What is the differenced between a layered and tiered cake?? I get asked this a lot by customers.
A layered cake is how many layers are stacked on top of each other on one cake with jam and buttercream in between each layer. The cakes are the same size and equal height. An example of this might be a basic Victoria sandwich usually consists of 2 layers.
A chocolate drip cake is usually tall, could consist of 4, 5 or 6 layers or even taller. It can be supported by putting a dowel through the cake or dowelling after 3 layers then putting a piece of card in between and maybe still using the middle dowel for support as well. The cake below was a 4 layered chocolate drip cake
The two cakes above are also layered. The first one is a 3 layered sponge and the second one is a 4-layered sponge both with buttercream and raspberry jam in between. It depends on the design of the cake, and how many layers are used. For instance, a Bento cake with cupcakes is a 2-layer buttercream cake whereas a themed cake might be 3-4 layers and a chocolate drip cake or buttercream cake might be 5-6 layers. Layered cakes can be tailored for the customer and can be available in any flavour from traditional vanilla buttercream and raspberry jam or chocolate ganache to more elaborate flavours like raspberry, caramel, or tangy lemon. Layered cakes can be suitable for any occasion, birthday, anniversary or any other occasion
Tiered cake
These cakes are the main focal point and are there to make a great impression on the guests. They can consist of 2, 3, 4 tiers or more and are used for formal occasions like weddings, and anniversaries where a lot of cake is needed. They can be stacked directly on top of each other but dowels must be inserted into the cakes but not the top one to support the others. If the cakes are not supported by dowels, then there is a chance the cake could topple over and that would be a disaster. A 3 tiered cake can consist of 10 inches, 8 inches and 6 inches or a 2 tiered cake 10 and 6 inch or 8 and 4 inches depending on how many people the cake is to feed. You need to ask the customer before the order is taken, how many the is cake to feed. The tiered cake could also go on a tiered stand or you could use separators in between the cakes. These are plastic round separators that divide the cake up.
A 3 tiered cake could consist 3 different flavours, for instance, you could have a plain sponge with raspberry conserve and vanilla buttercream, a chocolate sponge with chocolate ganache, and a lemon sponge and tangy lemon curd and vanilla buttercream. A tiered cake must be dowelled for support to stop the cake toppling. I would use 6-8 dowels on a 10-inch cake and 5 -6 dowels on an 8-inch cake. The top tier doesn’t have to be dowelled.
See below a 3 tier wedding sponge cake with fresh flowers, doesn’t it look really pretty?
Below that again is a 2 tiered cake, this one is all fruit, which is a rarity as most people have sponge cake these days but it was for an 80 year old. Back in the day when I used to make a lot of wedding cakes everyone had fruit cakes and hardly sponge cakes. Now it has changed a lot and especially over the last 30 years.
Happy baking
Caroline x
