Cake layering and support help!

[IdBeLionIfISaid]

I don't know how much support this cake needs...

It's three victoria sandwiches, all 8 inch, on top of each other. I've got thin cake boards and boba straws.

Should I do dowels through each sandwich separately with cake boards between? Just dowels through the first sandwich then the other two on top?
Or do I split it and do three layers with dowels and a cake board and then the other three?!

Help!!

I've never splinted such a small cake. Unless maybe you are wanting an inch of buttercream between each layer or something? Or something slippery like sauce? Or is it getting transported by helicopter or something?

If it's just a normal cake with a normal amount of icing and/or jam, it'll be fine.

I use dowels because that’s what I have, reusable ones, just make sure the cakes are fairly sturdy, I tend to cook 1-2 minutes longer than if I were making a single (split) cake as they won’t collapse.

Even with three on top of each other?

Yes, I've layered three standard 8" sponges many times with no issues.
If it does feel unstable for some reason just stab it with a kebab stick while you do the crumb coat, and then after half an hour it should be pretty solid. Remove kebab stick, finish icing.

I am assuming you aren't travelling far with it though, and you're keeping it reasonably steady and upright.

I don't dowel a three layer cake, triple layers are pretty common. All of Hummingbird cakes are three layers, for example.

Three tiers,on the other hand...

Op, I don't think it's clear from your post whether you are making one single cake, which consists of three layers of sponge

or

3 x two-layered Victoria sponges, which you plan to tier and essentially have 6 layers of sponge. If the latter, I would dowel and support - the fillings would be weighty and start to squish the bottom tier otherwise

I would just ram some long wooden skewers all the way through the finished cake. Like maybe 3. But it depends on the filling. If it's quite rigid and it won't melt it'll be fine. Then take them out just before serving.

I did a 5 layer with no splints recently. I froze the layers and constructed when frozen. Just make sure they're not warm and the filling isn't soft. Keep it cool as long as you can. Victoria sponge shoukd be sturdy enough not to need dowels for 3 layers.

It's six layers of sponge
3x2 sandwiches

I would use cake safe dowels and thin cake boards between each cake or every two layers if that makes sense.
I presume you're then crumb coating and top icing ?
I'm making a wedding cake soon and watched lots of YouTube videos and went on. A Course.
Make sponges and freeze...cut them frozen and fill and stack frozen...pop back in fridge or freezer for at least 10 mins
Then crumb coat then fridge again for an HR then top coat...

Oh right! Well I'd say you can ignore all advice on this thread up to this post then, as I'm sure, like me, everyone thought 3 cakes meant 3 layers!

6 layers does need splinting, unless you want to build it in two stages, or freeze, or similar.
If you aren't putting much icing between each layer, temporary splints will do, like kebab sticks. But if you want mega buttercream, I'd leave the splints in until serving.

Sorry I thought I'd been clear when I said three sandwiches but obviously not.

Thanks x