question on wedding cake assembly

[bakergirl]

I am new to this website, and am not sure if this is the place that I need to post my question, but I am getting married in August and I am making my own wedding cake. I am really excited about this because I love to bake and cook! I went out and bought the square cake pans (which are 8, 12, & 16 inch pans), cake boards (the cardboard pieces that you put under a layer of cake), and a pack of wooden dowels to help support the weight of the cake.

Here's my dilema...I have never attempted to make a cake of this size, and have a slight problem. I want my cake layers to sit flush (and look like they are stacked on top of each other), with no plastic columns or anything separating the different cake layers (I only want the wooden dowels, which will be hidden in the cake, for support), but I have no idea how to do this without completely messing up the icing in between the layers, when taking the cake layers apart for cutting. I hope this is making sense If anyone has any advice or tips I would greatly appreciate it!!!

[panini]

bakegirl
pm me if nobody answers your ?. It will take some time and digram.
You are SURE you want to do this!? Delivering the cake before your recpt? Decorating before the wedding?
You sound pretty definate, it can be done, but I would deligate a couple of helpers with this type of project.

[bakergirl]

Thanks for your response so quickly! Yes I am definite that this is what I want to do, and I think that I might have an idea about what to do. Do you or anyone else think that this will work: after baking and icing the first layer, I will put the wooden dowels in the preferred places, and instead of cutting them off right at the same level as the cake, leaving them sticking out about 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch above the icing. Then I can bake my next layer and repeat this process with the wooden dowels. Therefore, when I assemble the cake and place the middle layer on the base layer (and the same with the top layer on the middle layer) there will be a bit of a space between the 2nd layer and the base layer, but it will be so small that I can fill in with icing, by using my handy icing bag and a decorative tip. I hope that this will work, but I am curious as to how everyone else thinks that this will work. Just let me know if I am on the right track! Thanks!!

[momoreg]

No, don't do that! You can cut them flush with the tier, and chill well before stacking. Give it a good sprinkle of powdered sugar before adding the next tier, making sure not to go outside the range of the next tier. This will keep the icing underneath from sticking to the cardboard. Good luck. We'll be here if you need us!

[smiley]

It will work having done this before. buuuuutttttt you will not be able to move the cake, period. it slides like a banana peel on ice. I ended up putting some large dollups of icing in the middle to help it from not sliding around but I'll guarantee you won't make it to far before it plops on the floor and everyone in the room looks at you in astonament (had this happen at my brothers wedding after the cake sat in a room for 4 hours before, I was in the wedding party you see. however a month later I did an eleven tier cake for my cousins wedding ,(praying on the sidelines for no failure) that went off without a hitch, even after a drunk bridesmaid hit the table and made it shake like a building in an earthquake) moral of the stories..... you get married somebody else does the cake (start with the mother in law because they don't get nearly enough "jobs" to make them feel special)

[panini]

I have to agree with Momo. That is really risky especially if you need to preset the cake. Maybe you could get someone to stand in for you during the ceremony
You can do as you speak of if you use a plate and legs, which is what I will suggest right off. even if you stack. The most sturdiest way to stack is with p&p

[bakergirl]

Thank you so much for all of your advice! I will definitely keep all of this in mind because you all have made very good points! If you all have any more advice, I would love to hear it...just let me know!!

[katbalou]

i did this 21 years ago at my own wedding, some angel must've been watching over me as i had no problems. i baked the cake the day before - 4 tiers and my brother carefully delivered it to the reception fully stacked and decorated - without one bit of the icing being disturbed. everyone was quite amazed that i pulled this off, but i didn't want to pay for something i could do myself. plus it tasted better than the usual white cake and crisco-sugar frosted thing that was mostly available in the area.
kat

[m brown]

to keep from marring the layers and keeping the cake together, the momoreg powder sugar is a great idea supporting each layer with dowels and fresh cardboard circles.
Take it a step furter, spike the cake down the middle piercing each tier with a wooden dowel, like you were after a vampire. I use a 3/8 and sharpen the end with a pencil sharpener (used only for such a purpose) measure and cut it to fit the hight of the cake. It helps to pop a hole in the center of each of your cardboards so the spike goes through with ease.

Helpful hints, bake a week before, freeze the layers (this helps keep the crumb fine when cutting and freezing aids in keeping cake moist) . Defrost, cut, wash with simple syrup, make a dam around the rim of each layer with butter cream, fill.
mask with butter cream and chill for 1-4 hours (even over night)
ice (frost), deocrate, stack, spike then LET CAKE CHILL OVERNIGHT IN DELIVERY BOX WRAPPED TOTALLY IN PLASTIC WRAP fully assembled.
This allows the cake to set.

Never cut and frost a warm cake. yikes!

Congratulations and Very Best Wishes!

[bakergirl]

Once again, I can't say thank you enough for all of you advice!! I will definitely use all of it!!!