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.
my children make me happy – esp. when they enjoy what i bake:)
German Chocolate cakes make me happy!
My husband and kids…
Lovely job, adore the pink heart. Watching my cats watching birds at the feeder makes me very happy.
Waking up to kisses from my daughter makes me really happy…
sooo cute! as always!
Shannon
http://www.cascobaysoap.blogspot.com
Chocolate chip milkshakes make me happ!
Love this cake, it is absolutely beautiful. Great job with the white fondant, love the addition of the hearts, so simple yet elegant!
What makes me happy…..coffee in the morning before the kids wake up!
Spending time with my friends and family and sharing my cake creations with them makes me happy.
Having all my laundry done makes me happy, but coveting that cake plate as I have for awhile now makes me ecstatic because they are just so pretty and the possibilities make me giddy!
Getting baptized this past weekend made me happy! God’s love makes me very happy!
Finishing a knitting project so I can start a new one or two new ones
Mmmm, cupcakes with tons of frosting. yum.
Tea makes me happy!
I think it’s beautiful! I wouldn’t even begin to make a cake and decorate it but I’d sure like to have that cake stand.
Hi!
Many things make me happy—just to have the freedom to get on the internet and to see this site, is one! My family, my health and love all around. What is “not” to be happy about?
Woow wee… beautiful cake. Putting ribbons and hair pieces on my greyhound’s skinny head makes me happy! (her = not so much…) x
going on dates with my husband makes me happy. and baking!
Not having to do another stacked cake in the near future makes me happy haha. I did one for my friends wedding in april – talk about scary! Yours is beautiful though, nice job!
That cake makes me happy! I love it!
My girls getting along makes me happy – they’re 9 & 10 and fight ALL THE TIME. When they’re cooking & baking, they tend to get along, so I let them cook & bake a lot!
Taking pictures makes me happy!
Just being with my husband and children.
Reading. :)
Reading a magazine out in the sunshine while my son plays in the sandbox makes me happy. c-:
What makes me happy is getting to spend time with family and friends that I haven’t seen in a long while. Enjoying sharing a meal or just being in the same space as them.
baking and vacation. baking on vacation would be the happiest!
Finishing something I’ve been working on makes me happy :)
summertime fun…and chocolate chip cookies right out of the oven
My family makes me happy!
Baking with my two daughters (5yo & 2yo) makes me happy!
My kids, going for a run, doing what I love & being my own boss, my husband, girls night out…lots of things make me happy & grateful!!!! Life is good, just being part of it makes me happy!
I love your blog (it makes me happy too!) I am a baker much like you – I love it; not a professional, not the neatest person in the kitchen but it is fun, relaxing and exciting to try new things and see how they will come out. Or to see people’s reaction to what you bake! Your wit and imagination keep me inspired!
Beside being my favorite color, grandchildren make me happy. My 4th is on’s his way as i type, been in the hospital since 9:00!!!
lots of things but this blog makes me happy and anything to do with my 5 month old son! <3
Sunny days make me happy. Makes me want to bake and share happiness with others.
Baking makes me happy!
spending time with my two girls.
Coming home from vacation and finding out that my jeans no longer fit makes me happy. That is a sign of a good vacation filled with lots of food, drink, and friends :)
What makes me happy? Listening to my daughter read. I think that is the most amazing sound I have ever heard.
What makes me happy? Getting up early enough to have a few minutes to myself before the chaos of kids wakens the whole house.
My sons laughter at his father acting silly makes me happy to know we are together and he is not deployed to Iraq for now!
When my kids get along!
EATING makes me happy and a little guilty but mostly HAPPY :))
My kids make me happy. Especially when they want to make cookies, but eat more of the dough then anything else.
that i’m getting married in less than 2 weeks :)
sushi makes me happy :) Getting a blue cake plate makes me happy too! lol
What makes me happy is that in two days I am leaving Boston to move to Denver with my (non cooking) beloved.
Days when I don’t have to wake up to an alarm clock! :D
I love BAKING! So making any type of baked good for family and friends to enjoy always brings a big SMILE to my face!!
