What is the difference between a cake card and a cake drum?
A question always asked in my cake classes is which one should I use and what is the difference? Cake cards and drums are an important part of cake decorating as you have to put the cake on it. They come in lots of different shapes, colours, and sizes. They also give stability in transportation.
Cake Cards
Cake cards are thinner and lighter than cake drums and are usually 1.1 mm to 3mm thick and used for gateaux and small cakes. If you are making a chocolate drip cake a card the same size can be used. When the cake is ready to add the drip, it can be stuck using melted chocolate to a cake drum giving it more stability. You can then finish the cake by piping the drip and adding the decorations. The same format can be used for stacking layers of tiered celebration or wedding cakes. Attach the cake boards to the other layers using melted chocolate. A TIP TO REMEMBER with stacked cakes you need to dowel each tier before assembling otherwise the cake could topple over and collapse.
A picture below of a slice of a modeled cartoon cake on a cake card.
Cake Drums
They are thicker than cake cards and made from cardboard with a foiled top and sides. They are 12mm thick. They are available to buy in different shapes, sizes, and colours and are very sturdy. Cake drums are used for heavier cakes such as wedding cakes, fruit cakes, and large sponges. From a previous experience years ago with the fondant cracking on a cake, we always use cake drums but sometimes use masonite cake boards as well
You can see below that the bingo cake is a 3 tier cake. The top tier is on a cake drum. The middle tier is on a cake card stuck to the bottom tier with melted chocolate. The bottom tier is on 2 cake drums 13 inch and 15-inch. This is used as the cake is so heavy and the cake drum is taking all the weight, thus why another cake drum is stuck on for stability.
The cake above has been put onto a cake drum. It has been iced with fondant in green and a ribbon has been used in a contrasting colour on the side.
The cake drum below is pink and matches the theme. Pink is a popular colour and cake drums come in all sorts of shapes and sizes including heart, oblong, petal, as well as round and square
Masonite Cake Boards
These are a new type of cake board and are very popular. They are made from MDF which is compressed wood fibres and are 4-6mm thick. Very strong and are thinner than a drum. They come in different colours including wood effect, marble effect pink, black, and white. The cake below is on a masonite brown wood effect cake board
Ribbons
A ribbon sets the cake drum off and is excellent for presentation purposes. You can use tear-off florist ribbon which can be attached by putting glue around the edge of the cake drum and sticking the ribbon to it. Pritt stick is best to use. The excess can be cut off with a sharp knife. You can also use fabric ribbon but don’t attach it with Pritt stick otherwise it will show through the ribbon. Instead, use double-sided sticky dots. Stick them an inch apart to the cake drum then rub and take off the backing paper. Attach the ribbon to the dots.
You can also use a ribbon at the bottom of the cake to finish it off. To attach it, use a little royal icing at the back of the cake stick the ribbon to it, and then use a little more to finish off by sticking the ribbon which has gone around the cake to it. NEVER USE PINS IT IS A HEALTH AND SAFETY HAZARD.
The cake below has a contrasting tear-off ribbon added.
Frequently asked questions when using cake drums and cake board
Can the cake board be used again?
Yes, it can as long as it is not damaged. You need to ensure that it is sanitized and dried before using it again.
Can I cover it with fondant icing and how do I do it?
Roll out the fondant icing the required colour 3/4 to the size of the cake drum. Put the fondant over the cake drum and continue rolling until you get to the correct size. Cut off the excess fondant that is hanging over the cake drum with a knife and smooth out indentations using a cake smoother.
Check if the fondant has stuck to the cake drum, if not use water on a paintbrush rubbing over the cake drum. Make sure the edges are stuck down as well. Smooth over the fondant again and cut off more paste if excess. Leave the cake drum to dry for a few days especially if the cake is being decorated straight onto the cake board. If you are using debossers, or embossers to write the inscription this has to be done while the fondant is wet. When the fondant inscription has dried then you can use paints or dusts to colour it. If you are using silver or gold dust then use alcohol or a rejuvenator instead of water to create a paste. By doing this you will achieve a deeper colour
DO NOT FONDANT ICE A CAKE CARD AS IT IS TOO FLIMSY AND THE ICING WILL CRACK UNDERNEATH THE CAKE
The picture below of a fondant inscription on the cake drum
What is the difference between a cake card and a cake drum? Hope this little blog makes more sense in knowing which one to use.
Happy baking
Caroline x
A cake stockist of cake cards, drums, and Masonite cake boards below
Have a look at more coloured cake drums here
