Stacking Square Wedding Cakes: A Step-By-Step Guide

Stacking a square wedding cake is a straightforward process, but it requires careful preparation. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you create a stable and beautiful square wedding cake. Start by levelling and frosting your cake layers. Use a cake drum or a sturdy cake board as your base, which should be at least two inches larger than the bottom tier. Place the bottom tier on the base and chill it to firm up the frosting. Repeat this process for each tier, placing them on correspondingly sized cake boards. Mark the centre of each tier and insert wooden dowels or plastic straws in a circular pattern around the centre. Mark the height of the dowels and cut them to size, then re-insert them. Pipe buttercream on the bottom tier and carefully place the next tier on top. Repeat this process for each tier, using fewer dowels as you go up. Finally, add your desired decorations, and your square wedding cake is ready to be served!

Characteristics of stacking square wedding cakes

Use a spirit level to check if your cake is straight

To check if your square wedding cake is straight, use a spirit level. Place a scraper on top of the cake to prevent marking. If your cake is tilted, you can carefully lift it and place a small ball of sugarpaste underneath the board until it is level.

To check the accuracy of a spirit level, you must first place the level on a flat surface. Then, take a reading of the bubble's position from one end of the level. Rotate the level 180 degrees and align it with your marks. Take a second reading. If the bubble is in the same position for both readings, the level is accurate.

Repeat this process for the vertical vial by holding the level against a vertical flat surface, like a wall. Take a reading of the bubble's position from one end of the level. Rotate the level 180 degrees side-to-side and realign it with your marks. Take a second reading. If the bubble is in the same position for both readings, the level is accurate.

Use a cake board for each tier

Using a cake board for each tier of your square wedding cake is essential for providing support and stability. Here's a detailed guide on how to use cake boards effectively:

Choosing the Right Cake Boards

Select cake boards that are thin and sturdy. Foam core cake boards, about 1/4" thick, are a great option for square wedding cakes. These boards provide a strong foundation for heavier fondant-covered cakes. If your cake is particularly heavy, consider using a thicker cake board, such as a 1/2" foam core board or an MDF board. Avoid using flimsy premade cake drums or thin hobby store cake bases, as they may not provide sufficient support.

Preparing the Cake Boards

Before assembling your square wedding cake, ensure you have the proper cake boards for each tier. The bottom tier should be placed on a cake drum, which is typically about one inch thick and provides extra support. Each of the remaining tiers should be placed on cake boards that correspond in size. For example, an 8" cake should be placed on an 8" cake board.

Assembling the Cake Tiers

After levelling and frosting your cake tiers, it's time to assemble them using the cake boards. Place the bottom tier on its cake drum and mark its centre. Insert one wooden cake dowel into the centre, pressing it down until it touches the cake board. Repeat this process, distributing more dowels evenly in a circular pattern around the central dowel.

Ensuring Level and Stability

Use a cake decorating pen to mark where each dowel reaches the top of the cake. Remove the dowels and cut them accordingly, ensuring they do not sit above the top of the tier. Reinsert the dowels, creating a stable foundation. Pipe some buttercream on the bottom tier, then carefully place the next tier on top, using a spatula for support if needed.

Finalising the Cake Structure

Repeat the process of inserting dowels for each subsequent tier, always marking, removing, and reinserting the dowels to ensure a level surface. As you add upper tiers, you will use fewer dowels. If your cake requires extra support, consider inserting a central dowel through the length of all tiers. This is especially useful for heavy fruit cakes.

Transporting and Serving

If you plan to transport your stacked square wedding cake, consider adding a sharpened wooden dowel through the centre of all tiers and cake boards for added stability. This will help prevent shifting during transport. Remember to fill or cover any holes created by the central dowel with buttercream, fondant, or decorations.

