What It Means To Dowel A Cake (And Why It Matters)

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Thinking about making a tiered celebration cake? Then you'll need to learn how to dowel your bakes to lend your stack much-needed stability. While this technique is a common practice among professional bakers, it doesn't require heaps of expertise; all you need are some food-safe dowels, a cake board, and a pair of kitchen scissors.

A dowel is simply a thin column of wood or tube of plastic that looks a bit like a drinking straw. They're cut to size using a sharp knife or scissors and inserted into cakes like columns to lend them a stable foundation that additional cake layers can be perched on. 

To get started, measure and cut your dowels so they're the same height as your cake layer, wash and dry them, and press the first one straight down into the middle of your base layer. Then press a few more in a round pattern that sits just inside the circumference of the cake you'll be placing on top — a wide cake should have about 3 dowels plus the central one. Don't insert them at an angle; they should be perpendicular to the cake board your sponge is resting on. Repeat this process for the remaining tiers before stacking them onto each other and you should be left with a sturdy cake that won't topple over or cave in on itself with the slightest wobble. For larger cakes, use dowels with a bigger diameter for extra support, such as these 0.47-inch plastic dowels on Amazon. 

Dowels are particularly essential if your layers are being placed first on cake boards before layering onto the cake below, which extra tall ones will need. The dowels essentially act as a supporting structure to rest each layer on. 

Firmer cakes work best for stacking using dowels. Very soft and delicate cakes like an angel or chiffon cake aren't the best choice for making tiered celebration cakes even if you do dowel them. While you can occasionally get away with avoiding dowels if your cake is very heavy and dense, such as a fruit cake or chocolate fudge gateau, it's always better to use dowels and avoid the risk of your creation sinking or collapsing.

Wooden dowels are useful if you're stacking dense cakes because you can sharpen the end to a point that can easily pierce through the surface. Most cake dowels are suitable for single use and should be discarded afterwards. While you could wash and reuse plastic varieties, it can be tricky to clean the inside of their tube-like shape.

Other tricks for stacking a layer cake like a professional baker include using a turntable to smooth out the frosting, remedying a domed top with a leveler, and adding a spoonful of frosting to help your cake stick to the base board.