I made a cake and put it on a plate. A pretty blue glass plate that I ordered the other day. It came in this weekend so I decided it must be put to use right away… or else forever be united with my other cake plates that have yet to see the light of day.
So I made a cake. Several of them. I thought it would be a good time to finally venture into the scary world of cake stacking.
Yikes.
But first… mad respect to all the cake decorators out there. I’ve only made small cakes before. This was a task. And I didn’t even do anything fancy.
I made this recipe. TWICE.
The first time I baked three 8 inch cakes. And the second time, I baked three 6 inch cakes and 2 five inch cakes. Use two inch high cake pans and spread the batter evenly among the pans when you bake. You’ll have just enough batter for all 8 layers.
I wanted to try the recipe to see if how well it would work for stacking. It’s not very dense, so it wouldn’t be great for carving. But it bakes up nice and even so there is no need to level off the tops. Yay, one less step.
I baked the cakes at night and wrapped in plastic wrap so I could devote the next day to decorating.
Unwrap a layer and place it on a cardboard cake circle cut to size. Frost the top. Layer on the next one and repeat.
Then frost the sides. This is the called the crumb coat. You just want a thin layer of frosting. It’s okay if crumbs get in.
I placed the layers on top of the cake pan I baked them in as a stand and to make frosting the sides down to the bottom a little easier.
Once frosted as evenly as possible, you can place the cake in the freezer for a few minutes. The frosting will harden and when you remove the cakes from the freezer, you can use a knife dipped in a little warm water to help smooth out any uneven places.
Repeat with the 6-inch cakes. Kinda crumby.
And the 5-inch cakes.
Did I ever tell you that I’m a really, really messy baker? Like real.
When all the cakes are crumb-coated, you can apply a pretty layer of frosting without worrying about tearing the cake or getting cake crumbs on the outside.
Or you can cover them in fondant. Eeek. That’s what I did.
(I used the frosting recipe from this post and doubled it. Triple it if you want to frost it all in buttercream instead of covering in fondant.)
Unfortunately there is no photographic evidence of the covering.
Just imagine I rolled out fondant on a powdered sugar-dusted surface and then carefully placed the fondant over each tier. And then smoothed out the sides.
And imagine that it looked perfect. Because it did not.
Once each tier is covered in fondant you can get ready to stack away.
To stack the cake, you’ll need wooden dowels or even straws to support each tier, so the cake doesn’t smoosh in on itself.
Push the dowel in and mark the height of the cake on the dowel. Remove and use it as a guide to cut the other dowels. I used four for the bottom tier and the middle tier. Make sure the dowels are all placed within the diameter of the tier above it. So the dowels won’t show when you stack them all up.
Then just stack the cakes and decorate.
I cut white fondant hearts to keep a clean, simple look.
Okay, not really. I did it to help hide the slightly uneven surface.
And also because I ran out of time to do anything else.
I think it looks pretty cute. Even if I don’t really know what I’m doing.
What I do know is I need another lesson in covering fondant cakes. And then one in making sugar flowers and of course piping and then carving. And then I’ll need some therapy.
I like it with a single pink heart, too.
But what I like most is the cake stand.
That’s why I bought two of them.
One for me and another for one of you.
Want it?
Enter for a chance to win this happy blue 10-inch glass cake plate.
- Leave a comment on this post and tell me something that makes you happy.
- Deadline to enter is Monday, August 23 at 6:00 pm ET. SORRY, TIME’S UP! Winner announced below.
- One winner will be chosen at random and announced sometime Monday evening on this post.
Good luck!
P.S. Here’s where I bought them.
I’m really glad I choose winners randomly or I’d be in a tough spot. Thanks for sharing all that makes you happy.
Now for the win, it’s comment #3612!
Congrats Angela from Memphis – I’m glad baking makes you happy. Now you have something new to put your treats on.
Baking with my little girl makes me happiest!
two kids in school all day for the first time….sweet!
Hand knitted scarfs.
Baking with my three year old son makes me happy!
Being able to stay home with my kiddos for a couple days before they’re both off to school! My baby starts Kindergarten and my older one will be in first grade.
Lazy afternoons with my husband make me happy. And chocolate.
i love this, i have a small collection of these.