A little life inside of me growing for 3 months now. That’s what makes me happy. :)
Making the customer’s celebration perfect with a great cake!
Creativity makes me happy, be it my own, or someone else’s. Ky.children’s creativity makes me the most happy.
Cooking makes me happy. Sewing makes me happy. And pretty dishes make me happy. An evening at home with hubby makes me happy.
What makes me happy….The smile on someone’s face when they receive one of my baking creations…let it be a cake or cupcakes….makes those long tedious hours all worth it!
Reading a good book on the dock at the cottage makes me happy! As would winning that gorgeous cake stand!
Watching my boys play baseball makes me happy.
reading your new ideas always makes me happy
Decorated cakes like the one you made make me happy. They take me back to a wonderful childhood. My mother decorated cakes for years and as she sliced off the rounded tops to make themperfectly flat we’d sit and wait. After a while we’d be given the slices and a bit of frosting to make a “cake sandwich”. Those were so good. I still love white cakes with white frosting.
very pretty. being outside, preferably by water, makes me happy :)
I love blue! And I love blueberries. They make me happy. That’s why I made blueberry pie this weekend.
Another thing that make me happy is to see the face of my 1 year old when he puts his blueberries in his mouth all at once! He loves them too. That’s my boy!
Wow – this is perfect! I have to show it to my sister – her wedding is coming in few weeks and she still doesn’t know how their wedding cake will look like. Thanks for the inspiration!
Love this! Watching my kids play makes me happy :)
Spending the weekend with my family in the mountains makes ME HAPPY!
Cake makes me happy. And hearing my kids laugh. And watching them play in the waves at the beach.
All of my kids getting along makes me very happy!
Spending a warm summer day with my kids, putting them to bed and then relaxing with a cup of tea!
Good beer!
My 3 children make me happy, especially when they are all getting a long!!!! :-)
My three sons.
Cuddling with my daughter makes me happy, but baking or enjoying a mug of tea and reading does too. I love the heart decorationg and the single pink heart. Gorgeous cake stand!
finding an awesome new blog to follow makes me happy! also, giving my sis-in-law an awesome blue cake stand would make me and her super happy! <3
My puppy Belle!
Bakerella, I would hug you if I could! I would love to own one of these cutie cake stands!
All these food blogs I keep bumping into make me happy. Food makes me happy. Being on this diet only half way makes me happy…the weight loss is great but the fact that I can’t actually eat any of the yummy sweet goodness that I keep seeing all over the blog-o-verse is making me not so happy ;-)
Fresh flowers on my kitchen table!
Disneyland! :0)
My daughter makes me happy. Usually. sometimes very frustrated but mostly truly happy.
And I love your stacked cake. It is done very well and I know you said you added the hearts to hide the uneven covering but it you hadn’t said that we never would have known. Great job!
Your website makes me happy and is a great way to start my day!
Chocolate, my 3 girls making it through a whole day without fighting, my husbands smile and waking up on the last day of my husband’s deployments!
Fall and winter make me happy! I love snuggling on the couch with my hubby and a glass of hot cocoa!
Jelly beans and snuggling under the doona in bed on a wet, windy day
So many things make me happy!!! This cakestand makes me haPpy, cupcakes make me happy, baking, fondant, cakepops, bakerella, gosh, don’t get me started… Jajaj
Finding a cake recipe that I don’t have to level like yours! WooHoo!
Books and reading a really good book wether it be new or an old much beloved story I’m rereading.
the funny things that my son and students say… on a pretty much daily basis :)
watching my kids play together and indulging in a warm molten lava cake. :-)
A nice cup of coffee on my back porch before the rest of the world wakes up. Makes me very happy!
Starbucks makes me happy :)
Coming home to a clean house makes me happy.
LOVE the color! Spending time w/my 4 boys makes me extremely happy!!!
A quiet house makes me happy. With three kids this doesn’t happen often. I LOVE that cake stand!
Baking for my boyfriend =)
So cute! This cake makes me happy. So does leaving for vacation in Maine this weekend!
My dogs make me happy!
My two nephews and my niece make my happier than anything! :)
My kids laughter makes me happy, so does food :)
Watching my daughter bake a cake for her dad the other night!
