How to Stack Wedding Cake Tiers

Every bride desires a beautiful wedding cake and often wants one with multiple tiers. To avoid wedding day disaster, it is imperative that the wedding cake tiers be stable when stacked. Regardless of the number of tiers, follow these tips to ensure that your stacked wedding cake will stand tall and withstand the test of time.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• sturdy base
• wooden dowels and/or lollypop sticks
• cake boards or cardboard
• scissors
• serrated knife or hacksaw
• aluminum foil
• tape
• pencil
• separator plates and pillars, optional

1. Base
   
   Select a sturdy base on which to put the bottom tier. As this base will support the weight of the entire cake, it should not be cardboard. Place the bottom tier on the selected base and frost.

2. Cake Boards
   
   Each tier will sit atop a cake board. Either purchase the sizes needed or make your own from cardboard. For best results, completely cover each cake board with aluminum foil and tape securely in place. Place each tier on the appropriate cake board and frost.

3. Support
   
   Once the tiers are frosted, cut and insert the supports. For taller or heavier cakes, wooden dowel should be used at least in the bottom tier. Other tiers can be supported with lollypop sticks.
   
   With the exception of the uppermost tier, push the dowel or a stick into the center of the each tier and draw a line at the surface of the icing. Remove the support stick and cut on that line. Based on the size of the tier to be supported, cut 3-7 more supports the same length and insert them evenly below where the next tier will sit.

4. 
    
   Tier Detail

   Stack
   
   Once the tiers are frosted, it is time to cut and insert the supports. For taller or heavier cakes, wooden dowel should be used at least in the bottom tier. Other tiers can be supported with lollypop sticks.
   
   With the exception of the uppermost tier, push the dowel or lollypop stick all the way through the center of the each tier until it rests against the board on which the cake is placed. Draw a line at, or just below, the surface of the icing. Remove the support stick and cut on that line. Based on the size of the tier to be supported, cut 3-7 more supports the same length and insert them evenly below where the next tier will sit.

Tips & Warnings

• For best results, wait to stack the tiers until the cake can be placed on the table from which it will be displayed and served.
• To secure each tier to the cake board, put a dollop of icing on the board prior to setting the cake onto the board.
• To ensure easy separation of directly stacked tiers, place coconut atop each tier where the next tier will be placed.
• Be sure to correctly align each tier before setting into place. Once a tier is stacked, it usually cannot be moved.