Spending time with my wonderful husband and precious daughter make me happy!
Friends! Puppies! Cupcakes! Yay, happiness!
my husband!
My son.
Cake makes me happy. So does Bakerella. :)
A beautiful morning….like this morning!
Coming home after a long day and cooking dinner with my husband while we talk about our days makes me happy.
Sleeping in.
Love this cake stand…making sweet treats for my favorite people makes me happy. :)
Sharing a cupcake with my son makes me happy
A book and a big cup of coffee makes me sooooooo happy !
Um, that is amazing for a first time! My family makes me happy. Really really happy.
Baking for my kids makes me happy. Especially when they tell me what a good “cooker” I am. The cake stand is beautiful!
Cake always makes me happy! Keep up the great work :o)
That in approximately 1 month I will have my very own kitchen!
Baking and decorating cakes makes me happy!!
That plate is so cute! Reading my blogs every morning before work with a cup of coffee makes me so happy.
What a cute idea!!!
Newborn baby smiles make me happy!
I have a day off from work tomorrow…and that makes me happy! :)
Veronica
Reading a great book makes me happy :o)
A warm chocolate chip cookie, a glass of Diet Dr. Pepper and a House marathon on USA makes me happy :)
Beautiful Cake! Spending time with my family and baking makes me happy.
Hi there
Blue skies :) Laughter and family not in any order :):)
Cheers
Catie
Being able to hang out with my sisters whenever I want to(for the first time in years we live in the same town) makes me really happy!
Baking makes me happy & I love to try new recipes for cakes, cookies and other goodies.
a good book and a hot cup of green tea. :)
White t-shirts make me happy.
Staying at home with my husband and children!
Ahhh…so many things make me happy. Winning a blue cake stand would make me really happy. Cherries, kittens, puppies, Amrit, Sundays, Fall weather, cupcakes, photographs, Mary Engelbreit artwork, lampwork beads, naps, visiting new places, reading blogs, baking, the color pink, tea rooms, and daffodils all make me Happy. You did an awesome job on your heart cake! Thanks for sharing with us all.
´*•.¸(´*•.¸?¸.•*´)¸.•*´
?•.*.Thank you.*.•?
?•.*.from Vicki.*.•?
¸.•*´(¸.•*´?´*•.¸)´*•.¸
Having my husband come home last night makes me happy! He works out of town 3-4 weeks away, home for 1 week. So, the boys and I (age 2 1/2 and 4) get quite excited when he comes home!!
Cooking for friends and family makes me happy!
That you posted this!! My mother-in-law is celebrating her 60th bday, and we’re making it Harry Potter themed bc she loves it so much :) And I’ve fallen in love with all these gorgeous cakes, but I’m thinking I will end up baking it — and these are perfect instructions for me to adapt :)! Love it!
The cake and its stand are beautiful! I love looking at your website – it is so inspiring! Keep up the great work! :-)
Bread, I love bread. xD
Watching my kids run and play in the backyard. I love the laughter!Beautiful cake!
My little girls smiling at me makes me happy.
I love to bake and decorate cakes it relaxs me but my favorite part is definitely eating the dessert.
Looking at all my daily blogs makes me happy! ;)
Your lovely blue cake stand reminds me of several things that make me happy:
Sunny days with blue skies and fluffy white clouds.
Swimming in lakes, rivers, and the sea.
My favorite gold and blue earrings I bought at a flea market in Brazil, and the blue dyed coral ring I bought in Bali.
The blue reversible summer-weight blanket that I took from my mom’s house – we’ve had it forever and I love it even with the holes and frayed edges – in fact, they make me love it even more.
The memory of being a young child and telling my parents that when I grew up I wanted to be a cartoon character with blue hair!
Blue has always been my favorite color because certain shades give me a sense of peace and calm while others leave me feeling positive and bright, like those sunny days I love so much.
‘
I’m an amateur but I have loved to bake since I was a kid. I don’t own any cake stands yet but yours inspires me to finally get one. Where did it come from?
