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.
Running makes me happy! and hungry
family, a good book, sewing, baking, the outdoors, friends, church… i could go on and on
Seeing my girls playing Barbies and not annoying eachother (and me!).
Turquoise, houndstooth, girls with curls, dahlias, and brownies make me happy.
When my kids laugh it makes me happy.
My puppies make me happy!
Baking and cooking makes me really happy especially when everyone enjoys the goodies and ask for the recipe.
Your stacked cake came out much better than what I could have done.
Hmm, what makes me happy? My pug dogs! :)
Sunshine makes me happy :)
OH!! I’m addicted to cake stands these days!!
afternoon naps make me happy!
Making cupcakes with my children
My kids and Chocolate make me happy…!
Finding new things I want to try…. like a 8-tiered cake on a blue cake plate….
great job on stacking! happiness is….enjoying a “sweet” treat (cupcake) with my 3 yr old grand-daughters.
CHOCOLATE!!!!!
My goodness, any kind of platter or serving dish makes me happy! and my husband of course.
The color blue makes me happy too!
Laughing with my sweet husband makes me happy. :)
Paris makes me happy!
Singing makes my happy. :)
My family.
Longing for your beautiful cake makes me very happy. Especially since my pregnant self would like a big fat slice right now!!!
I love my kids and they make me happy – but the best time of day is when my kids are asleep in there bed and my husband and I are cuddled up with a bowl of popcorn and a good movie or game. Sweet bliss.
Accomplishing things I never thought I could do makes me happy, and so does a nice hot chocolate milk. :)
Aww its so pretty. love it!!!
Trying new recipes makes me happy!
The words my kids don’t have quite right can always put a smile on my face. Example: instead of because my daughter says cause-cause. Instead of waffle she says faffle. In most situations I am doing my best to teach them good communication and annunciation, but there are a few things I am not fixing, not just yet anyways!
Blue is my favorite color….it makes me happy! All shades….
reading with a nice glass of hot chocolate and makes me happy :)
Squeezing the chunk on my 10 month-old son!
What makes *ME* happy? I think sometimes that is hard for a mom to answer! But here it is: Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes, a new pair of red shoes, the sun shining, my husband, and of course, MY CHILDREN’S BEDTIME!!!! :)
My dogs make me happy.
The smell of firepits in the fall makes me happy!
My 3 month old niece that I’m about to go see! I love her.
My red KitchenAid stand mixer. I’ve often told my children that I’m going to build an altar to it…much to their chagrin.:)
I love baking, especially when my kids want to help, or get excited about what I am making
Sunggling with my daughter at the end of the day makes me happy:)
Love this cake stand! I’ve been trying to find a nice one with no luck – this would certainly fill the bill!
I love this plate, it’s adorable! Something that makes me happy is pink, it’s not my favorite color, but there’s something about pink that just makes me happy when i wear it or see it. I also love to cook, and I love the ideas I get from this site.
My finally potty-trained son makes me happy! :)
Helping someone in need makes me happy! And, of course, my kids make me happy, too!
My best friend just got married… that makes me super happy!
Snuggling my husband makes me happy! :)
No migranes is a good day, that makes me happy!
Looks too pretty to eat!
Knowing that Jesus died for my sins so that I can stand before God with Christ’s righteousness and I no longer need to face God’s wrath. That makes me really happy…
SO many things make me happy- but making someone else laugh and smile makes ME happy too- so its a two for one!
I’m happiest when eating red velvet cake!!
Climbing mountains, both literally and figuratively makes me happy! :-D
it makes me happy that i’m finally going to school for something i LOVE this year – baking and pastry arts! no more wasted money on an education that will never be put to use!
It makes me happy to have time to read a good book and have some good warm cookies to snack on. It hardly ever happens that I have time to do this.
Taking a nap on Sunday makes me really Happy :)
Of course my family makes me happy, but also reading your blog makes me happy too! :)
Family, friends and crafting!
