How do you stack/tier your cakes? I can't seem to get my cakes to be completely level. They are always leaning a little. I can't figure out if it's the dowel rods or maybe the cakes are way shorter on one end than the other. I've tried cutting the dowels to the height of the cake & I've tried cutting them all the same height, but the cake still leans.

What do you use to stack your cakes? wooden dowel rods, straws, something else? How do you get your cakes completely straight/level, not leaning?

i use the SFS (Stress Free support system) and love it. Also the SPS sustem who Leah recommends. . Also bake your layers alittle higher than the pan then level. That works for me.

Make sure all your tiers are level first. I have a little spirit level that I use now to check that the icing is level. Then cut your dowels all to the same level.

Then check as you stack each tier. If you find there's a little lean in one directions still, then make the lean go towards the back or front so it's less visible.

Well, there's one more thing to check for. You might cut all the dowels the same length (this is the right way) but are the ends both square? Because the ends are what hold the entire cake up...

Use a miter box if you have to, you can cut several dowels at the same time but the ends will be flat and true.

The last thing is that the dowels have to sit inside the edge of the tier that they will support. If bottom cake is 12" and next cake is 9", the dowels have to be within an 8" circle to work properly.