Uninterrupted time with a good book. Hard to come by with two squids. :)
Pretty things makes me happy. Oh, and a clean house! And church. Gosh, SO many things! This question made me happy for sure, thinking of all the things that enrich my life. Thank you!!
sugar.
sugar makes me happy.
I have recently started making cakes for friends and family (sold a few also) and this cake stand would make me happy…it would go perfect with so many of the cakes I make.
quiet time makes me happy :) !
My kids make me happy. And blue is my girls favorite color, would be perfect to put their birthday cake on every year!
Donuts make me happy. (:
The high-pitched shreik my son makes when Buzz Lightyear makes his first appearance in Toy Story 1. Gets me every single time, it’s the cutest!
Watching my son play football and shopping with my daughter.
My husband, bread, and chocolate make me happy :)
My husband makes me happy. :)
Good Morning!
Great looking cake, I love the one dark pink heart! Good job.
let’s see…sometjhing that makes me happy…mmm…I’m going to have go with an unexpected letter in the mail, not a bill, not junk mail, not even a holiday or birhtday card (those are some what expected)…but a lovely old school letter.
Creating my kids birthday parties makes me happy. (Blue does too.) :)
Love the color! Bonnie Blue!! Reminds me of Gone With The Wind, and that makes me happy!
Watching my newly-wed daughter develop her baking skills. I love it when she calls me for my recipes!!
My kids and their seemingly random thoughts make me happy ;)
Local boutiques make me happy.
I think you may like this blog… :)
http://crummb.wordpress.com/
she makes really cute cakes!
Sharing food with family & friends brings a smile to my face
; )
My two beautiful girls make me happy! :) Just waking them up in the morning and snuggling while watching cartoons. Love it!
Bakerella, Everything you do always turns out beautiful! What a simple and cute idea. You’re a natural. That’s all there is to it.
My new puppy biting less makes me happy!
My little boy!
sunday funday!
a good book and some JR mints!
Do I have to pick just one thing? Baking makes me happy. Exploring a new city makes me happy. Raspberries make me happy. My cat makes me happy. Reading makes me happy. My family makes me happy (not necessarily in that order :-)
being with my family!!!!
Honestly cake stands make me happy haha. I dream of having a huge collection of cake stands of all colors and sizes one day when we get a house and some more room!
Juice boxes.
My son makes me the happiest. ?
School starting on Wednesday makes me happy!!!!
Spending time with my family makes me happy…no matter what we’re doing!
You know what makes me happy? Where do I even start?
-Florida in October
-The sun shines where I live…EVERY DAY
-I have an amazing job doing good things
-My dog
-Birds and their amazing beauty and grace
-My new sewing machine (eek!)
-Preparing my etsy store
-Decorating
-Love
-Random Acts of Kindness
-Kisses
I’ll stop…sorry! :) And I think your cake looks lovely, imperfections and all.
My sweet kids keep me happy even on rough days!!
The promise of Fall and pumpkin spice lattes make me oh so very happy.
Sundays with my boyfriend…we both work two jobs and it’s great to have a day off together…even if we don’t do anything but sit on the couch and watch a movie!
HAving all the laundry done makes me happy.
Cheers!
Michelle
Wow you did a very good job on that :) Especially for one of your first go’s at stacking. What makes me happy. . . . fall weather and anything pumpkin
Playing with my grandson makes me so very happy… Love that little boy….
I’ve got to be honest, with this heat wave we’re having in SoCal…SNOW makes me happy. Lots and lots of snow!!! Great giveaway, thanks!
Baking with my kids makes me happy!
Sugar cookies.
Home grown tomatoes make me happy!
My dogs make me SO VERY happy!!!!
Spending time with my family makes me happy! And so does spending time in the kitchen trying fun recipes!
My hubbie makes me happy. I also love to bake and plan parties for others.
seeing my children’s artwork makes me happy! beautiful cake!
Sending my twins off to Kindergarten this morning and seeing how happy they were to go… makes me happy!
Making cakes, cookies and other yummy goods for others to enjoy makes me happy!
Watching my sleeping children makes me happy. They look like angels!