We will be attempting to make fondant this week…she is so excited!
The Cake is gorgeous.
I live in fear of fondant covered cakes but your cake makes me want to try it again!
so great!
Crocheting makes me happy :)
My friends’ 7 week old baby boy Garrett!
Thinking of my daughter’s reaction when I make this cake for her birthday makes me happy :)
Thanks for the wonderful idea Bakerella!
Watching my daughters laugh together makes me happy.
The cake stand is really pretty.
Coffee in the morning makes me happy :) – and many other things!
Being with my grand kids makes me happy!
Watching and listening to the laughter of my 3 children as they jump into the waves of Lake Huron.
That is a BEAUTIFUL cake plate! You did a great job!!! That cake plate definitely makes me happy… and so does cake… cake makes me really happy!
My hubby makes me happy :D n so do pretty cakes like urs
That cakestand would make a perfect back-to-school present for myself and give me an extra good excuse to make a first-day-of-school celebration cake!
Hearing my children laugh makes me happy!
Today….the birth of my friend’s newest baby makes me smile =o)
baking makes me happy!! i hope i can do it everyday but i cant coz i still want to keep my daytime job hehehe by the way, your 3-tier cake is gorgeous! clean classy elegant cake :)
Seeing the smiles on my granddaughters faces when I make them a costume or cake for their birthdays. Actually the smiles make me happy anytime.
My hubby makes me happy :D n so do pretty cakes like urs
CAKE makes me happy!!
So cute. Looks great for pies and cookies too! Hearing my kids laugh uncontrollably.
Woot woot! Reading blog posts about cute fondant cakes made by “everyday” people makes me happy…also, winning blue cute cake platters! LOL Thanks!
Baking makes me happy… I love how the whole house smells after I take my baked goods out of the oven :)
Oh my that’s cute! It inspires me for the bridal shower cake I’m going to make! Love it. :-)
Sleeping late and not worrying about being late for work makes me happy! :)
The beach.
I have a cake stand collections, but nothing in blue. I NEED this!
I am insane over cakeplates…love this one. and it makes me happy. actually, every one of your posts makes me happy. well…and sad because I just can’t do what you do!
My new water butt pump makes me happy! rainwater through my hosepipe – brilliant.
Seeing my kids happy makes me happy!
My family makes me happy, husband, daughters, sons in laws, grandchildren…
Reading this blog and trying out the amazing recipes makes me happy!
listening to my son & my husband playing together makes me happy.
Crisp fall days (which are coming soon, hurray!) never fail to make me happy!!
Finishing a cake makes me happy. You should take the Wilton cake decorating classes, they would help you learn some of the stuff you would like to learn. :)
Crafting makes me happy – baking,paper crafts,scrapbooking – it ALL makes me happy!
little things make me happy like a simple note from my son and my husband telling me how great the dinner food was :)
Baking makes me happy!!!!! :D
My boyfriend and puppy sleeping together makes my heart smile the most. They are my loves!
Also, bright, rainbow colored things make me happy. So pretty!
PS- I think I want that pretty cake as my future wedding cake. I love the simplicity!
my family makes me happy and baking for them makes me even happier!
Ooh, this stand is super cute! And your post almost makes me want to try making my own stacked cake for my wedding next year….but just almost. :) I think I’ll that one to the pro’s!
cooking and baking for my family, friends and coworkers makes me happy. :)
I love the great job you did with the tutorial. It’s very informative so other’s can really see how it’s done. Nice job! And the cake is beautiful!!! Watching my two young children sleep peacefully makes me happy as well as looking at people’s face when they’ve seen what I’ve baked them makes me happy. I love baking!!!!!
My bed makes me happy. So perfectly cozy. <3
Creating great food and seeing the smiles on other’s faces as they try it. Love that!
Look so forward to seeing your posts in my inbox. Not only is the photography amazing, but the treats are equally fabulous! Thank you for sharing!!!
losing 55 lbs has made me happy!!!!
Happiness is watching my two dogs snuggle on the same dog bed.
My dogs make me happy. Insanely happy.
