Help, Transporting Cakes Reasonable Distances
Decorating By Belle86 Updated 14 Nov 2009 , 12:29am by indydebi
HELP:
Has anyone got any tips or ideas that they have used to transport cakes reasonble distances. Especially in warm to hot weather.
I have to transport a wedding cake (mud cake) approximatley 3 hours away and I think the day is going to be hot and the cake is quite large. 2 square 16inch cakes joined to make a rectangle.
Please help thanks
Belle86
I'd say just be sure you have a very strong cake board! Any movement in your board could separate the seam between your 2 square cakes and show through your icing. Good luck!
yes, definitely use a nice sheet of plywood.......1/2" thick minimum........if not for the cake board itself CERTAINLY for carrying the cake to and from tables to its resting place.
Thanks everyone. Do you have tips for keeping the cake cool, a box or container that you use for the cake.
Otherwise I think I will be holding the cake on my lap with the aircon going flat out. I thought about getting a large ice box, but i am unsure if it will be big enough.
Thanks again
Belle86
I'd be too afraid to hold it on my lap. I find the flat surface in the back of my van to be a better bet for me. I just crank the air full blast like you said. Be sure to cool the car down in plenty of time before you leave, too. I've also heard of people who have made insulated boxes from foam-type insulation stuff... I don't have one, so can't offer any advice.
if you can, get something to block the sun's rays from coming through the windows onto the cake......that can ruin a cake whether it's hot or cold inside the car...the sun is torture for a cake. You can't black out the windows...but even those baby screens are helpful (I mean you'll need to still be able to see out your windows)
Here's what I do...
1.Make sure the cake is well chilled. I leave it in the fridge overnight and put it in the car right before I leave.
2.Make sure the AC is as cold as it can get and blowing as hard as it can while you're driving. The car should already be cold before you put the cake in. (Yes, I absolutely freeze... so dress warmly.)
3.Make sure the cake is on a level surface.
4.Put the cake on non-slip shelf liner inside of a box.
5.Put more non-slip liner under the box, then put the box on top of egg crate foam.
6. Drive carefully!!!
Once I did this without chilling the cake first, and the cake settled a little during the ride.... about 1/4"-1/2". Since I've started chilling the cakes, there hasn't been any problems. Transporting a cake this way has always worked well for me. HTH
Thank you soooooo much, I will putting all of this into practice.
I cannot that you enough for your tips and ideas, I hope everything will go smoothly.
I know Australia is BIG, so maybe a 3 hour delivery is "reasonable" to you!! For me, that's an insanely long distance. I'd charge a fortune to deliver that far away from me. Good luck! jjkarm's advice is spot on.
I transported a cake from CO to OK in late May (about a 14 hour drive) and put the cake in a cardboard box and taped plastic freezer packs in the corners of the box. After closing the box, we put a blanket over it and kept it out of the direct sun light. The cake did fine. Granted, it wasn't a wedding cake but it did have two tiers.
Good Luck
Thanks everyone, Ruth0209 - I know, it is crazy to take a cake this far. I am did it for free, as a wedding gift. If not I would have told the people that they would have to pick up the cake.
Last weekend was the wedding and I can tell you it was super hot, I tried to use most of the ideas I got from this forum. I got to where the reception was being held and the cake had moved! (I hadn't decorated the cake at this stage, I had the layers put together and had the icing between) I had a little bit of a panic at first, but my partner calmed me down and I fixed the problem.
Everything from there on went off without a hitch. Everyone loved the cake and one of the groomsman was licking his plate, so I think most people enjoyed it. I can say one thing and that is the experience was good, but I will not be taking a cake that far again.
Thanks again
Belle86
HOlding a 32" cake on your lap is asking for a disaster to happen.
So much depends on the climate you're in, but I rarely run the A/C in my delivery van, and when I do, I don't get it insanely cold either. I throw the cake in the back, fire up the motor and take off. I dotn' refrigerate or chill my cakes. (I dont' think I ever turned the A/C on this whole summer. I just don't like artificial cold air.)
Cakes are not as fragile as we make them out to be. no, the delivery vehicle shouldnt' be hot, but I dont' think it has to be a refrigerator either.
I make cakes for the governor's office frequently .... 14x22, double layer. You will need a super heavy board and a nice flat surface. Just be sure you can lift the thing, if you're delivering by yourself. I was almost screwed one day except for one of my brides who happened by and volunteered to ride downtown with me! I could NOT pick the cake up by myself to get it on the cart!
Delivered my nephew's wedding cakes 4 hours away. No problems.
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