I get a lot of Shogun Maverick and Vulcan cakes with flat plastic foot bases, and I never ever stake these out for firing because the base is quite steady and sturdy enough to take the recoil of shots firing from them;why do they still need to be staked out even if they are stable and safe enough to stand unassisted on a flat level board or surface? Sandling give these cakes the instruction"Place upright on flat ground or wooden board" which to me is very sensible and I would always follow it this way. 
Most cakes that can stand on flat ground have a heavy base. The manufacturer load the bottom with clay or heavy tubes to make sure that they stay put. On the other end, why to take a chance? I have a friend who had one of those cake come apart and one of the tubes, still loaded, falling sideway, send the next star strait through the window. It started fire in his upper floor and caused some minor damage. If it was staked and taped, the firework would not have any of the tubes fall over.
Most of those fireworks spend many weeks at sea, and some of them might be effected by adverse weather conditions. I stake mine whatever the recommendation.