Use a cake base for the entire cake

Using a sturdy cake base is crucial for supporting the weight of your square wedding cake. Here are some essential tips and steps to ensure your cake base provides adequate support:

Choose the Right Material for the Cake Base

Select a material that can bear the weight of your cake without buckling. While cardboard cake rounds can be glued together, they may not provide sufficient support for heavier cakes. A better option is to use a 1/2" thick foam core cake board, which is surprisingly sturdy and can hold heavy multi-tiered fondant cakes. For extremely heavy cakes, consider using an MDF board, a wood composite material that provides exceptional strength. Avoid using premade cake drums or thin cake bases as they lack the necessary rigidity.

Size of the Cake Base

The cake base should be at least two inches larger than the largest cake tier. If your cake design includes a bottom border or has more than two tiers, opt for an even larger base to facilitate easier transportation.

Assembling the Cake Tiers

Before stacking the tiers, ensure that each tier is placed on a cake board corresponding to its size. For instance, an 8" cake should be placed on an 8" cake board. This step is crucial for structural integrity and ease of handling.

Stabilizing with Dowels

To enhance stability, insert dowels into the cake tiers. Mark the height of each tier on the dowels and cut them accordingly. Reinsert the dowels, ensuring they don't protrude above the top of the tier, as this will affect the evenness of the tiers above. The number of dowels per tier typically ranges from 3 to 9, depending on the tier's size.

Stacking the Tiers

When stacking the tiers, use a spatula for support and carefully place each tier onto the one below it. Pipe buttercream along the base of each tier to secure them in place. If your cake requires extra support, such as a heavy fruit cake, consider inserting a central dowel through the length of all the tiers.

Use a cake leveler to level each cake

Using a cake leveller is an important step in preparing your cake layers for stacking. Levelled cakes ensure your wedding cake has a professional finish, with even layers and straight sides.

A cake leveller is a specialised tool for this task, but if you don't have one, a long serrated knife can be used. It is best to use a knife with a blade at least as long as the diameter of your cake. If your knife is shorter than the cake, you can use the pan as a guide by laying the side of the knife on the top edge of the pan and gently sawing through the dome.

To level your cakes with a leveller or knife, start by placing the blade where the cake's dome begins to rise. With a gentle horizontal sawing motion, cut roughly one inch into the cake, then rotate the cake about 45 degrees and repeat. Keep turning and cutting shallow incisions until there is a loose flap around the entire cake, then saw through the middle.

If you are using a knife, you can also try levelling your cakes by stabilising your elbow against your waist and turning the cake, not the knife, to ensure a straight cut.

Once your cakes are level, you can begin stacking. Start by securing the first cake to the centre of your cake board with a small amount of royal icing. Check that it is central using a tape measure or ruler, and gently push it into place.

Use dowels to support each layer

Dowels are essential to supporting the weight of each layer of your square wedding cake. They are inserted into the tier below and ensure the cake above has a stable foundation.

There are a few types of dowels you can use. Plastic dowels, also known as poly dowels, are a popular choice as they are heavy-duty and hollow inside, which means they do not displace any cake. They can be cut with garden cutters or heavy-duty scissors. Wooden dowels are also an option, but they are more challenging to cut and may shift more easily. For a lightweight square wedding cake, bubble tea straws can be used as dowels. These are wider, heavier straws that can be found at the grocery store and cut with regular scissors.

To insert the dowels, first, place your bottom tier on a cake board. Then, take a cake board the same size as the tier that will go on top of the bottom tier and set it on top of the bottom tier. Use a toothpick to trace around it lightly, creating a guide for the dowels. Insert the first dowel into the centre of the cake and push it all the way down. Mark the dowel where it meets the top of the cake with an edible marker. Pull the dowel out and cut it straight across at the line you marked. Repeat this process, cutting more dowels to the same height. Insert the dowels back into the cake, ensuring they are just visible from the top. This way, the next cake can sit comfortably on them without squishing the bottom tier.

If your square wedding cake has more than two tiers, add the dowels to each tier before stacking them. This will make it easier to handle each tier while it is sitting directly on the table, rather than already stacked.

Frequently asked questions