I am working on a 3 tier (12"/10"/8") topsy turvy cake on Thursday for a sweet 16 and need some help. I want to make sure I'm going about this right.

I will be using topsy turvy pans (Petal Crafts) similar to the Fat Daddio Pans and wondering what is the best way to torte the cakes since they are already at an angle.

I'm also wondering if I should cut a small piece out of the cake underneath each tier so the tier above it can nest a little in the cake below it or if I should just place the next tier on top of the other? I'm planning on using dowels to support each tier and I will be driving a dowel through the entire 3 cakes when done but want to make sure the cakes dont fall or slant or apply any pressure that could crush the cake below it.

I'm also worried about baking a large slanted 12" round cake and not having it cook properly. O bought some Ateco Heating core nails and plan to use maybe 3 or 4 in the cake especially in the deeper end what do you all think?

Any advice or suggestions from experienced bakers is greatly appreciated.

Mikey