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Why pay big money for an expensive, shop-made wedding cake when you can easily build your own romantic creation at home? Though the prospect of creating a tiered cake may seem scarey, it is based on some reasonably easy elements of architectural support. Like all sound construction, a tiered cake begins with a good base foundation. 

Foundation 
 
For bottom cake tier, fill and ice the two largest cake layers in the center of a covered cake board that is about 4 inches larger than the cake, being sure to smooth the icing on top and sides. Use a sturdy cake board, such as 1/2-inch-thick plywood. 
 
Support 
 
Trim two circles of corrugated cardboard sized to fit under the cake layers for each additional tier (total of 4 cardboard circles). Tape the two pieces for each tier together for a double thickness of cardboard. 
 
Cover the double-thick cardboard circles with foil that has been cut into a circle 1 to 2 inches larger than the cardboard. Center the cardboard on the foil. Cut slashes into the foil, spaced approximately an inch apart, around the entire circle. Fold each 1-inch flap of foil over the cardboard and sellotape into place.

Structure 
 
To mark the correct position for the next tier, gently hold the foil-covered cardboard just above the center of the iced bottom tier. Using a ruler as a guide, center the cardboard and gently lower it onto the iced surface. Use a toothpick to lightly mark around the cardboard. Remove the cardboard.

Since dowels are difficult to cut, you may use plastic straws to support each layer, if you stabilize the tiers with one large dowel as described below. 

To stabilize tiers, sharpen one end of a 1/4-inch-thick dowel with a knife. Push sharpened end of dowel into center of top tier and carefully push down through all tiers and cardboard circles. Trim dowel level with cake top. Carefully smooth icing on cake top to cover dowel. Remove dowel pieces before cutting cake.

Fill and ice cake layers for this tier positioned on the appropriately sized foil-covered cardboard circle; smooth the icing on top and sides of cake. Carefully place tier in position on bottom tier. Repeat for all tiers, supporting each layer with dowels. 
 
 

Decorations 
 
Add your own special creative touches with the decorations of your choice. Use a piping bag to pipe on icing borders, patterns and flowers, or apply premade decorations purchased from a cake decorating shop or craft store. Of course one of the simplest and most elegant ways to decorate a wedding cake is to use real fresh flowers. Be careful that the flowers don't have pesticides on them and that the are dry. Clean, fresh flowers should be placed on the cake right before it is displayed. 

 
Another option is the basket weaving technique. 
 
Basket Cake Trick 
 
By icing  the side of a layer cake with a basketweave pattern and adding fresh berries on the top, you can turn a a common ordinary cake into an elegant "fruit basket."

1. Spread top of layer cake with a thin layer of apricot preserves or caramel topping.
2. Spoon buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a ridged basketweave decorator tip. Pipe vertical strips at 2-inch intervals around side of cake.

3. Make horizontal strip around side of cake, just below top edge. Repeat halfway down side of cake.

4. Pipe more vertical strips halfway between each of the strips made in Step 1. Refill icing bag as necessary.

5. Pipe short horizontal strips between the horizontal strips made in Step 2 and along the bottom of cake. Each short strip starts at the edge of one vertical strip, crosses over next vertical strip and ends at edge of next vertical strip.

6. Replace basketweave tip with star tip. Pipe a star border around top of cake. Pile mixed fresh berries on top of cake to look like fruit in a basket.

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