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Everything you need to know about tiered cakes in under 3 minutes! #cake #cakes #cakedecorating
Jul 17, 2026
Everything you need to know about tiered cakes in under 3 minutes! #cake #cakes #cakedecorating
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Here are all of my tips and tricks for
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tiered cakes. Choose cake pans at least
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2 in apart in size, for example, 8, 6,
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and 4 in. For every upper tier, you'll
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need an invisible cake board exactly the
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same size as the cake, so it will
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disappear from view once you stack the
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cake. You'll layer the upper tiers on
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their invisible cake boards. Layer your
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bottom tier on a cake drum, which is
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thicker and stronger than a cake board,
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so it can support the weight of all the
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tiers. Frost this bottom tier as normal,
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starting with a crumb coat to trap any
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crumbs that come off the cake and stop
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them from getting into the visible final
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layer of frosting. But, for the upper
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tiers, before frosting, place a larger
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cake board on the turntable with a
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non-slip mat or ring of tape on top, and
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then the cake on its invisible cake
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board, so that you have the larger board
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there to rest your cake scraper on while
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you smooth the frosting. Keep that large
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cake board and non-slip mat underneath
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while you do the final layer of
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frosting, too. That larger cake board
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provides a flat surface to line your
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cake scraper up straight, and also
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prevents getting buttercream all over
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your turntable. For the sharpest top
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edges, after finishing the sides of your
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cake, don't do the top yet. Put the cake
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into the fridge for about 30 minutes
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until the frosting is firm, and then dip
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a knife into warm water, dry it off, and
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cut around the top edge to create sharp
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angles from the sides over onto the top
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of the cake. To support the upper tiers,
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I use boba straws as supports. You'll
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cut these to the height of the bottom
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tiers, four for each tier. You don't
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need any for the top tier. Place the
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cake pan of the next tier onto the tier
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below and trace around it with a
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toothpick.
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To measure the boba straws, push one
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into the cake until it hits the cake
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board underneath. Pinch it at the top,
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pull it out, and cut where you're
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pinching it. Hold this against the other
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three straws and cut them to the same
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size. Push your four boba straws within
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that circle you traced, and this way you
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know they'll be sitting underneath the
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next tier. Spread some buttercream on
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top, which will act as glue once it sets
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to hold the next tier in place so it
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doesn't slide around when you transport
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it. For the next tier, slide an offset
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spatula underneath the invisible cake
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board to separate the cake from the
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larger cake board underneath and then
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lift the cake up and center it on the
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cake below. Cakes need to be
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refrigerated before doing this so you
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don't damage them when you pick them up
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and move them around. Repeat that whole
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process again for all of the upper
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tiers. Here I'm adding supports to the
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middle tier to hold up my top tier. The
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middle and top tier need to be on their
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invisible cake boards when you stack
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them on the cake so that the support
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straws below hold that up. Without the
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invisible cake board, the top cake could
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sink down onto the straws and squash the
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cake below like this. Keep the cake in
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the fridge until you transport it. Cold
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cake and buttercream resist car
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vibrations and sudden movements much
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better than when they're at room
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temperature. If your cake is too tall,
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flip another box upside down and cut two
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diagonal slits into one side and the
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opposite side and then push the middle
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flap inside the other box to raise this
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box up like a very tall lid. Follow
2:48
BritishGirlBakes for more cake
2:49
decorating tips and tricks.
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