My doggies and kids make me happy…every day they make me smile.
Sitting here at my desk with coffee in hand while the kids are in the other room being quiet and staying out of trouble so I can web surf makes me happy. :)
Love the blue hue of the cake stand!! Gorgeous pics!
i so so love this!! but besides this, having conversations with my small children makes me happy. they always come up with the funniest things!
a quiet & clean house would make me happy but I’ll settle for babies giggling
It makes me happy to see people enjoy something I have baked, cooked, made or sung.
Being pregnant!
I love this!! And your site! Soooo inspirational!! Baking is what makes me happy:)
going bike riding!!!! … (to a delicious cupcake shop downtown!!!)
I think it looks way cute the way it is! I love pretending I am a cake artist and playing with fondant. Baking and decorating and my kids are 3 things that make me happy.
Cake in general makes me SO happy!!
Looking at that cake makes me happy…………..and when my daughters make me a cake for my birthday and try something new!!
Happiness is the joy on my kids’ faces when they get to frost and eat a fresh cupcake that I have made!
Cooking makes me happy! I’ll happily spend a day making three different soups, & cupcakes.
Making jam makes me happy!
This is BEAUTIFUL!! You did so fantastic on your first time with cake stacking! Makes me want to give it a shot :) And also makes me want to hire you to make a wedding cake for me. I’m not actually getting married, but cake is cake, right?!
THIS CAKE makes me happy!!
My little girls…..Pretty much all the time :)
Too cute! This would be perfect in my new place!!
Making cupcakes makes me happy! But what makes me happiest is having my 5 year old granddaughter help me make those cupcakes! I love making up new flavors with her!
i have been looking for a cakestand for the longest time, and this is exactly what i’ve been searching for! So glad you posted this!
A big bowl of ice cream makes me happy. :)
What makes me happy is this website on a Monday morning. I am not even sure how I found this blog, but I love it.
Just seeing that cake stand makes me happy. But my baby boy makes me the most happy!!!
Beautiful stacking job for your first time, very impressive! What makes me happy, besides my hilarious, smart, and beatiful children, my wonderful husband, and all that I am grateful for everyday and all that mushy stuff? A FINISHED CAKE, and A CHECK!
Seeing other happy people makes me REALLY happy!
Share a smile……..
~Just Jen
oh my goodness, i LOVE the single pink heart. this cake is adorable!
Laughing to something silly my 2 1/2 year old does. =)
I would love to have this beautiful cake stand! WOW! that is so generous of you.
watching the eat local community grow and being lucky to be part of it
this blog makes me happy! :)
Thank you for the giveaway opportunity! Crafting makes me happy, as does my family.
every little things of daily life
carpooling with my husband :)
I love this! And snow cones make me happy!
My doggy snuggling up next to me at night now that it is getting cooler.
My daughter makes me happy. That and crafting and cooking. ^_^
That cupcake stand makes me VERY happy, but what makes me the happiest is my daughter!
My puppy Penny makes me happy. She always greets me at the door wagging her tail. My day can be terrible but she always makes it better.
Friends make me happy :)
Cake makes me happy… a really moist cake with rich (not too sweet) icing just makes my day. Oh, and my new baby nephew makes me pretty happy too (sorry hubby) :)
Yeah on your first big tiered cake. They can be intimidating. I realize though that they are just so pretty when it’s all done, it’s worth the time and effort and mess!
and that blue stand is AWESOME!
Gardening and working in my yard!
Friends me happy :)
Hearing my son say “I like this!” about something I’ve made him to eat makes me happy.
That’s a gorgeous cake, and a lovely cake stand! Love the blue.
All four kids getting along makes me happy!!!!!
Amazing! I wish when I didn’t know how to do something, it would turn out as pretty as your cake. The pink heart is perfect!
The thing that makes me happy is when my nieces and nephews come over and say I am the best baker they ever met (worth more to me than any adult review)
sunshine after the rain makes me happy!… rainbows. :)
spending time with my little boy!!
