Do You Need Cake Boards in Between a Two Tier Cake?
Tiered cakes are usually made of at least two cakes, stacked or tiered one upon the other in order of size. The bigger or biggest cake is normally at the bottom of the tier, while the smaller or smallest cake is on top, depending on the number of tiers. The cakes are usually highly decorative, and the tiering serves to provide a visual impact as well as reduce the amount of space required by the cakes. You can choose to place cake boards between the layers of a two tier cake depending on the method of stacking and the moisture content and weight of the cakes. Does this Spark an idea?
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Construction
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Multi-level cakes are usually constructed using a stacked, tiered, combination or stepped technique. You construct a tiered cake by assembling the cakes with a space between them, one directly over the other. The support structures used to make the tiers are visible, so use highly decorative pillars or something similar between the tiers. You construct a stacked cake by placing the cakes directly on top of each other, using hidden internal support structures. You would use a combination of these techniques for a combination cake, while you make a stepped cake by tiering the cakes in a non-vertical structure.
Levels
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You can make a two-tier cake by either stacking the cakes directly on top of each other, optionally using cake boards or cake plates in between the cakes, or by using pillars to separate the cakes. When your cake only has two tiers, you will need to consider how moist and heavy your cakes are before deciding to stack them directly on each other, using cake boards in between the cakes. Very moist cakes could cause the cake board to warp, while it could buckle under the weight of very heavy cakes. Your tiered cake could end up looking less than its best, in either case.
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Support
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The cakes in each tier are usually separated and supported by a combination of cake boards or plates and support structures. You may need to place dowel rods in the cakes to provide enough support for your tiers, especially if your cakes are heavy. You will need pillars between the tiers. You will need to take the need for support structures into consideration when designing your two-tiered cakes. You may need to bore holes in the cake board in order to accommodate any dowel rods.
Considerations
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You will need to use different types of cake boards for cakes that are especially heavy, moist or have other special attributes. Thin plywood boards are a good option for very heavy cakes, as they are strong and will provide good structural support. Waterproof Styrofoam boards are a better choice for very moist cakes, as they are not likely to warp or distort or suck the moisture out of the cake.
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References
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