Tips on Stacking Wedding Cakes So They Don't Fall
Wedding cakes are traditionally built from layers stacked on top of each other with filling in between each layer or consist of tiers separated by pillars. These presentations are majestic and elegant but have to be properly secured to ensure the cake will not topple during the celebration. You can use utilize one or more stabilizing methods to keep wedding cakes steady. Does this Spark an idea?
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Layer Preparation
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Just as bricks and stones need to be flat and even to build a sturdy wall, cake layers have to be uniform to build a stable wedding cake. Use the same brand and type of pans for each layer and fill each with the same amount of cake batter. Carefully weigh the dry batter ingredients instead of using measuring cups as humidity and temperature affect their density and just a bit too much flour can result in domed, uneven cake surfaces. The best way to create even layers is to partially freeze the baked cakes after cooling and remove them from the pan. Use a long-bladed serrated bread knife to even the frozen cake tops horizontally before assembling them.
Stacking Techniques
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Wedding cakes with solid bases are the least likely to fall. The base on which the bottom layer is placed should be a minimum of 2 inches wider than the cake. Use a sturdy cake base from a bakery supply store to ensure it can hold the weight of the finished cake without bowing or buckling. Evenly apply the filling or frosting between the layers, being sure to extend it to the edges of each layer to provide even adhesion. Gently try to move each layer and apply more filling if any of the layers appears unstable. Let the layers rest for a few hours to solidify the filling and make the cake as steady as possible. Make each subsequent layer the same size or smaller than the bottom one as larger layers on top of smaller ones create instability.
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Using Dowels
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The best deterrent against falling layered wedding cakes is the use of dowels. Available at baking and cooking supply stores as well as bakeries, dowels are wooden or plastic rods inserted into the body of the cake to make it stable. Determine the height of the finished cake, not counting the icing or other decorations. Insert five dowels cut into lengths the height of the cake into the bottom cake layer, evenly spaced about 1 inch in from the edge of the cake. Make sure the dowels are not too long, as they will stick up through the top layer. Punch matching holes into the other cake layers with an extra dowel and stack the layers on the dowels. You can stack the cakes with or without filling in between them. Frost and decorate the cake when the construction is complete.
Cake-Building Tiers
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Tiered wedding cakes are stabilized with separator plates and pillars. The separator plates are placed atop each layer and the knobs on top hold four evenly spaced pillars. The tiers are built through stacking separator plates, pillars and cake layers until the desired height is reached. Some wedding cakes have dowel-secured lower layers topped with tiered layers.
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References
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