I heart bubble straws!
I use them whenever I stack a smaller cake on a larger cake or if I’m making a tall barrel cake…I’ll use them for inside support. There are tons of options out there for supporting your cakes, but for me, these are so economical, easy to cut and pretty! – they come in lots of colors!! :)
The other thing I love about bubble straws is that it doesn’t displace your cake. When using dowels that are solid, they will push the cake out to the side…and if you have a lot of supports going into the cake, that’s potentially a lot of bulging that can happen. When you put a bubble straw (NOT a drinking straw) into your cake, the cake goes inside the straw and doesn’t get pushed around The GREAT thing about that is when you pull out your bubble straw supports before cutting the cake, you have a cake filled straw someone needs to suck out so that yummy goodness isn’t wasted! – that’s my favorite part!
Now, there can be some potential pitfalls to using straws…things like your cake falling over! – that’s kinda the major one! :) But, they are usually always user error…not the fault of the bubble straw! – don’t blame the bubble straw! So, if you want to insure success, then there are a few guidelines you need to remember when using them…
1. Make sure they are the big fat BUBBLE straws…not skinny or bendy drinking straws!
2. Make sure when you insert them into the cake, the bottom is flat…meaning you might have to cut it flat because bubble straws come with slanted ends.
3. Make sure you put the first straw into the cake to measure how long to cut it…then cut them all the exact same…thereby keeping the stacked cake level.
4. Make sure you put the bubble straws STRAIGHT into the cake…not at an angle
5. Make sure you use plenty of them!! See my charts below…
6. Make sure you only use them in smaller cakes (up to a 10″)…and don’t stack more than 3 high using bubble straws! Any larger of a cake or any more than 3 small tiers should have a center dowel/support and larger dowels used…like these ones, click here. Make sure when you use solid dowels/supports, you cut out a small circle from each tier for each support dowel so when you slide in the supports, it won’t displace so much cake.
6. Make sure you only use them in smaller cakes (up to a 10″)…and don’t stack more than 3 high using bubble straws! Any larger of a cake or any more than 3 small tiers should have a center dowel/support and larger dowels used…like these ones, click here. Make sure when you use solid dowels/supports, you cut out a small circle from each tier for each support dowel so when you slide in the supports, it won’t displace so much cake.
If you can follow all those steps, you’ll be golden and loving bubble straws like I do!! They are so economical and pretty! Plus, they’re plastic…not wood…so no worries about splinters or sanding or special tools to cut them.
Now, since I think the biggest pitfall to using bubble straws is how many you use and where you place them, I decided to draw up a little diagram for you to use when you’re stacking your cakes and inserting bubble straws. These guides are to scale, so when you save them on your computer, they should print out to scale, exactly the size of your cakes. I made templates for a 6″, 8″ and 10″ cakes…the ones I use most often. You want to make sure you don’t span more than 2″ without a straw…that’s the guideline I try to follow…most of the time!
What I would do is print these off and cut out the circle (either the dashed or the solid/actual cake size line), then cut out the holes where the straws will go and laminate it! That way they’ll last and last! After you laminate it, there should be a spot right in the middle of each bubble straw hole that you can poke a needle or a hole punch through…then, when you lay it on your cake, poke a hole in your cake through the template and that’s where you’ll put your bubble straws! :) Easy peasy!! – or you can just print one every time you make a cake! – whatever is easy for you!!
The 8″ diagram and 10″ diagram shows only half the cake so you can still print it to scale. So, make sure you mirror the diagram on the line. Mark the bubble straws on one side, then flip it over on that imaginary line and mark the bubble straw spots on the other side.
Now, you might be asking, what if I’m doing a sculptured cake?! Well, just remember…you don’t want to have more than 2″ of cake without a bubble straw support. Use more than you think you need…that way you never have to worry about it!
I talk a little bit about this in my tutorial video that should be out in the next two weeks or so!! I don’t actually show you the whole step by step, but I do talk about the proper way to use them!
I hope this helps you all!!! Have a fabulous week!!!
DISCLAIMER: Now, I know there are crazy people out there who might want to hold me responsible for putting this diagram out, following it and then having a cake fall over!! – but I claim no responsibility that this will work for everyone and advise you to use common sense and more bubble straws rather than less!! By printing and using these “guidelines” you understand these are only “guidelines” and will not hold Jessicakes responsible incase of a bubble straw or cake failure!!
Enough said! :)
Happy bubble straw building!
