What does a cake nead to support many (17) layers without it collapsing?!
Answers: I already know how to make the layers but I've heard people say that in such a big cake it wont be able to hold itself up and will crumble. Do i nead something for support? I'm making it for my Girl Friend's birthday. A layer for each year of her life. I hope it works
Being that you are asking this question HERE I presume at best you are an amateur. I know several professional bakers who make multi tier cakes for weddings and none has made 17 layers.Based on this I think you have 3 chances Fat, Slim, and None.I do wish you success however.To attempt a job of that magnitude in I presume a home kitchen with home quality tools and accessories is truly awe inspiring. I hope you Get Lucky
Some people use cream to stick the cake together if they make western cakes but it still collapses. However, I would suggest you make Indonesian layer cake because the layers are held together without cream or jam nothing at all. Bear in mind, this Indonesian might be tasty but it is very high in cholesterol.
Try using royal icing, which is really thick white icing made from confectioners sugar and water and spread it between the layers. Also try putting in some supports in between the layers with wooden douls stuck in the layers or even pbc pipes work too.
To have a cake with that many layers stay standing, you need some equipment. You will need cardboard rounds (or squares) for each of the layers. (Either layers of the same size like a regular layer cake or you can put up to three graduated layers on a cardboard.) You will also need some wooden dowels to put into the lower layers to hold up the weight of the upper layers that are on the cardboard(s) above them. You should study the "build a cake" section on the Wilton web site. http://www.wilton.com/wedding/makecake/b...
This is something that really must be seen not just explained. Putting a multilayer cake together is just like architecture. You must acount for the weight of the materials used so that the building doesn't just fall down under it's own weight.