Wooden Dowel for Cakes? What the?

Read this first before you jump into your first tiered cake!

Wooden Doweling  is actually really important and I must admit until very recently I had no idea why!

When Stacking cakes  it's important that each layer will be supported - not sink in or crush the tiers below. How do Cake decorators do this? With Doweling! Depending on the height and layers you may need a tall centre dowel as well as smaller dowel rods.

Wooden Dowel rods are really versatile as you can trim to the exact size /height of your cake using garden secateurs. Approximately  five to six dowels are often needed for each layer. 

N.B. Make sure the rods you buy are non toxic!

Here in Cairns I got a bit excited today as I found some cheap non -toxic dowels suitable for mt next cake project! The aim of Cake Decor Cairns is to bring you the local deals so, this weeks find is: 

Overflow FNQ Stores have these non - toxic wooden dowels available for just $2.50 a packet! 

Preparing a cake for Tiered construction:

Step 1

Trim your dowel rods to be the same height of each tier. You can use a hacksaw, or secateurs that is only used for food and never in the garden.You do not need rods for the top tier, so if it’s only a two tiered cake you only need rods for the base.

Step 2
Insert 5 – 6 rods in a circle in the base cake – where the tier will be stting on it.

Repeat for middle layers.

Step 3
 
Place the middle tier on the base ensuring it is exactly centre as possible.

Step 4
Position the top tier.

Step 5
If you have a 3 or more tiered cake, then you may need to support the tiers further by sharpening one end of a longer wooden dowel rod (same length as the final height of the cake) and push it through all tiers and cake boards to the base of the bottom tier.

Here's a cake I prepared using this method: 

For a photographic step by step method I highly recommend the Wilton Decorating site: 

www.wilton.com/cakes/tiered-cakes/stacked-tiered-cake-construction.cfm

Next week find out what I do with these!  

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