Cool idea! I love bubble straws too, although when I’m dealing with 3 tiers or more, it gives me peace of mind to use a large central dowel with a hole in each cake board in addition so I know the cake is supported.
Yes!!! I should have said that! I only recommend bubble straws for up to 3 small tiers…otherwise, the bottom layers should be larger dowels and a center dowel should be used!! I’ll edit that post to make sure it’s been said! Thanks Jenny!
Oh my jessica! your a cake angel! thank you so much! >hugs<
This is wonderful Jessica, I will try it soon, thanks for sharing. God bless you always, you are an amazing woman.
I LOVE bubble straws! But I never know how many to use. Thank you so much! I had never thought about how they don’t push the cake out to the sides.
Love it!
Thanks!
Hi Jessica,
I’m from Australia and went to order some from Amazon to get a sample of what you mean by bubble straws, so I can see if we have something similar here.
Amazon are trying to charge $45 for postage!
Any suggestions out there how to get a sample of a bubble straw?
Many thanks,
Lisa
WOW, what a bummer!!! Honestly though you should be able to find them in your area. Check your local asian markets…they’ll call them bubble tea straws. They are just fat straws about 1/2″ in diameter.
I wish you luck!!
I am in Australia and I buy them on Ebay
I’ve been using bubble straws for 2 years now…LOVE them and you’re right, they’re so economical, why wouldn’t you just use more (not less!) straws? The kids and adults in my family ALWAYS fight for the ‘cake straws’..they really ARE the best part…lol!
Carm
Jessicakes! Your ideas are great always! Thank you for share them with us! And…I love your beautiful cakes! Xx from Spain!
OHHH, Spain!! Would love to visit there someday!!! Thanks for your sweet words!
HI Jessica,
This a great post, thank you so much!
I have a quick questions…Do you use a cardboard under the top tier cake?
Thanks!
– JOcelyne
Yes. Every cake tier is created on a cake board. Blessings!!
I have found milkshake straws at my local grocery store. I’ve compared them to bubble tea and they r same width and thickness. The best part I’d both ends are flat.
Hi Jessica thanks for the information. I have a question when using the straws do you insert them after you’ve ganache the cake or do you insert them prior to ganaching the cake? Thanks
I just made a 3-tiered cake for my daughter’s graduation party for the first time and used the bubble straws. What a great concept and so much easier! I took them out with a long-nosed jewelry plier. Worked great. Looks much easier than using a wooden dowel. Thank you!!!!!
Yay! YES, as long as you use the right amount and only up to a smaller three tier cake, they work great! I would use wood or plastic if it’s over a 3 tier…the base tiers are holding a lot of weight in that case!!
what about a 12 10 and 8 inch?? I always use bubble straws.
I place a bubble straw every 2″ or so. Just make sure there is good support. Start in the center and place moving outwards.
hi .. i am doing a castle cake .. with castle towers also made out of cake (cake diameter is around 3 inch and height is 5-6inch) … so to support this height cake can i use bubble straw ? is one enough ? hv never tried height cake with less circumfernce
That is so narrow, I would probably make them from rice crispy treats for stability then use melted chocolate or royal icing to glue the tower to the cake…for stability. I’m sure a bubble straw would be fine…but just make sure it has a base that can be “glued” to the board and after you cover it in fondant, “glue” it to the main cake. Have fun!
Thanks for this, never thought to use straws, great advice. I’ve just started using an app I came across from the baking it blog. http://blog.bakingit.com/stack-a-multi-tiered-cake-in-7-easy-steps to make sure I get the best support for my tiered cakes.
Hello Jessica, first I love your flawless cakes! I have a question regarding a stacked cake with 1 cake dummy. I am making a wedding cake to serve 55 people. I was planning on doing a 10″, and an 8″, then a 6″ inch cake dummy on top, because the bride likes the look of 3 levels. I will of course use cake boards under each cake, including the dummy, but I am still wondering about the support system. I have always used bubble straws. So, do you think bubble straws in the 10″, but do I really need them in the 8″ cake, with just a dummy cake on top of it? Also, I have used a center dowel in the past for 3 cakes, but since the top one is a cake dummy, not sure I could get the dowel through? I do plan on stacking onsite, so I am hoping it should be okay without the center dowel? What rae your thoughts, thanks you, Jean
Hi Jean! I think I answered you on the Craftsy platform, right?! – was that you?? I would bubble straw the 10″ and 8″ cakes, but no dowel is needed. You still want to bubble straw the cake the dummy sits on because it will still add weight to the cake and you don’t want it squishing the cake under it. I hope that helps!