How to Make Topsy Turvy Cake

An example of a finished topsy turvy cake.

A topsy turvy cake is characterized by having multi-tiers that are stacked in a way to make the cake look as though it is about to fall down or slide from its stacked position or looks crooked. These cakes are usually decorated in vibrant and sometimes wild colors, and can easily be themed for any occasion, including birthdays, weddings, baby showers and holidays. While any cake flavor or filling can be used, firmer cakes and thicker fillings are generally used for stability.

Things You'll Need

• Baked cake, cooled and sliced
• Buttercream or frosting
• Cake plates
• Cake columns, trimming if needed
• Cake cardboard circles for making each tier
• Foil-covered cakeboards, cake risers or serving platters
• Offset spatula
• Small kitchen knife
• Serrated cake knife
• Cake turntable
• Fondant, optional
• Fondant rolling pin, optional
• Fondant smoother, optional

Instructions

Creating and Assembling Each Tier

1. Decide how many tiers you want your cake to be. The photo shows two. For each tier use at least three cake layers and two filling layers. This cake will ultimately be trimmed so be sure you have enough cake to work with. Assemble each tier on cake cardboard circles. Once they are finished, crumb-coat each one and place it in a refrigerator or cool place to set the buttercream up.

2. Taking the serrated cake knife, give the cake tiers a trim on the top on and one side only. The angle and degree of the cut will result in the slant of the top of the cake. A deeper cut on one side will result in a more pronounced slant. Crumb-coat the top and chill.

3. 

   Think about the design of the cake and decide if having a narrow bottom is needed. Some designs have the tops of each tier wider than the bottom. To do this, trim the sides starting at the top and cutting straight down with an inward motion using a serrated cake knife. If the cake is especially firm or soft, back and forth action with the knife will help. Place the cake on the turntable with the edge of the cardboard resting off and trim as needed to make the diameter match the new smaller bottom.

4. After the sides and tops have been trimmed for each cake tier and they are all crumb-coated, it is time to measure the bottom of each cake tier. This is so they can be ready for stacking on each other. If the cake is two tiers tall, measure the bottom of the top tier's diameter and find a cake plate to fit. For example, if the cake bottom was originally 7 inches and was trimmed an inch around, then the new diameter is 6 inches. Take that cake plate and reserve it. Continue with each successive tier if you have more than two.

5. Center the diameter of each cake plate onto the bottom cake. With a small kitchen knife, cut through the surface to cut the top layer or layers. Remove the cake plate and remove the part of cake in the middle of the cut circle and discard. Remove as much of the top layer of the bottom tier as needed make the top tier level. While the cake looks as though it is crooked, it is level in the center. The cut out part should not be any lower than the lowest part of the slant, though.

Decorating and Finishing Using Buttercream or Rolled Fondant

1. If using buttercream, decorate and finish each tier with desired designs, omitting the middle cut parts. Place the bottom tier on a decorative cakeboard or other serving platter or cake riser. Attach the cake columns to the cake plate, trimming the length if needed, and push through the cake tier, centering it. The cake plate should fit nicely in the trimmed area. Take the top layer and place it on the cake plate. Finish the bottoms of each tier with a piped beading with your desired pastry tip. This will give a nice border on all the tiers and cover up any cake plate that may be showing or any gaps in the cake. Chill or serve immediately.

2. 

   Decorating a fondant-covered topsy turvy cake is usually done in one of two ways. The first way is to completely cover the finished cake (with centers cut out) in fondant, then placing the cake plate with attached columns into the indented space. Cover the top layer with fondant and place on the cake plate, finishing the border and covering up any cake plate or gaps. This is great when using a dark chocolate cake with a light colored fondant, removing any chance of cake crumbs getting on the finished fondant.

3. The second way is trim the centers last, after the fondant has been applied. First cover the slanted cake with fondant, then measure and trim the area where the top cake will be centered. This is appropriate for any cake where dark colored cake crumbs will not be an issue. Finish by attaching the cake plate with columns and the finished top, piping a border on all tiers to finish the cake.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a strong turntable such as an iron-based one. Use the styles of cake plates that attach themselves to the cake column legs for stability.

• Make sure the filling you use is firm enough to stand up to cuttings and moldings.

References

• Ideas for cake decorating
• Find a cake club near you

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish