Glossary
Cake board
A sturdy base placed under a cake or tier so it can be lifted, moved and served without damage.
A cake board is a sturdy, food-safe base placed under a cake or an individual tier, giving it a rigid surface that can be lifted, moved and served on without the cake itself bending or cracking. Even a single-layer cake usually sits on a board sized just larger than the cake for easy handling.
On a tiered cake, boards do double duty: each tier gets its own board so it can be assembled and, ideally, cut apart before serving, and thicker boards under the whole structure support the combined weight during transport. Board thickness generally increases with a cake's size and weight, since a thin board can flex under a heavy tiered design.
Look for a board rated to support the specific weight and size of cake being built, and consider foil-covered boards for a cleaner finished look at the base. A common mistake is using a board that is too thin for a heavy or tall design, which can bow in the middle and crack the cake sitting on it.