb is that you should have support for every 4" of cake

what does that mean? support for every 4" cake?

I understand that there's a rule of thumb for cardboarding every 4", but I've NEVER had a problem at 6" without additional cardboard. Anybody else?

I usually get mine to 5" baking one full 3" pan and one halfway. I torte the thicker one so that I have 3 layers. I'm not sure how the heck you would serve that cake if were any thicker than 5".

So, am I reading this right? People add styro-foam or cake boards to the bottom to get their 4"s? How does that even make sense? If I pay for a piece of cake serving that is supposed to be a standard 2x1x4, and your giving me styro-foam or carboard to achive that 4", your cehating me out of what I paid for actual cake. A 3" pan should get you 3-1" layers that once you fill between the layers, you should get your 4", no problem. I do 2" pans and get 4-1" layers, so I have at least 4" and up to 5".

Honestly the thought of having to hit cardboard, remove it and continue to cut seems more messy. I've never had a problem cutting my tall cakes, but I guess some people do.

A slice of my topsy turveys are 6". I really don't find them to be any harder to cut then a regular cake. And for a 6" cake, no, I would not add a carboard at the 4" mark. Now if we're talking about 8" and up, then yes. Barrel cakes are 6" and I don't add a carboard to the 4" mark on that either. They will stack fine too.

To LISAPEPS:
I do this, except I bake my cakes to just over 2" in a 3" pan then use my Agbay to level them to 1" each. Then I do cake - filling/buttercream - cake - filling/buttercream - cake, ganache on the outside and then fondant and they are almost always 4" tall (sometimes slightly taller)
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May I ask how thick is your buttercream and filling between layers? Is the ganache up against cake, so that when the cake is cut the buttercream is in the center only? Thnks