How Do You Stack A Cake
A stacked cake is exactly that it’s made up of different size cakes stacked on top of each other, stacked or columned cakes not only look aesthetically pleasing they can create a dramatic contrast effect. But as a professional I know as much as anyone how important it is to have the right skill set and use the correct tools. Not only that, a multi tiered cake must also start out with the right foundations to avoid ruined decorative effect, uneven layers and in extreme cases a completely collapsed cake. So no matter how many layers you’re thinking of creating whether it be 2 layers or 8 it’s important to have at least 2-4 inches difference in diameter to create the best look for each layer.
Stability of Stacked Cakes
The more layers the cake has the more chance it has of tippling over or collapsing completely, one way to prevent this is using individual cake boards and dowels in each tier. Not only does this guarantee more stability it makes the cake easier to transport to any location this allows for the tiers to be transferred separately meaning the cake can be assembled once it’s reached its destination. Cracking can occur if the cake isn’t stacked when the icing is freshly done otherwise you will need to wait two days. Full doweling is not required if the lower layers are firm such as fruit or carrot cake.
Using Cake Boards To Stack Cakes
The use of cake boards in stacked cakes is completely effective and often put to use by bakers not only does it make the cake more stable it ensures the perfect placing of tiers on your cake. You can purchase the right size cake boards or cut them to size ensuring the board won’t show on each layer, make sure the material of your chosen boards are strong and won’t bend out of shape easily. If your cake is a little on the smaller side 6 inches or less it’s possible to stack two cakes to one board, you can achieve this by placing the next cake board on top of the previous layer and making an outline allowing you to align the dowels correctly.
Using Dowels To Stack Cakes
Using dowels and creating a strong foundation isn’t always easy, they usually come in a plastic or wooden material that all depends on what is available and what suits your needs best. We suggest using 1 dowel for every 2 inches of cake. For example, 18-20 inch cakes would need 10 dowels and a 10 inch cake would need around 5 or 6. Wooden dowels tend to be smaller than plastic so you would need to use more when constructing your layers, although if you choose wooden then can be sharpened at one end this allows you to puncher the cake and boards slightly easier. Always cut away from the cake ensures less debris falling onto the cake and prevents less chance of damage.
Final Thoughts On Stacking Cakes
Whatever you decide to use wood or plastic you must always wash and dry the dowels before use, we then suggest cutting them into shape before installing them allowing you to evenly distribute them and cut them to the same size always make sure the cake has been chilled first. With larger cakes make sure to always insert the middle dowel first.
