Support cake tiers with dowel rods.
Creating a tiered cake can be a trial. In addition to constructing the cake, you have a lot of space to decorate. Finishing a tiered cake in fondant eases the stress immensely. Many home decorators find it difficult to apply frosting evenly to a broad surface. It is much easier to achieve a smooth, final presentation by enrobing a frosted cake with rolled fondant. To assemble a two-tier fondant cake you should apply the base layer of fondant to each tier before reinforcing the cakes with dowel rods and stacking them. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Instructions
1. Place one baked and cooled cake tier on your work surface. Scoop frosting onto the top of the cake with an offset spatula. Spread the frosting on the top and side of the cake with the spatula. Add more frosting, as needed. The frosting should be about 1/4-inch thick. The frosting acts as an adhesive that holds the fondant on the cake.
2. Repeat the process on the other cake tier. Place the frosted tiers in the refrigerator.
3. Dust your work surface and rolling pin with cornstarch. Place a portion of fondant on the dusted surface. The amount of fondant you need depends on the size of the cake you are covering. For example, to cover a 12-inch round cake that is 4 inches tall, you need 48 ounces of fondant. Roll the fondant into a disc that is 1/8-inch thick.
4. Remove the cake tier from the refrigerator that corresponds to the size of your first fondant disc. Place it on your work surface, near the rolled fondant. Drape the fondant over the rolling pin so that you can move it without tearing the disc. Lay the center of the disc on the center of the cake. Unfold the fondant onto the cake.
5. Hold a fondant smoother to the top, at the center of the cake. Run the tool from the center to the top edge of the cake in a radiating motion with minimal pressure. Repeat the motion to smooth the entire top surface. Hold the smoother to the top edge of the cake. Run the tool down the side of the cake in a straight motion. Repeat it to smooth the side of the cake. Trim excess fondant at the bottom edge of the cake with a knife. Place the covered cake in the refrigerator.
6. Repeat the process to cover the other tier with fondant. Place the small tier in the refrigerator. Place the large tier on your work surface.
7. Insert the tip of a knife into the top of the large tier to mark the diameter of the small tier. For example, if the small tier is 8 inches and the large tier is 12 inches, insert the knife into the cake 2 inches away from the edge of the large tier. Insert the knife again, 8 inches away from the first cut, across the center of the cake. Make a total of six shallow cuts into the cake to outline a position for the top tier.
8. Trim six slim dowel rod segments that equal the height of the large tier. For example, if the tier is 4 inches tall, cut six rod pieces that are each 4 inches long. Cut the dowel with large shears or saw through it.
9. Hold a trimmed rod vertically above the large tier. Position the rod over one of the shallow cuts on the surface. Place the tip of the rod in the cut. Push the rod down into the cake until the tops of the rod and cake tier are even. The rod is like a vertical pillar that supports the top tier of the cake. Insert the other dowel rods into the large tier through the five remaining cuts on the surface.
10. Remove the small tier from the refrigerator. Slide the small tier off its platter onto the large tier. Center the cake by following the dowel rods as a guide. Ensure that the edge of the small tier covers the dowel rods.
11. Cut a piece of dowel rod that is 1/2-inch shorter than the total cake. For example, if the two tiers are 8 inches tall, cut a 7 1/2-inch segment of dowel rod. Insert the rod vertically into the top at the center of the cake. Use a scrap piece of dowel to push the cake rod all the way through both tiers. The top of the dowel rod should be about 1/2-inch away from the top surface of the cake. Cover or fill the 1/2-inch gap as you decorate the cake.
Tags: large tier, small tier, dowel rods, your work surface, cake tier