P.S. Cake decorating makes me happy! Especially when I am making the cake for someone I love! :)
Today is our 35th wedding anniversary and that makes me extremely happy!!!
Having life go smoothly makes me happy.
I LOVE this!!! I will be making one for my boyfriend for our two year anniversary! Thanks for the GREAT idea!! :)
Breakfast cooked by someone else. And cake.
Well, I think your cake looks wonderful :)
My little brother makes me happy. He’s just so lovely :D
& Your posts, of course. I love your pictures and everything on this blog =)
What makes me happy??? A piece of gingerbread with a cup of earl grey!!!!
Being with my family!
A clean house makes me happy!
Your pretty blue plate looks similar to a lot of the antique fiesta ware I collect :)
I love the one pink heart on your cake, too!
My son laughing makes me happy!
The smell of lemon makes me happy………
Big Band music, Halloween, making cookies, and spending time with my boyfriend makes me happy!
My husband who takes extra special care of me makes me happy. :)
I loved the cake!!!! And makes me happy every time I finish decorating a cake and everybody reacts with a big smile after seeing it! :D
Playing with my grandchildrem makes me happy!
Love your cake.
Kittens make me happy :)
My family :)
Seeing my family makes me happy. My husband is in the U.S. Air Force, and we are stationed over 600 miles away from our family and friends. So being able to see them makes me VERY HAPPY!
My dogs make me happy!
I love that cake stand! Something that makes me happy…when my almost three year old says “I wuv you mama!”.
My husband, kids and grandkids!
Ice cream!! and the color green! oh and my family of course!
knowing that school starts in 2 days makes me extremely happy.
nice cake.
when a cake comes out as cute as this one – brava.
my wonderful family and friends make me happy so does Bakerella
A night off from working on the house so I can sew or crochet or just sit on the couch with the hubby makes me so happy these days.
drinking coffee and watching the sunrise makes me happy enough to last for days
Well, probably one that makes me happy is my 4 year old precocious (and precious I might add) grandson. I had forgotten how simple children look at things. That makes me smile..P.S. love that blue stand!
sending my kid of to school in the morning so I can bake without having to hear “I wanna eat it now” a million times makes me happy!
I LOVE the cake!
Not acting my age (sometimes) makes me feel very happy :]
Bubble tea makes me happy.
Chocolate makes me happy.
my family makes me happy!
When I cook or bake something and my family really loves it–that makes me happiest because I know I’ve made them happy, too.
oh, I think blue would make me happy too!
I would love this stand even for my simple but delicious pound cakes!
Snuggling with my dogs, no matter how dirty and stinky they can get, always makes me happy.
The memory of my daughter and the sound of my son’s giggle.
BEAUTIFUL cake!!!! I’d love a chance to win! Thanks!
What makes me happy beside my kids smiling faces is praise for my baking. I cannot cook worth a flip, but I can bake. Not usually pretty things as I am not crafty in the least, but tasty! It please me so to hear how yummy something is I bake. I often bake things to bring to work just for the praise! It makes me feel happy, and proud.
Spending the weekend with my hubby-no distractions and no counting calorie points. Ahhhhhhhh.
Swimming, biking, and running makes me happy!
Being with my kids makes me happy!
So lovely. Eating cake makes me happy. Any cake, any time :)
My new baby daughter’s first smiles.
My son makes me happy.
discovering your website with my daughter and trying new recipes! you are soooo talented!
Waking up to my best friend every morning makes me happy :)
my children make me happy
Your talent is amazing….what a beautiful cake!
I am beyond happy when surrounded by family (especially my little grandsons!) at one of our big dinners!
My friends make me happy!
I have to say my kids make me happy and all things pretty like shabby chic decor and vintage furniture and of course cake plates.
Life with my family! Especially when my kids are not fighting!
Pretty cakes displayed on pretty cake plates make me sooooo unbelievably happy!
My kids make me happy. I LOVE it when they laugh and giggle. It’s the best sound in the world! And…cake makes me happy too!
A nice, hot sunny day makes me the happiest!
Making other people happy makes me happy.
Great job. So simple yet stunning!
My husband, my family, my dog and the life I am blessed to live make me happy! <3