Everything You Need to Make a Tiered Cake
Are you ready to level up your cake game? We’re talking literally, as in adding a few more levels. Tiered cakes add an extra air of celebration to any occasion because of their size and the effort required to make them. But they can be incredibly daunting at the outset. Whether it’s a friend’s baby shower, birthday, or even wedding, we have everything you need to pull it off. If you’ve mastered single-tier layered cakes, impress your friends and family and try your hand at two or more tiers with our help.
Prepped Cake Layers
Preparation is the key to making a tiered cake without wanting to tear your hair out. Before you begin assembling your cake, make sure you have all of your cake layers baked and frozen in advance. Unless you’re in a professional kitchen, making all those cake layers takes a lot of oven space and time, so make sure to account for this step in your timeline. Once cooled, we recommend wrapping each layer of cake in plastic wrap and then foil to prevent air from getting in. Your cake layers will last at least a month and will be much easier to decorate – no loose crumbs in your icing and no melting buttercream from a hastily decorated cake.
Assembled and Chilled Tiers
Let’s say you’re making a three-tiered cake. You might have nine cake layers in your freezer, ready to go. Think of each tier as a standalone cake as you assemble and coat them with your icing of choice. A turntable can help streamline this process when decorating multiple tiers and give it a professional finish. Again, the more time you give yourself for these steps, the easier things will be later. Your three coated tiers can be chilled in the fridge the day before you stack them, which will help as you finish your cake.
The Right Support
We all need a good support system, and a tiered cake is no exception. In fact, they probably need it more than most. You don’t want to look over during your niece’s baby shower and see your cake sagging and collapsing onto itself. Two things can help avoid this: cake boards and dowels.
Cake Boards
During the initial decorating process described in step two, use a cake board the same size as your cake layers under each tier. Don’t worry. It won’t be noticeable after your buttercream gets applied, even if it’s a more naked-style application. Each tier will have a sturdy base, which will ensure the cake is structurally sound and aid in the stacking process.
Dowels
The second layer of defense: dowels. You can choose wooden or plastic dowels – both do the job well. A small six-inch cake might need three dowels, whereas a 12-inch cake would need six to eight. Venues and caterers are familiar with this practice and can help remove them if you aren’t the one slicing the cake.
To insert dowels, start with a chilled cake. Trim your dowels to be shorter than the tier you’re working on, and insert the first dowel into the center. Place additional dowels in the area where the next tier will sit. Cover holes with extra buttercream. This step will provide stability for larger, heavier cakes.
Once your tiers are securely stacked and your mind is at ease, you can move onto the fun part and make it your own by decorating. Remember, tiered cakes are just a couple of small cakes stacked on top of each other. That sounds obvious, but it’s helpful to keep in mind if you feel overwhelmed! If you can make a three-layer birthday cake, you can make a wedding cake. All you need are the right tools.
Written on spec for Wilton