Tiered cakes

I have found using the really fat straws works easier than dowels. Not sure what there called. Boba straws I think. Insert them into each tier cutting them just slightly lower than icing. Then place next tier on top with a generous amount of buttercream, so it stays in place. Repeat for each tier you stack, except last one. Lol I always make a marking of the cake that is going on top by using the tin, then insert straws. I always use about 9 straws placed evenly around. Hope that helps, it works for me anyway.
Nina

Hi I use fat drinking straws inserted into each tier, around 9. Cut them level to the cake then buttercream to hold the tier in place. I find them personally better than dowels. Easier to work with. Hope this helps
Nina

I would say first of all that the hard work will be worth it when you see the look on your kids faces but be realistic about what you can achieve. Don't burden yourself with over ambitious cakes which have you tearing your hair out at 2am.

I always use dowels to support upper layers.

 

Good luck!

Amanda

I use boba straws I think there called, instead of dowels, but that is just my preference from using them both. They are used as supports so that the tiers don't sink into each other with the weight.

I'm glad you are watching youtube videos - you will learn so much from them.  They are priceless in terms of information.  You might also go to the Wilton website and look at some of their tutorials - they are also very informative.

 

The straws are placed in the cake to actually support the tier that sits on top of it. That way the cake on top doesn't smash the cake on the bottom. Cake weighs alot - if there is nothing to support the upper tiers, they will squish everything below them.

I make 2 10 inch cakes, in 3 inch deep tins, buttercream them together, then I crumb coat the tier in buttercream, let that dry off slightly. Then coat again in a thick layer of buttercream and smooth it. Then I fondant. But again that's just how I make my cakes.

It seals all the crumbs, so that you can get a smother finish to the cake, I learnt all this from you tube as well. Type in crumb coating a cake, and it will brings loads of videos up on it. Xx

The dowels and straws do absolutely no good without placing each cake on a cardboard.  That is what supports the tier of cake.  Picture the cardboard like a table top and the dowels/straws like the table legs, with each tier of cake sitting on the table.  So the weight of the cakes are on the cardboard/dowels, not the cake below it.  A crumb coat is a thin layer of icing that seals in the cake crumbs.  Let that sit a little then add the rest of the icing.  There are a ton of cake recipes, as well as icing recipes, no one recipe is best.  You really need to just try some, or use a mix, and find your favorite.  The best way to search for these topics on this forum is to use google.  Type in.......tiered cakes cake central.......and you will have many, many appropriate threads show up.  If you go to youtube there are a lot of videos showing different cake and decorating techniques.  My favorites, seriouscakes and tonedna1 are  great and both have videos showing how to use a crumb coat and stack tiered cakes.   Wilton also has a lot of information on their website.

This chart will help you with serving numbers/cake sizes.  This is the American standard, not sure if it is standard where you are.  http://www.wilton.com/cakes/making-cakes/baking-wedding-cake-2-inch-pans.cfm     It also has helpful info on how much batter and icing is needed for each size.  Do some homework before you go all crazy buying cake stuff, it is easy to get carried away and end up with things you don't actually need or use.  Gradually work up in difficulty, start with one tier, then do a two tier,etc.  Starting right into a 4 tier could be really overwhelming and potentially disastrous.  Some people slice each 2 or 3 inch layer of cake in half then do the same with the next cake making one tier.  So that would have 4 one inch layers of cake and 3 layers of icing.  Lots of people just put the 2 inch layer then icing then the other 2 inch layer so you have 2 cakes and one icing layer for the tier.  No right or wrong way, just which you prefer.