tiered wedding cake proportions help!

[soapnuts]

I'm making my first wedding cake in a few weeks and am trying to get everything lined up and prepared so i don't have a crazy panic. I'm pretty happy with most of it but the tier proportions are making me go loopy.... so i spent half an hour on the floor in the cake supplies shop lining up all the tins and have decided on a four tier 7, 9,11, 13 inch cake. it all looks right but when i got home i realised they are all deep for their size but they are not all the same depth....

should all the tiers be the same height or just in proportion? i'm also using different recipes for different tiers (bride has asked for different flavours) so how do i make sure they all stay in proportion when cooked.... any help gratefully received - i really want this to look good for my new SIL!!

Wow that's a massive amount of cake ! Personally i think all tiers should be same height - and i would be tempted to "trim" to ensure that.

Good luck :)

it's a massive wedding!! i'm reasonably confident with cakes but have never done tiered before - i think i agree with you but it looks right when i pile up the tins too..... very confused!!

oh and thanks for your opinion flat mouse!

That is a serious amount of cake - the 13 inch alone will feed over 100.

I'd trim to the same height - the only difference is if you have a really small top tier as then it looks odd if the same height

Oh dear now you've got me worried about the sizes (that's taken me about a month to decide on already!!) bottom will be rocky road so not strictly a cake. Middle two are the actual eating cakes and the top tier is to be saved for the first christening (hopefully!!) there will be nearly 200 guests .... And I went to a wedding with the bride recently where we both thought the three tier was too small.... Wish I'd measured now!! I think I will make them even - think the 7 inch isn't too small to look weird. Thanks for the help - anymore greatly appreciated!

Soapnuts, i had the same problen as you not so long ago, bride wanted 3 tiers, 1 fruit and 2 sponges 1 jam and cream and i lemon, the sizes drove me nuts as they had to be symetrical, so after alot of paper work and designs i went with a 12 inch bottom,9inch 2tier and 6inch top, the tiers have to look all the same height, 4inches is the normal size, is it square or round cake? if square i highly recommend the Alan Silverwood muliti cake tin( square) it gives you up a 12 inch. i made a wedding cake 6weeks ago, i was stressed so please plan everything, you need to dowel also, i guess you know that, if you want take a look at my pics which show that cake it may help you with yours. If you need any help just ask ok?

Soapnuts, i had the same problen as you not so long ago, bride wanted 3 tiers, 1 fruit and 2 sponges 1 jam and cream and i lemon, the sizes drove me nuts as they had to be symetrical, so after alot of paper work and designs i went with a 12 inch bottom,9inch 2tier and 6inch top, the tiers have to look all the same height, 4inches is the normal size, is it square or round cake? if square i highly recommend the Alan Silverwood muliti cake tin( square) it gives you up a 12 inch. i made a wedding cake 6weeks ago, i was stressed so please plan everything, you need to dowel also, i guess you know that, if you want take a look at my pics which show that cake it may help you with yours. If you need any help just ask ok?

Nannycook - you're so sweet! I may be asking for help in a few weeks when I'm up to my eyeballs in flour and icing! I'm going to try your measurements too - i think 4 inches sounds right. Its round but i have that multi tin at home and it's fab.... i'm also making the cake away from home to add to my stresses! I think i'm almost planning too much.... have pages and pages written out!! am hoping that will be more of a help than hindrance!

i've got the dowels..... but how did you cut them? and how many did you use per tier? my bottom layer is rocky road so not sure if it needs dowels - but then again might squash the icing if i don't!

oh wow your cakes are incredible.. that vw van looks real!!

I have just made my wedding cake, 3 tiers, 6, 8 and 10 inches, the 8 and 10 inch ones were the same height and the 6 inch a bit shorter, I think this looks good. So personally I would make maybe your top 2 tiers a bit less tall?

I cut dowels (plastic) with a hacksaw, used 4 per tier, though all my tiers were conventional fruit cake. I'm guessing your top tier is fruit cake if you've saving it, are your middle two tiers strong enough to take the weight of a fruit cake on top of them?

Thank you soapnuts, it can be a headache i know, that was my first 3 tier cake ever so i was really pleased how it turned out. i used about 5 per tier and my hubby cut them with a secateurs, they werent all the same height either which went against the grain but that just shows your cake is alittle uneven, so if thats the case dont take the dowels out and be tempted to cut them all the same, you can get around that with some royal icing, i'm not sure about your rocky road (love that by the way)but obviously the 2nd sponge tier will go on top and i'm thinking the fondant will dent if it isnt supported, dont forget the cakecards too, are you putting any decoration on the tiers at all? Ah my vw van, it was supposed to be a cake but when i found out it was a party for 90 i thought better of it so turned it into a van made out of icing instead. When is your wedding?

Also when me and hubby finished, he helped me alot, we weighed the cake, 2st 5lbs, heavy, very heavy, so glad when i delivered it, and i had to buy a strong box which cost me a tenner.Will you have enough cake for 200 guests as your not using the top tier. Not gonna lie to you its stressful but after that wedding cake i feel i can do anything, hopefully you will too.x