How to Assemble a Wedding Cake With Four Layers Stacked

Assemble your four-tier wedding cake with a strong internal structure.

Wedding cakes are one of the focal points of a reception and are present in many wedding photos, so the cake's construction needs to be flawless. Not only should a wedding cake be stunning, it also has to be structurally sound to survive traveling to the venue and a long wait during the ceremony. Tiered cakes require supports to be placed during assembly to hold the layers together and to keep it from collapsing under its own weight.

Things You'll Need

• 4 tiers cake of descending sizes
• Angled spatula
• Buttercream icing
• Cake plate
• 4 cake boards matching the layers' sizes
• 5 wooden dowels, 3-feet
• Pencil
• Icing bag with tip

Instructions

1. Smear a dab of buttercream icing on the cake plate where the base of the cake will sit and place the largest layer of cake directly on top of the icing to keep it from sliding while you work. Center the cake precisely.

2. Place a cake board the same size as your second tier on top of the first cake. You may use a knife to make small marks in the icing around the board to help you center the second tier when you place it on top. Use a steak knife to cut one of the dowels into four pieces as tall as the first layer of cake.

3. Poke the dowels into the first layer; be sure you place them straight up and down, not at an angle, and space them evenly underneath where the second layer will sit. This will support the next layer and also ensure the dowels are hidden. If your tiers are square, place a dowel in each corner; if your tiers are round, place them where corners would be if the cake were square. Do not place dowels in the center of the layers.

4. Smear a dab of buttercream icing in the middle of the top of the first layer. Using your faint outlines to align the second layer, slide the second cake off of its cake board and onto the first layer.

5. Repeat steps 2 through 4 for the next two layers. Do not place dowels for support in the top tier, as it will not be holding up another layer above it. Instead, take one of the long dowels and push it through the center of the top tier, all the way down to the cake plate. Mark it with a pencil and remove it. Cut the dowel at this mark with a steak knife and push this back into place in the center of the cake.

6. Spread buttercream frosting on top of the small hole created by the dowel in the top tier. Smooth it with the angled spatula.

7. Scoop some icing into the icing bag and press the air bubbles out. Cover the "seams" between the layers of cake by squeezing icing in small pearl shapes all the way around each seam.

Tips & Warnings

• Before you assemble your four-tier cake, level all layers using a cake leveler and freeze them until you are ready to ice them. Cover each layer with icing or fondant to your liking before stacking the cake, but do not add any embellishments yet.

• Depending on the size of your cake, you might need to use more dowels for support in the first and second tier to prevent sinking or bulging.

• To be certain that the dowels are exactly the height of each layer of cake, poke the longer dowel in and mark it with the pencil. Then, cut it to that length.

References

• The Sweetest Day: Cake Stacking Hints
• Hurry Up Cakes: Stacking Tiered Cakes
• Piece A Cake: How to Make a Wedding Cake