Smiling faces make me happy! There is nothing better.
Golden retriever snuggles, finding the perfect recipe, and fireworks make me happy :)
Snuggling up with my 21 month old to read.
Sunshine and cookies make me happy.
The warm sun on my face and cool breeze to go with it! I don’t want summer to end!
My family makes me happy.
So cute! I’m absolutely impressed with your stacked cake. That stand is absolutely adorable.
Seeing my girls faces when they walk into the house and smell something baking! Pure joy!!
Planning my 3 kids birthday cakes for months and trying to replicate what I see in my head. : )
My first cup of coffee at 4:30am makes me really happy. :)
Food makes me happy! Yummy food makes me happy. All day long I’m thinking about food.
Well, I can’t resist anything blue! Enter me, please! :)
This giveaway makes me happy! I’ve been looking for the perfect cake stand for years now — and this is it! It’s beautiful.
Pedestal cake stands make me happy. Great job on this cake by the way. It’s beautiful!
Wow, it turned out stunning! I would have never guessed you weren’t professional! Great job!
My dog makes me happy…no matter my mood!
My husband, my sister’s kids, and knitting.
Beautiful cake!
Having a good day makes me happy.
Food makes me happy. Always. Food, Sleep, and more food.
Feeding people makes me happy
My 3 year old nephew makes me happy! :)
I love it with the pink heart too! I’ll head out to find out where I can buy this amazing cake plate, in case I don’t win it :)
Hearing the “WOW!” and seeing that “face” of both adults and children when I show up bringing a new/creative/yummy treat. ((Thanks Bakerella!!)) That excitement makes all of the effort and work completely worth it :)
My baby turning 1 makes me happy!
My mom always had a bluebird of happiness (blue glass) growing up and when we moved away my sister and I each got one. It makes me happy more because it reminds me of them than anything else.
Reading your fun blog makes me happy!!!!
My children…especially when they laugh that big belly laugh of pure happiness. :) It’s heaven.
I love cake plates and stands. I have starting collecting them. I don’t have too many yet. But they just make me happy to see them around my kitchen. And I think that I need to have this one to really make me happy!
thinking about fall makes me happy, cuddling under a blanket and snacking on a pumpkin roll with a cup of warm apple cidar, picking apples in the orchard, raking leaves. it’s making me happy knowing it’s all right around the corner.
snuggling with my daughter and a warm chocolate chip cookies make me oh so very happy.
If all I have planned is baking, that makes me happy :-)
blue skies and weather under 80 degrees makes me happy!
Cupcakes and cookies make me happy, or really, cake batter :)
CRAZY! I’ve just started my own my business, and the banner you made with the cake stand looks so my like my logo! Love it! :) And of course I love a cute cake stand!
What makes me really happy is ice cream, cookies and clean floors! (Usually in that order too!)
Watching my kids get excited over the simplest things makes me happy! Thanks for the opportunity!
It makes me happy when I create a cake for a little girl and her eyes light up and sparkle when she sees it for the first time because it’s exactly what she wanted.
Loving on my kids makes me so happy…
Oooooooooh, Bakerella—-that’s one beautiful cake and one beautiful cake stand! What makes me happy? Being out on the water in my kayak. Chocolate. Snuggling with my two dogs. Chocolate. Soft summer nights. Chocolate. Cool, crisp fall days. Did I mention chocolate?
Spending time with my boyfriend, or baking something delicious for my family
Delicious chips and salsa at lunch make me happy…can you tell it’s lunchtime?? :)
Hanging out with friends, going out shopping , caking , family ..
MY family is my world :)
The color pink makes me happy! That cake stand is so pretty!
…sitting down with a good friend, enjoying a glass of wine or margarita while shooting the breeze and laughing. A woman deserves to have some girlfriend time…good for the soul.
Living vicariously through your cake baking adventures makes me giggly with happiness …
My puppy and cupcakes! They make me very happy!
