Hello all I have a question about the height of dowels. I have books, I subscribe to some videos and I see everything and it's opposite.  In some books it says to take the height of the tallest dowel and cut them all to that size, in others of the smallest and in videos you cut each and every one to the height they reached at the top of the cake... So i'm confused as to which method is the best.

thanks for any input you may give me.

Hope I explained things well because english isn't my main language.   

AI measure the height of the cake tier in the middle of the tier, then I cut all my dowels to that height. Now, if you are not able to get your cake tiers level when iced, then get eye level with the top the tier. Find the highest point and measure there. That should be the height all dowels are cut to.

If you base the length off the shorest dowel (or lowest point on the iced tier) the tier on top will sink a little into the tier below causing a bulge to form.

thank you for your response! 

I thought the idea of the dowels cut at lowest point was weird.. 

If you cut at the highest point, you'll have some dowels that will stick out of the cake, won't that be a problem when you put an other tier on top?

AYes it will be a problem, so don't allow it in the first place. Make sure your tiers are completely level before you even get to the stage of measuring of dowels.

Thank you.  I have a big difficulty making sure my tiers are level ( never know the height of my ganache coat) .  Would you recommend using a water- level? or any other tip?

AI'd describe my cake as 'pretty level' . That means if I put in 5 dowels--I use bubble tea straws--some will be a 16th of an inch above the icing and some will be an 8th of an inch above. I'm OK with that--my border will hide the discrepancy. All I care about is that all of the straws are exactly the same height and that I have a level finished product.

Of course I use SPS - where all the legs (in place of dowels) are pre cut to specific heights.  (4", 5", 7" and 9")  It's just a matter of using my Agbay to get the cake layers to the proper height, and measure the fillings (with a portins scoop) so I know how much is between each cake layer.  

Once your cake is ganached, and well chilled, you can even use your Agbay to "slice" across the top of the ganache and even it up.

AI use straws or wooden dowels because were I live we have to ship SPS systems and it's quite the expense and I rarely do high cakes. I would love to buy an Agbay but I only do about 6 cakes a year so I have a string system. The scoop portion idea is a good one I will try that. And the same height for the dowels it will be then! thank you all for your input