Summertime makes me happy :)
My daughters make me VERY happy!!
right now, this tutorial makes me happy. i volunteered to make my sissy her big 16 birthday cake and she wants tiers. so this is perfect timing! and the cake stand is almost the exact same as the birthday girl’s favorite color!
now to brush up on my frosting skills, as if i ever had any ;)
eating cake off a beautiful blue cake stand makes me real happy :-)
Blush makes me happy!
My family makes me smile, even when I want to kill them.
My family.
What makes me the most happy is putting on my apron when my daughters come home and baking with them! All my daughters have grown up and gotten married, so them coming home and us baking together is the best thing in the world. Not to mention, going to a girl movie afterwards….
Old Nickelodeon shows make me happy.
So many things make me happy. Today a warm summer day and a picnic are making me happy.
Sleeping in makes me happy…wish I could do it more often!
Attempting to bake new things makes me happy! :)
Being with my kids and hubby…
sweets make me happy!!
my husband. he makes me very happy :)
Making beautiful cakes makes me happy! And I don’t really care how long it takes it either!
Thank you for your help, Bakerella!
I made tie-dye cupcakes last week and posted the recipe on my blog. And I can’t stop going back and staring at the pictures. Something about the bright colors and the frosting just makes me super happy. I’m probably going to have 500 hits this week–and all from me staring at the cupcake pictures!
I makes me happy to bake cup cakes. I love whipping up the batter, pouring them into cups, watching them rise in the oven and spreading a tasting icing over them when I’m done.
Baking for my friends, and trying out your recipes and idea makes me happy! and it makes my friends EXTRA happy!
Hanging out with family and friends…and cake!
Decorating and making things look pretty make me happy!
School supplies and cooking and baking and eating.
Mostly eating :)
Always love reading your posts! good coffee makes me happy :)
My cat makes me happy. She’s so cute and sweet!
My hubby and I recently purchased our first house – making it into a home is what makes me happy :)
Gorgeous!
My littlest boy (3) makes me happy every time he lays his head on my arm and tells me “I wuv you, Mommy!” Or when we’re reading a book and he says, “I wead a you” and asks me to find the pictures and when I do tells me, “Dood job!!!!”
hearing my son tell me all about his day at school when I pick him up!
Aprons to bake in!
Baking is what makes me happy! The look on my boyfriend’s face when I hit his birthday cupcakes out of the park. The satisfaction of finally finding a buttercream recipe that not only works for me, but reminds us of the neighborhood bakery from childhood. The KitchenAid mixer my in-laws sent me because they knew I loved baking so much. The routine and mystery of mixing, stirring, baking. It’s wonderful! : D
Gorgeous! Looking through your site with my 4 year old daughter by my side and reading all the articles and all the wonderful pictures makes me happy! Every picture she sees, she says “Mommy can we make that?” or “Mommy, YOU should make that!”, love this little girl!
my kids :)
i love those big hugs that wrap right around your neck with a kiss on the cheek :)
A fresh pot of coffee on this Monday morning makes me happy.
I think you did a fabulous job with the cake, by the way.
Taking Sunday naps with my family.
Spending time with my mom!
Going on a date with my hubby makes me happy!
Your cake stand may be blue………. but looking at it makes me happy
Your posts make me happy!
When I come home from work & my 4 kids come out to meet me in the driveway. Knowing they missed me makes me happy!
My family makes me happy!
Pastries!
being at home makes me happy =0)
My happy kids make me happy. Nothing like a toothy grin looking up at you to make your day!
School starts next week! That makes me happy!
Winning that pretty blue cake stand would make me happy. :)
Being able to fall asleep quickly thus getting a good night sleep makes me VERY happy!
~ingrid
Seeing people get the recognition they deserve for doing something they are passionate about…and looking at your beautiful creations makes me happy.
Congratulations on your success with the cake pops and your book!
I really, truly, love my Beagle, Artie. There is nothing better than when I wake up in the morning, and he is snuggling next to me, and then puts his snout on my face to wake me up.
That makes me happy.
The beginning of a new school year makes me happy. The kids come in with fresh new supplies and a great attitude.
Vanilla smells coming from my oven! Heaven!
I love this cake! I check your site daily. Makes me happy to see new things, I get so excited!!!
I’ve always wanting a cake stand. I can’t believe I don’t have one. Maybe i’ll win. If not, I better buy one.
