Lyla Dejesus
Dowelling a fruit wedding cake is a great way to ensure your cake is sturdy and secure. It's not always necessary, as fruit cakes are usually pretty hefty and can support themselves without dowels or separators. However, it's always better to be safe than sorry, especially when it comes to a wedding cake! Dowelling each tier of your cake will give you peace of mind and ensure that your cake is stable and secure. To dowel a fruit wedding cake, you'll need to carefully measure and cut your dowels to the correct height, ensuring they are level with the top of your cake and of equal height to each other. You'll also need to follow a few key steps to assemble your tiers securely.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of dowels | One in the centre and the others north, south, east, west |
| Dowel placement | Push a plastic dowel into the cake and mark with a pencil indicating where it comes out of the cake |
| Dowel length | Exactly level with the top of the cake |
| Dowel height | Equal height to each other so the next cake sits securely flat and level on top |
| Dowel type | Plastic |
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What You'll Learn
How to measure the height of dowels
To measure the height of dowels for a fruit wedding cake, you should first cover the cake in buttercream or fondant. Then, place a dowel into the cake and mark where it comes out of the cake with a pencil. Remove the dowel and trim it about 1-2mm above the mark. The dowel should be exactly level with the top of the cake and of equal height to the other dowels so that the next cake sits securely flat and level on top. You can use a "bulls-eye" level or a regular level to check this.
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How to mark the position of dowels
To mark the position of dowels when assembling a fruit wedding cake, you should first cut out a template the same size as the second layer and place it in the position of the second tier. Mark each corner with a needle. Then, push a plastic dowel into the cake and mark with a pencil where it comes out of the cake. Remove the dowel and trim it about 1-2mm above the mark before sticking it back into the cake. Pipe some royal icing onto the centre of the bottom tier to secure the second tier. Place the second tier onto the bottom one.
It is important to measure the height of each dowel carefully. They should be exactly level with the top of your cake and of equal height to each other so that the next cake sits securely flat and level on top. You can use a "bulls-eye" level or a regular level to do this. Dowel each tier before starting to assemble your cake tiers. Make sure the top of each cake tier is level before starting to measure and cut the dowels.
Place one dowel in the centre and the others north, south, east, and west. This should be enough for fruit cakes as they are sturdy enough to hold without support.
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How to assemble the tiers
To assemble the tiers of a fruit wedding cake, you should start by cutting out a template the same size as the second layer and placing it in the position of the second tier. Mark each corner with a needle. Push a plastic dowel into the cake and mark with a pencil where it comes out of the cake. Lift out the dowels and trim them about 1-2mm above the mark, then stick them back into the cake. Pipe some royal icing onto the centre of the bottom tier to secure the second tier. Place the second tier onto the bottom one.
Each dowel should be exactly level with the top of your cake and of equal height to each other so the next cake sits securely flat and level on top. You can use a "bulls-eye" level or a regular one to check this. Dowel each tier before starting to assemble your cake tiers. Make sure the top of each cake tier is level before starting to measure and cut the dowels.
When you are ready to assemble the tiers, start from the bottom up, inserting each tier onto the central dowel and working your way up. Place one dowel in the centre and the others north, south, east, and west. Fruit cakes are sturdy enough to hold without support, but it is always wise to err on the side of caution for wedding cakes and dowel each tier.
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How to use cake cards or cake drums
To dowel a fruit wedding cake, you should cut out a template the same size as the second layer and sit it in the position of the second tier. Mark each corner with a needle. Push a plastic dowel into the cake and mark with a pencil where it comes out of the cake. Lift out the dowels and trim them about 1-2mm above the mark, then stick them back into the cake. Pipe some royal icing onto the centre of the bottom tier to secure the second tier. Insert each tier onto the central dowel and work your way up.
Fruit cakes are sturdy enough to hold without support, but it is always wise to err on the side of caution for wedding cakes and dowel each tier. You can use a 3mm cake card under each upper tier or a cake drum dressed with a wedding ribbon for a more aesthetic look.
Cake cards are 2mm thick and ideal for multi-tiered stacked cakes where the boards need to be hidden from view. Cake drums are thicker, at 12-13mm, and covered in foil. They are perfect for heavy fruit cakes and as a base for a wedding cake. Cake drums are usually two inches larger than the cake, but if you are icing the drum, it's advisable to opt for three or four inches bigger. Cake drums are also available in a variety of shapes, including hexagonal, heart and oblong, and colours such as silver, gold, black, pink, blue and purple.
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How many dowels to use
When making a fruit wedding cake, it is always best to dowel each tier. To do this, you should place one dowel in the centre and the others north, south, east and west. This is plenty for fruit cakes as they are sturdy enough to hold without support. However, it is always better to be cautious when making a wedding cake.
To dowel a fruit wedding cake, you should first cut out a template the same size as the second layer and sit it in the position of the second tier. Mark each corner with a needle. Push a plastic dowel into the cake and mark with a pencil where it comes out of the cake. Lift out the dowels and trim them about 1-2mm above the mark, then stick them back into the cake. Pipe some royal icing onto the centre of the bottom tier to secure the second tier.
When measuring the height of each dowel, make sure they are exactly level with the top of your cake and of equal height to each other so the next cake sits securely flat and level on top. You can use a "bulls-eye" level or a regular one to do this. Make sure the top of each cake tier is level before starting to measure and cut the dowels.
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Frequently asked questions
Fruit cakes are sturdy enough to hold without support, but it is always wise to err on the side of caution for wedding cakes and dowel each tier. Place one dowel in the centre and the others north, south, east, and west.
Measure the height of each dowel very carefully. They should be exactly level with the top of your cake (already covered in buttercream or fondant) and of equal height to each other so the next cake sits securely flat and level on top.
Start from the bottom up, inserting each tier onto the central dowel and working your way up. Pipe some royal icing onto the centre of the bottom tier to secure the second tier.
Push a plastic dowel into the cake and mark with a pencil indicating where it comes out of the cake. Lift out the dowels and trim them about 1-2mm above the mark then stick them back into the cake.
