So I worked on my first topsy turvy over the weekend ... needless to say, it was a learning experience!!!
I used to method where you stack the three different-sized layersto taper down the tiers towards the bottom, and carve out the top layer to lay the next tier on a flat surface. I used SPS and did as much research as humanly possible (this was to be a sizeable topsy turvy served at a large party at a a baseball stadium in 103-degree weather, so it made me sweat bullets!).

So I measured and carved out the top layer on my bottom tier, but failed to realize that the added fondant/ganache on the next tier made it just a smidge too large for my cut out. So as I lowered the middle tier onto the bottom one, all of my nicely-laid fondant got caught on the edge of the cut-out circle, essentially lowering the cake itself into the hole, but wrinkling absolutely all of the fondant, ruching it up completely and lifting it off my middle tier!

So ... I panicked! I grabbed the cake and lifted it back up ... only to realize I had actually lifted the bottom layer of my middle tier by the CAKE part of it, leaving the cake board actually still stuck in my cut out hole in the bottom tier! So there I am, with soft heavy layers of cake sittingin my hands with absolutely no support from a cake board, all of the fondant lifted and wrinkled upwards, and the icing smeared over absolutely everything. ARGH!!!!

Long story short ... I managed to re-ice, re-fondant, and place on a board again. Made the cut out bigger, but it was still more snug than it should have been ... live and learn!!! Must have raised my blood pressure by 30 points ... ARGH! Will post pics of the finished product at some point today ... I'll let you know .

So sorry to hear all of that but glad that you made it through in the end. I do my topsy turvies the same way but always always always make sure to chill the cake before you try to stack it. Then you can bring it back out in one piece to trim the bottom cake out more if need be - and I almost always need to

Sorry to hear of you troubles.

Pretty sure that's one of the reason you often see very, very large balls of fondant as the borders on topsy turvy cakes

Rae

As promised, here is how the cake turned out! http://cakecentral.com/gallery/2146288

I think it looks great! I am too much of a chicken to try this yet. I also don't have an SPS yet, so that might be disastrous! Yours came out well and you can't even tell you had any problems!

(((hugs))) and kudos to you for pulling it off!!

The first one is always the hardest

Good job. A friend asked me to bake a 3 tier one for her daughter's sweet 16 party - a freebie. She picked out a cake on cc and of course was topsy turvy. Yikes. Did a fair job and ran out to buy something. Came back and my golden had gotten into the kitchen and loved the bottom layer. Last minute rebake. Since I had already made it once, second time went lots faster and actually a lot better. Practice makes perfect, right?!