Welcome to the Cake Decorators Q&A

Is it advisable to use a cardboard to separate each cake
After putting the dowels in?
I have been doing this for years , and it seems to leave a big gap
Between my cakes in which I need to fill with sugarpaste or large piping to close the gaps.

Thanks from cakes by Dotun

Hello Dotun

Yes you should have a thin cake card under each tier before stacking onto the dowels. If you have not had an opportunity to watch Paul’s free lessons on stacking I would strongly recommend that you do. The tutorial will teach you how to stack both round and square cakes properly and safely. Find the tutorials here:
http://www.cakeflix.com/free-cake-decorating-courses/stacking-cakes-overview

If you use thin cake cards you won’t have the gapping problem. Also ensure your cakes are level all the way round by using a spirit level tool. It’s possible some parts of your cakes are uneven which may be another reason for the gaps. Cake cards are thinner and are less rigid than cake boards. See examples of cake cards by scrolling down the page here:
http://www.thecakedecoratingcompany.co.uk/presentation-storage
Examples of spirit levels:
http://www.wickes.co.uk/Products/Tools+Workwear/Hand-Tools/Measures+Spirit-Levels/c/1000404#
You can buy them in any hardware store. They don’t have to be big or expensive, I use mine specifically for my cakes.

Hope this helps.

This is quite useful, I really appreciate.
I have watched how to stack round and square cake on Paul’s Bradford site. ( There was no thin cardboard used), just stacking the cake on top of each layer.
That’s Why I asked that question. I have a spirit level I use, but not quite often, I might have to get Use to that now, so that I can identify when my cake is wobbled.

Thanks for your time Andy.
I’m so happy having this conversation through this medium.

From,
Dotun.

Hi Dotun

All Paul’s cakes have a card underneath them, they are just not visable. If you listen to him talking as he is demonstrating you will, from time to time hear him mention that each cake must be on a card. The cards are quite thin and that is why you can’t see them. You see him decorating on a large drum, he then release the card which the cake is sitting on from the drum and continues with stacking.
This is Paul Bradford Sugarcraft School, you are in the Q & A section.

You are welcome for the information. I just need to also correct you that I am not Andy. His name appears automatically on the Q & A emails. Andy used to be the site customer service manager.. He is no longer with the site but his name still continues to appear on some email correspondence.
Please see my site user name , ‘madeitwithlove’, in the bottom right hand corner of this answer and my initial answer above.