Ohhhhh! I want it! Baking makes me happy (or maybe its the constant collecting of bakeware, I’m not sure how to pinpoint it)!
Singing makes me happy! I la-la-la-love it!
Thanks for your sweet inspiration!
Watching my husband cuddle up with my children melts my heart!
Cupcakes make me happy… I just made some Killer Chocolate Cheesecake ones… I think you’d approve!
Seeing a big smile on the face of my baby boy makes me happy!
My two boys and husband make me very happy. :)
Pretty cakes make me happy! And my pink milk glass cake pedestal! It’s from Mosser Glass and the design is just lime your blue one….. Oh I want it soooooo bad! BTW, good job for your first stacking attempt!
Waffles for breakfast, and lazy Saturday mornings with DH.
german chocolate cake for breakfast with my parents! ha! yummy!
Beautiful cake … especially with the dramatic one pink heart! The thing that makes me happy: when my boyfriend, in the middle of playing his xbox 360 games, tells me “You’re so beautiful.” :)
Sugar makes me happy!!
That color blue makes me happy!!!
Looking at cakes being made makes me happy :)
Baking something and sharing it with someone makes me happy
Using up all the frozen brown bananas in one morning! Making my friend’s Guinness Banana Bread (doubled), plus Whole Wheat Banana Bread with Ginger and Chocolate and making mini muffins to send with my daughter as a snack on her first day of kindergarten tomorrow!
Love the pink heart. Baking and my 3 month old daughter Kate make me happy!
My kids and my husband.
This pretty cake… and looking at your lovely website… these things make me very happy on a busy Monday. A little time away from reality!
sale racks make me happy :)
A cool breeze.
There are so many things that make me happy, but my husband and son make me especially happy. :) Your cake looks perfect!!
what makes me happy is when the food i make/bake actually come out the way they’re supposed to ;)
Baking makes me happy, especially if it’s for people so that DH and I don’t have to feel fat.
Seeing someone’s face when I give them their cake and you can tell they just love it! Especially kids, they don’t hold in their feelings! Awesome cake, do you mind if I borrow your idea sometime?
Caking makes me happy :)
My daughters make me happy!
My kids of course!
My kids, gardening and eating cake make me happy! I think the cake looks like you know what you are doing! Great job, bet it’s tasty!
Hearing my grandson laugh!
Listening to good music and resisting the urge to dance until it becomes unbearable, and then letting loose! That makes me happy.
Sunshine with a slight breeze makes me happy!!!!!!!
My cat, Bruce Wayne makes me happy! (He’s the Clark Gable of cats).
Chocolate makes me happy!
This cake is adorable! Wonderful job!!!
Butterflies make me happy :)
making other people happy makes me happy:)
That cake pedestal makes me happy!
This cake makes me happy! That is the cutest cake I’ve ever seen! I love the one pink heart! Nice nice job!
A hot mug of coffee and a good book on a cold morning, my sweet family, and my loverly animals make me happy!
Hummingbird feeders :)
Finding a new bakery in town make me happy!
Making a mess while baking in the kitchen makes me happy :)
your cake looks fabulous!
Seeing my 6 month old smile big when I walk into the room! :)
My puppy makes me happy!
the color yellow
Watching my children sleep peacefully without a care in the world makes me happy…
Hearing them laugh…
Feeling their baby soft skin….
Smelling their hair after a bath…
They are my two greatest gifts!
Summer makes me happy! But, when that doesn’t last, being with my friends and family!! (Cliche, but SO TRUE!)
Hearing that I am going to be a grandmother for the first time is making me very happy!
Love the one pink heart!!
Being with my kids makes me happy!
My daughter with all of her silly antics and all the new words she’s learning makes me happy.
My family makes me happy!!!!
The moments with my family…the flawed and the perfect moments…it all makes me happy!
Either a big bowl of popcorn and m’n’m’s or hiking to the top of a local ridge with lunch in my backpack, sitting there eating and enjoying the view!