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Stacking 4 inch rounds

post #1 of 6
6/28/12 at 8:34am
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So i am hoping I have not bitten off more than I can chew for this cake....My client wanted a paint can made from cake. Her company uses quart size cans that measure 4 inches wide and 6 inches tall. My plan was to stack 3 4inch rounds on top of each other which would have an end result of 4 inches wide and 6 inches tall. My fear was that the height would be too much for the small 4 inch base and I believe I was right. It is very unsteady and i am uncomfortable using it. Is there any secret to stacking a tall skinny cake or should I go ahead and try to make it out of cereal treats? My plan was to put the paint can on top of a one layer sheet cake.
"Cheap cakes are not good, and good cakes are not cheap"
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"Cheap cakes are not good, and good cakes are not cheap"
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post #2 of 6
6/28/12 at 11:05am
I stack 2 4" frequently, and even that is pain. To even hold it still I have to stick a dowel rode through it. Good luck!
Wilton graduate and proud cake business owner under FL Cottage Food Law. More cake photos here: www.FROSTEDChicCakes.com
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Wilton graduate and proud cake business owner under FL Cottage Food Law. More cake photos here: www.FROSTEDChicCakes.com
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post #3 of 6
6/28/12 at 11:30am
Tackle this just like you would a tiered cake.
3 or 4" up from the bottom - where ever one of your layers is- put in dowels or fat soba straws and use a cake board and stack up the rest of the layers on that.
You are just stacking 4" cakes on top of 4" cakes instead of say 6", 9" & 12" tiers...
You can still center dowel if you feel the need but with support from the bottom half you should be good to go!

Good Luck
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post #4 of 6
6/28/12 at 11:35am
Stick a dowel in the center and use that to steady as you buttercream the cake. I also put the cake in the fridge to get the buttercream hard so I can layer on more... makes it easier to coat it. I also would adhere your base to another larger base so you can maneuver around it easier. Use a glob of buttercream underneath to hold it. Put it in the refrigerator so the buttercream hardens and holds it better. When you're through just lift it up with your offset spatula and set it on your sheet cake...which has a dowel in it to support your 'can'. I hope this is clear. HTH!
A closed mouth gathers no feet.
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A closed mouth gathers no feet.
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post #5 of 6
6/28/12 at 10:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by carmijok

Stick a dowel in the center and use that to steady as you buttercream the cake. I also put the cake in the fridge to get the buttercream hard so I can layer on more... makes it easier to coat it. I also would adhere your base to another larger base so you can maneuver around it easier. Use a glob of buttercream underneath to hold it. Put it in the refrigerator so the buttercream hardens and holds it better. When you're through just lift it up with your offset spatula and set it on your sheet cake...which has a dowel in it to support your 'can'. I hope this is clear. HTH!



^^This. I've done many 4" cakes because I love the size. When you stack more than 2 layers, weight still isn't a problem, but keeping them stable is. I use piping gel to "glue" the cake to a 6" base - - bc doesn't hold very well (not for me anyway). I don't use a center dowel, but I can see how it would keep things in place.
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post #6 of 6
6/29/12 at 6:52am
The secret to stacking a tall cake is to use very firm icing to hold the layers together. Use ganache that has half-chilled so that is will not slide around. Use cakes that have been chilled before stacking. Fill quickly and chill until firm (an hour) before crumb coating.

For a 4" cake I would use three dowels the full length, but no cardboard between layers. The dowels being off centre hold very well--when you insert them after the filling has chilled.
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