Oh yeah, baking makes me happy!
Yesterday… my husband dancing with the dog during a dancing scene in Corrina Corrina!
Baking, especially cupcakes, makes me happy.
What makes me happy? Love & baking! Bake,share,love.
I LOVE cake decorating! I am like you though…not as good as I would like to be! I might actually be worse…I don’t even have a cake plate! I am in desperate need of one!!
What am amazing cake! What makes me happy is snuggling with my wonderful husband on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
preparing a meal that my family enjoys, reading a good book, taking a good photo, so much to enjoy in life, especially a beautiful sunset.
Spending time with my husband makes me the happiest person in the world! Could be because he is the BEST most AWESOME (and good looking) husband in the world!!
Finding your website thursday, making your elmo cakeballs for my DD’s 2nd Birthday party on Saturday and having EVERYONE love them makes me happy!
Turtles in the tomato patch!
WHITE cake stands make me happy!
Spending time with my 4 kids… of course :-)
What a beautiful cake! Baking with my daughter makes me happy.
Beautiful weather and a wonderful birthday party for my daughter makes me happy!
That my very last day of undergrad classes is tomorrow. Its been a long 2 years of being an adult student with working full time and school full time at night.
Seeing my friends and family happy…makes me happy!
Strolling with my daughter through our new Hobby Lobby makes me happy :)
My kids and my husband make me happy and they love cake! My husband and son will eat cake for breakfast when we have it so this cake stand would make them VERY happy which in turn would make me even more happy :)
Chocolate makes me happy.. Oh, and I guess my kids too. But really, it’s chocolate..
Having people ooh and aahh over my baked goods makes me HAPPY!!!
Cake pops for breakfast make me happy! But so would a blue cake plate : )
Seeing my kids play with their daddy makes me the happiest woman in the world. My husband is military so we’re never guaranteed how much time we’ll have together before he has to leave on the next deployment. Because of that we try to spend as much quality family time with our kids as possible.
What a happy coincidence…cake stands make me happy too. I love them! They make food look so much prettier and put together.
baking makes me happy!
Spending time with my kids of course :-)
Cooking and being with my family makes me happy!
What makes me happy??
see my 5 month old son smile at me when I take him out of his crib…. Nothing in this universe makes me more happy
my babies make me happy…and that color blue! :)
Never knew about the crumb coat layer in the freezer! Thanks for the instruction. Planning for my soon to be baby makes me happy!
Oh my goodness… I love it. It’s beautiful.
Ok what I love… when my husband comes home from his graveyard shift and brings me my favorite a starbucks chai latte and wakes me up with the surprise.
Its so sweet, and theres not better way to start the day
Relaxing weekends with my hubby and our two pups make me the happiest! We need more of those.
Snuggling with my husband and puppy makes me happy. A good, moist, red velvet cupcake is a close second.
The number 3 makes me happy.
My hot husband!
My happiest moments is when I come home from a LONG day at work and both my girls come a greet me at the door! They are what makes my day!!!!!
Puppies make me very happy!
I love when my kids are happy and have fun. It just makes me happy too.
Weekends make me happy!
laughing with friends and family makes me happy!
Sweets make me happy! Cookies, cake, pies, cake balls, candy……you get the picture, right?
my boys… even when i’m at my worst, they love me and make me smile.
Boy Meets World, which is about to come on, makes me happy. :P
When my 3-year-old starts using turns of phrase like “I’m UNAVAILABLE!” to his 1-year-old brother when the little guy wants something he has.
Spending time with my 15-month old son, watching him grow & learn & turn into a wonderful little person, makes me the happiest I’ve ever been! And of course baking makes me happy . . .
Camping in the Sierras with my husband and two beautiful boys ages 19 and 13.
Life makes me happy!
After my family,the look on peoples faces when they see the cakes my daughter creates in her home.
dancing makes me happy!
making someone smile makes me happy!
Hearing my boys giggle makes me happy. :o)
Being at home with the hubby, 3 kids and the 2 dogs and having nothing on the agenda… just a day together!
Cliche I know…but cake makes me happy!!! :)
Giving food (aka experiments) to friends and family makes me happy. <3