I want to mail my dad a cake for fathers day. I am in Texas, he lives in Oregon. Yikes, huh. I am thinking of making a choc cake and filling/icing with choc ganache. Then freezing the whole thing solid. Then wrapping really well. Double boxing, etc. Then I would take the whole thing frozen solid to FedEx and ship overnight.

WILL THIS WORK???? Is ganache a good icing for shipping. I have never made it, only eaten it at restaruants, but it seems like it would be a good choice.

Do you think I need dry ice. Several years ago I sent him his favorite flavor of local ice cream through the mail on dry ice, and it worked. But, it was expensive because it was heavy. Cake doesn't have to stay so frozen, so I would like to skip that extra expense unless I really need it.

Help please! What are your thoughts.

Oh it needs to stay extremely frozen if it's ganache....that will be like a melted candy bar once it gets warm. I don't know if you can do it or not. Just go to Dean and Deluca and have one mailed to him....will cost you less in the long run. I know, I know, it's about the homemade from you thing, I get it. But not too practical this time of year....in my opinion.

I haven't shipped a cake yet, but I would think that if you froze it, packed it very well and maybe not dry ice but like those cooler packets or something maybe that would work.
Someone on here will be able to give you a better answer

I really really want to make it. That is just the whole point. He always wants to see pictures of my cakes, but hasn't had one yet.

So, maybe not ganache, I guess I didn't realize that would melt. I have never made chocolate fondant, but maybe that would be better. Do you think choc. fondant over choc buttercream would work? I am afraid the buttercream would be a melted disaster too?

Holly, Fed Ex/UPS/PostOffice/GOD, for that matter, can give me all the guarantees in the world that my cake would arrive completely intact and in the shape it was when it left. It only takes one pair of hands to drop it, stack it upside down, handle it too roughly....and it's ruined. Hate to rain on your parade, but I have no advice for you. I wouldn't do it. Ganache, fondant, BC, nothing.

I know the people that do ship their cakes successfully use courier service, hand deliver to airport, a specific person carries the box and nothing else, to the plane, physically puts on plane, and a specific person (supposedly) on the other end retrieves it and hand delivers to a pick up counter somewhere. So your dad would have to go get it, wade through airport hassle....I could go on and on.

Successfully shipping a delicate cake is big money, and big hassle.

If I am wrong about this, which I don't believe I am....please correct me.

In fact...not too long ago, a user in here posted pics of what her cake looked like after she carefully packed it and got "guarantees" that it would be babied....it was a wreck!

yea. I agree with _J_. I wouldn't risk it, not to mention shipping costs. Yikes!!! There are NO guarantees in anything.

Could you make cookies or cupcakes? They might have a better chance of survival over a whole cake. Just another option.

On top of that, its summer. Heat heat heat.

Here is an older thread re: shipping cakes. I've done it; it was expensive and like previous posters mentioned, you can't guarantee it will make it in one piece. I sent it via overnight mail through the postal service and it made it pretty much intact. I would suggest fondant.

That said, I'm sure your dad wouldn't mind if it were a little banged up; I'm sure it would make his day special to have a cake from you.

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-595330-ship.html

I wouldnt do it. It's too much hard work and it is too expensive to chance it. I did read that thread and saw the photos of the other member who tried it. It cost her almost $100 to ship it and when it delivered on it's side! Do you make cookies? I would ship cookies instead!