Frosting is easier when the cake is elevated and closer to eye level. Put the cake layer on top of the frosting right-side up so that the flat bottom sits on the stand. Tip: Cool your cake layers upside down to help flatten them out, which will make your final cake much prettier and easier to assemble.

crumb coating

The bottom of the cake is now the top of the cake—because it’s the smoothest part and it will make frosting the top much easier. Take the time to push the top in. Move things around to make sure the cake is straight. Gather some frosting on the spatula and smooth it onto the sides of the cake.

How to fix grainy buttercream?

1. The most common solution people give is to add more liquid to your buttercream as this will help melt the sugar.
2. Another proven method has been to let the buttercream rest for a few hours or overnight.
3. You can also add melted, cooled chocolate to the buttercream (white or dark chocolate).

For tiered cakes, they generally start at $4.50 per serving for 2 tiers and the price increases per tier (by $. 25 per tier, so a 4 tiered cake would be a minimum $4.50 per serving) and for difficulty/design. A 5″ + 7″ round tiered cake with 26 servings is $120 minimum, plus taxes.

Swiss meringue buttercream is the perfect choice for couples who want their wedding cake to have great flavor without being cloyingly sweet and heavy. It also creates cakes with a smooth finish, adds Clark.

Before you can stack a cake, all of the layers must be leveled, even and finished with buttercream or fondant. Every tier should be on a cake board (cardboard round or other shape), and the bottom tier should be on a thicker cake board to support all of that weight.

I’ve stacked cakes up to 6 tiers using only straws. The reason I prefer them is that in my experience, dowels are hard to cut so that they are level on the bottom. They are also a pain to cut! Straws are strong, easy to cut and very inexpensive.

For a sturdy base, tape two or three cake boards together. For best results, use boards that are at least 2 in. in diameter larger than the base cake layer. If your cake design includes a bottom border, or your cake is more than 2 tiers, an even larger diameter cake base makes moving the finished cake easier.

You do not have to place a center dowel for two-tier cakes unless you want to. They aren’t as likely to fall as tall tiered cakes. If you’re making a buttercream cake, you’ll need to be careful while stacking the cake to not dent your icing. Using spatulas is one of the best ways to make sure you don’t ruin your icing.

The only time full dowelling is not necessary for a stacked construction is if the lower tiers are a firm fruit cake or carrot cake. If a light sponge cake or mousse-filled creation, without the dowels the top tiers would simply sink into the lower ones and the cake will topple over.

Use a cutting board underneath to safely cut the dowels. For smaller cakes (with 2 tiers at most), I have also used plastic drinking straws and wooden skewers. I like using these because they are easy to cut.

Sam’s Club Cake Designs and Prices

Two-Tier Cake Prices Most bakers will charge anywhere between $4-10 per serving when it comes to two-tier cake pricing. A two-tier cake with an 8-inch base and a 6-inch top, which is the most common size, will serve around 30 people. This will mean the average two-tier cake will cost between $120-$300.