The links below leads to all my material on how to use wood dowels to support and stabilize stacked cakes. This method may be applied to the construction of wedding cakes, multi-tiered cakes, sculpted cakes, or any cake that has multiple components. If you are new to this method, start here: How to Use Wood Dowels in Stacked Cakes.
FULL LENGTH TUTORIAL WITH VIDEOS
How to Use Wood Dowels in Stacked Cakes
Topsy Turvy Cake Tutorial Video #4 – Doweling
SHORT SEGMENT
Part 1: Cake Dowels Video Tutorial
SHORT SEGMENT
Part 2: Stacked Cake Assembly
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Oh yes, one more question 🙂 You suggest placing parchment circles between each tier. 1- Do you smear buttercream or royal icing on either side of the parchment circle to make sure that it and the cakes stay attached to one another? 2- Isn’t there a danger of cross contamination when the horizontal dowels get banged in thru the cake card and parchment and into the cake below?
Thanks for your help and advice. You are by far one of the most helpful cakers on the net 🙂
No, I don’t smear the parchment with buttercream because the finish of a frosted/covered cake is already sticky.
Technically cross contamination is a food safety term used for when a hazardous bacteria comes in contact with ready-to-eat foods. I assume you mean flavor transfer? If so, I wouldn’t worry about that. The pointed dowel is narrow so that it will pass through the layers easily without displacing very much cake.
Looks really nice and secure. My only concern would be how these long dowels that provide horizontal support would be removed in order to separate the tiers for serving? Or would you suggest just lifting up each tier with the horizontal dowels still in place … if that is possible?
I have no idea what chefs do with the dowels because I’m not usually there when the cake is being cut. I always recommend pliers for removing them. It’s the easiest way to get them out. I learned that from a catering chef who had to dismantle wedding cakes all the time (she brought her own pair to every event). Yes, you can also lift the cake off the pointed ones. I’ve seen other chefs cut around them.