How to stack tiered cakes

by Hafiyyah
(South Africa, Port Elizabeth)


Hi! Thanks for the amazing website and help. Can you please explain to me the best way on how to stack/assemble tiered cakes?


Thanks Hafiyyah.

Hi Hafiyah,

There are two ways that I use to stack wedding cakes. One is with cardboard and wooden dowels and the other is with Cake Stackers.

If the cake is on the larger side and especially if it is over three tiers I recommend the Cake Stackers. They are the safest way to stack your cakes and make for a secure delivery too.

Her is a link to a full album of one of my cakes using them at my Facebook page. here is the direct link to the photos.

If you use the dowel method, you will need to have each cake on a cardboard circle that fits under each one.

Have a strong base to place the bottom cake on. You may want to have a board cut for you. Cover the board with Fanci foil. Put some glue onto the base (I use a glue gun with hot glue)Place your bottom tier, which is on cardboard, centered onto the board with the glue.

You then place wooden dowels that have been cut to the height of the cake, into the cake to act as supports for the cake above.

Repeat this procedure for each cake as you stack them. TIP: Put a small amount of coconut or graham cracker crumbs in between each tier to prevent the buttercream from sticking to the cardboard.

Once your cakes are stacked, cut and sharpen one larger dowel to the height of the cake. Push it all the way down through, from top to bottom.

You may want to sign up for my newsletter "Here Comes The Cake" as I am about to announce an ebook that I am just finishing up. You will be able to purchase it and download it on the website. In the book are detailed instructions on how to stack tiered cakes.So stay tuned for that.

Thank you so much for visiting and asking a great question. I hope that helps you out. There are other pages on this site that have information on stacking cakes. Here is my review of the Cake Stackers.

Also check out my ebook which has all of the detailed instructions layed out for you Step-by-Step

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May 31, 2012
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starstarstarstarstar 		question
by: Anonymous

hey,
how can you push one long dowel through all plates? Do you cut hole in the middle?
Thanks!
May 31, 2012
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starstarstarstarstar 		Stacked Tiers
by: Patricia Dalton

Yes, I wondered about pushing the dowel through all the cake rounds too. But I like the idea of using graham cracker crumbs between the tiers to prevent sticking. I usually use a parchment round sprayed with PAM....Will try the crumbs next time, since they're edible. Always worry that someone might not find the parchment before cutting the cake. Thanks for the idea.
Trish
May 31, 2012
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starstarstarstarstar 		Dowels
by: Lorelie

Hi Patricia, Yes I see that some decorators use parchment paper. I usually use coconut or graham crackers. And to answer the dowel question from the anonymous visitor, Each cake had cardboard underneath so a sharpened wooden dowel can easily go though. There are no plastic plates involved in the construction of a stacked cake, only pillared ones.
Jun 05, 2015
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starstarstarstarstar 		Dowels
by: Louise Malan

I am baking my first wedding cake and purchased your e-book. I was wondering which dowels are best. The thicker plastic ones or the wooden ones?
Jun 19, 2015
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starstarstarstarstar 		dowels for wedding cakes
by: Lorelie

Hi Louise, I use large plastic straws or wooden dowels. I am not as crazy about the really big plastic tubes (if that is what you are thinking about using)They take up a lot of space and leave big holes in the cakes. Hope that helps. Feel free to email me instead as I would be able to respond quicker that way.
Oct 07, 2015
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starstarstarstarstar 		WHERE TO BUY STACKERS
by: RAVI

WHERE DO I BUY STACKERS IN SOUTH AFRICA. Ravi go to this page and click on the discount coupon. It will take you to their page to order them. They don't have a shop in Africa.
Apr 09, 2016
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starstarstarstarstar 		Stacking wedding cakes
by: Kristin Koss

Hi
I'm making a 3 tire wedding cake for my nephews.wedding It's going to be 3 12" 2 in deep cakes for the bottom 2 10" 3in deep for the middle 2 8" 3in deep for the very top there having fresh flowers that the flower lady is putting on. How many dowels do you put on for each size cake witch dowels do you perfer wooden or plastic hollow ones. if I use the graham crack so it doesn't stick when the cateros cut the cake and take the tires off are they going to see the graham cracker on the frosting I was wondering how I was going To put the 10" on the 12" cake and the 8" on the 10" but when lifting the tiers off the cakes and I was hopping the cardboard didn't stick to the frosting thanks Kristin Koss
Apr 28, 2016
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by: Lorelie

Hi Kristen , I have a book that answers all of these questions and more here I use plastic straws for dowels mostly....The graham cracker crumbs don't really show and they compliment the cake. It works great! I just made a video about cutting a wedding cake and you can see the crumbs. i also talk about it in the video. video

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