Welcome to the Cake Decorators Q&A

When I watch web tutorials on stacked cakes, they put a central sharpened dowel through middle to secure all tiers. I have a 3 tier wedding cake to do soon. Is this something I should be doing? Where do I get them from?

Hi gucci906

In the UK we don’t tend to use centre dowels because our boards are hard and would all need to be drilled accurately to receive the dowel. In the USA the tendency is to use corrugated cake cards and centre dowels.
Paul uses the 9 dowel method which is extremely secure. There really is no need to centre dowel. Use either ganache or royal icing as shown by Paul to secure all the tiers together. If you still want to use a centre dowel see a supplier here http://www.ashwood.biz/plain-dowel-rods-47-c.asp
To be on the side of safety, please either phone or email the supplier to ensure the dowels are food grade.
Instead of using the silver boards you could use the American style poly coated cake cards like this:
http://www.thecakedecoratingcompany.co.uk/catalog/index.php?cPath=601
Hope this helps.

Thank you for your response. The cake I am doing is ganached then buttercream roses on top so no sugar paste. How will I secure each tier as assume I can’t use royal icing over the buttercream?

Use the ganache as your glue, that’s what Paul does. Each cake must be on it’s own board which will stick to the ganache. Please take a look at Paul’s tutorials on dowelling and stacking a cake.
http://www.cakeflix.com/free-cake-decorating-courses/stacking-cakes-overview
I’m not quite sure what you mean about the royal icing, is it possible please to clarifiy the second part of your question. Thanks. x

Ok..so bottom tier is going to be covered in ganache then buttercream ontop of the ganache. To secure the second tier..which will be on a silver cake card..do I ganache it down before I have put the buttercream ontop?

The whole cake is going to be covered in buttercream roses on top of ganache crumb coat?
If this is so I would stick the cake down on the ganache crumb coat first before piping the roses on.

Thank you

Hello thank you for answering an earlier question.
I have another! Does it matter the shape of the extra cake I will provide to make up portions from the show cake?
My cake will be 3 tiers; 10, 8 & 6 inch x4 layers. I need 130 portions so will be quite short. I thought I would bake extra cake in a 10 inch square cake tin. Should I still do 4 layers? Does it still need the semi naked buttercream (to keep moist)
Thank you
Julia

Hi Julia

The cutting cake can be any shape as long as it gives you sufficient portions.

To keep the presentation professional, the cake should be cut through the middle, filled and coated with buttercream in the same fashion as the display cakes. I never used to tort several layer but that’s up to your preference.

As you’re baking a square cutting cake, protect the corners from burning by double lining the tin. ?