By chrissiep 3 Jan 2010
Centre Dowels on stacked cake
Hi,With a 3 tier stacked cake should i use a centre dowel or is it not necessary?
Thanks.
Posted By Deliciously Dec 6 Jan 2010
i always use a central dowel regardless of size it just adds extra suport especially when traveling with the cake :-)
Posted By odettelovestobake 6 Jan 2010
Please excuse my ignorance/inexperience, but does that mean you drill a hole through your cake boards and put a long dowel through the entire three layers?
Posted By Linda 12 Jan 2010
Hiya,
Yes, it means your center pole will need to be 2 1/2 tiers high (goes halfway through the top tier) You need to drill holes in your base board and the other two boards. Then attach a cleat to the bottom of your baseboard, put hot glue in the little hole and attach your centrepole. Then you stack your tiers over the pole, whilst also using dowels for support.
Hope this makes sense :)
Yes, it means your center pole will need to be 2 1/2 tiers high (goes halfway through the top tier) You need to drill holes in your base board and the other two boards. Then attach a cleat to the bottom of your baseboard, put hot glue in the little hole and attach your centrepole. Then you stack your tiers over the pole, whilst also using dowels for support.
Hope this makes sense :)
Posted By odettelovestobake 12 Jan 2010
Yes thanks Linda, makes sense. Maybe I should attach a shed to the plans for my dream kitchen...
Posted By Linda 12 Jan 2010
he he he...that's what I need too!!!
Posted By chrissiep 14 Jan 2010
Thanks for the answers, was wondering what width pole do you use? Also what are you using for cleats?
Posted By sweetexpressions 25 Jul 2010
Can anyone link me to a video demo of how to fix the centre dowel onto the cake board? I think I understand how to do it, but since my husband is helping me with it I'd rather he see how it's done without me explaining it. Otherwise, I'm guessing we'll have a few 'peaceful' discussions about it all. hehehe
Also, this is for my first 3T cake, but my top tier will be a 5" dummy. I thought, I'd use a centre dowel just in case, but is it really necessary?
Also, this is for my first 3T cake, but my top tier will be a 5" dummy. I thought, I'd use a centre dowel just in case, but is it really necessary?
Edited by sweetexpressions 25 Jul 2010
Posted By Chocolate Eclare 25 Jul 2010
I have only recently started using the dowel secured to the wooden display board method. Before that I had learned the US way, and done it many times with success and no mishaps. In the US method, you secure the bottom tier cakeboard to the display board with double sided tape. They use cardboard cake boards between tiers and drive a dowel through the middle with a hammer. If you have no deco on the top of the top tier to hide the hole, then you just drive the dowel through the 2 bottom tiers and leave enough dowel to go halfway through the top tier. You would have to precut the hole in the top tier in this instance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qu9ZtV51RM&feature=related
Here is a link, only they are using buttercream covered cakes instead of fondant. I have done this method fine with fondant too.
Sorry I couldn't find a video for the Aussie method. I do prefer the Aussie method now too. It is that bit more secure than the US method. It also takes the sweats out of pushing down on your stack of cakes!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qu9ZtV51RM&feature=related
Here is a link, only they are using buttercream covered cakes instead of fondant. I have done this method fine with fondant too.
Sorry I couldn't find a video for the Aussie method. I do prefer the Aussie method now too. It is that bit more secure than the US method. It also takes the sweats out of pushing down on your stack of cakes!
Posted By sweetexpressions 25 Jul 2010
Thanks so much for looking this up for me, Chocolate Eclare. I saw that video too and thought that I'd make a mess of that method. I think that the Aussie method would my preferred method so I think I'll just have to try it without the video.
Posted By sweetexpressions 25 Jul 2010
Sounds great, Bec and exactly how I was planning to do mine. Hubby and like to over engineer everything so I was going to screw the dowel in too.
Covering the board that way and the board buy back idea is great. I'll definitely introduce that from now on.
Thanks for taking the time to explain this, Bec as I know everyone in Oz seems to be watching Masterchef!
Covering the board that way and the board buy back idea is great. I'll definitely introduce that from now on.
Thanks for taking the time to explain this, Bec as I know everyone in Oz seems to be watching Masterchef!
Posted By vtandessa 25 Jul 2010
Do you use dowel available from a hardware as such or is there a "food grade" type? I have only ever seen the thick skewer type about as long as a pencil inthe cake deco shops.....
Posted By TheDinosaur 26 Jul 2010
If you're going to use the Lynch Pin method - just make sure that your central dowel is food safe. ie you can not use a dowel from the DIY stores as the wood used for dowel more than likely was made from a tree which has poisonous sap.
Posted By Chocolate Eclare 26 Jul 2010
The dowel that I buy from the hardware store is Tasmanian Oak, which I believe is a foodsafe wood (oak wine barrels). I just give it a scrub with hot soapy water to make sure it's clean. I make sure I choose the dowel which is smooth as possible so that it won't splinter or have lots of crevaces to harbour bacteria. I have found the Tasmanian Oak dowel to be less likely to splinter than the cake dowels in the packets from Cake deco suppliers.
Edited by Chocolate Eclare 26 Jul 2010
Posted By vtandessa 26 Jul 2010
Great Info Superbec! Thanks!
Posted By Chocolate Eclare 26 Jul 2010
GO Superbec!!!!! Thanks for letting us know about your super detivtive work :)
Posted By sweetexpressions 31 Jul 2010
Thanks everyone, esp Bec. It is information that everyone needs to know about. I used your method, Bec and it worked a treat. Here's the finished cake
http://www.planetcaketeaparty.com.au/images/2657.jpg
http://www.planetcaketeaparty.com.au/images/2657.jpg
Posted By Betty Boop 1 Aug 2010
That is one gorgeous cake!!!!! Love it!
Posted By Chocolate Eclare 1 Aug 2010
OMGosh! How cute is your dog!! Awesome cake :)
Posted By JhoaneeB 1 Aug 2010
wow! that cake's awesome!
Posted By sweetexpressions 2 Aug 2010
Thanks ladies. I had to put two fondant layers on my dummy b/c the imperfections of the styro were still visible even after extensive polishing with my flexi smoothers AND you could still see price that the cake shop wrote on it with permanent marker!
@Bec: hehhehe...sound like my kinda girl. I often do the odd jobs around the house, mainly b/c I'm really impatient and can't wait for my well intentioned hubby to do it.
@Bec: hehhehe...sound like my kinda girl. I often do the odd jobs around the house, mainly b/c I'm really impatient and can't wait for my well intentioned hubby to do it.
Posted By samlovescakes 5 days ago
Could I just clarify this as I am yet to do this whole dowel in the middle business!! You put a screw with a screwdriver through the base board which will go through the baseboard and into the centre dowell which you are holding in place? So there is a screw going right through? Or, is it merely just glued there?
Posted By Catherine 4 days ago
Hi Sam, I recently made a madhatter with a centre dowel and just drilled a hole in the bottom board and stuck in my 6 or 7mm dowel with my hot glue gun... couldn't remove it after that!
Posted By samlovescakes 4 days ago
Thanks for the info! Will have to give it a try!
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