Okay, I've been wondering about this too. How do Colette Peters and Sylvia Weinstock pull this off? Because apparently they've figured out how to ship cakes out all over the world. I wish I could order one of their cakes just to see the packaging....in my wildest dreams! But I'd really love to know.
I don't know about Sylvia W., but Colette says she doesn't ship anymore--too much hassle & expense. She now travels with the cake and assembles on sight.
It's flattering, but unrealisitc, and not worth the headaches, hassles, or expense.
Rae
It's very expensive. You have to ship counter to counter with the airlines. First the airlines will want you to fill out paper work and then once that is done they need to come out and inspect where you will be shipping from...something to do with 911. That was as far as I got in the process. If you continue and get approved you will find it will cost your customers a lot of money to ship cakes this way and that is why only the celebrity cake decorators ship cakes because people are willing to pay this amount of money. Mikes Amazing cakes has boxes with windows so that when his cakes are shipped the airline see's it's a cake and makes a bit of effort on the handling. He does charge extra if he has to fly out to "fix" the cake.
Some of those emails where they want the cake shipped to another state or to Canada are scams, so if it came from someone who you don't know, I'd assume it might be a scam, especially if it's got strange grammar in the email.
I wouldn't ever try to ship a cake. I know my luck, it would be a disaster. I do tell people though, that I'll travel with a cake wherever they want me to go with it. But I charge a nice delivery fee, and trips over 3 hours one way require a hotel room 
A friend of mine lives in Mobile and I am in Cocoa Beach. She insisted that I make her granddaughter's birthday cake, so I made her a Tinkerbell doll cake with a banner across her arms. I wrapped it in 3 layersof plastic wrap, then 2 layers of aluminum foil (sugessted by the shipping guy). I put two 1" layers of foam in the bottom and took it up to the UPS store. They filled it up with peanuts, taped it up and I kissed it good-bye!
The delivery was $159.00 but that was with overnight, early mrning, Saturday delivery. There was no damage to the cake at all. There was a crack in the birthday banner, but Grandma shifted the dolls arms to hide it.
It was a succesful delivery, but I was ready for a valium by 8:00 in the morning--until I got that phone call that it had arrived and all was well!!!! I would probably not do it again unless it was for a very special person!!
YouTube has a video that shows shipment via air of a 6 tier wedding cake. Each tier was shipped separately, and the cake decorator was on site to assemble & decorate. Using bubble wrap over wax paper covered cakes, they were boxed & surrounded by expanding foam you buy at hardware or packing store. This was a very expensive cake, with gold leaf & hundreds of sugar flowers, and no mention was made of cost, but it arrived perfect and went on to be a gorgeous finished cake. I'm doing a 2 tier square cake going from Orlando to Nashville for April 1 wedding, I'll let you know how it works out...
Quote by @Texas_Rose on 25 Feb 2010 , 1:22am
Some of those emails where they want the cake shipped to another state or to Canada are scams, so if it came from someone who you don't know, I'd assume it might be a scam, especially if it's got strange grammar in the email.
This was my thinking as well. Especially beware if they ask you to charge a larger amount than what you are asking & "pay" someone else for them. I just received an email like this yesterday.
Unless you know them or have a personal connection to them, or they are asking you to make a specialty cake that is not available closer to them, I would imagine the cost of shipping would be prohibitive. Maybe even more than the cake?
On this page:
http://www.michigan.gov/mdard/0,4610,7-125-50772_45851-240577--,00.html
it says:
Section 4: Selling Cottage Foods
How do I sell my Cottage Foods?
Cottage foods may only be sold by the producer directly to the consumer at farmers' markets, farm stands, roadside stands and similar venues. You cannot sell your Cottage Foods to a retailer for them to resell or to a restaurant for use or sale in the restaurant. You cannot sell your Cottage Foods over the Internet, by mail order, or to wholesalers, brokers or other food distributors who will resell the Cottage Foods. Additionally, the law requires that the sales be face to face in order to assure the consumer that they have some relationship with the Cottage Food operator and can discuss any questions or concerns that they may have about the food that they are purchasing. You may take orders over the phone as long as the cash transaction and delivery of the product is face to face. You may NOT take orders over the Internet. Shipping of your products or having someone else deliver your products is also NOT allowed.
I read once that Sylvia requires a non-stop flight to the destination and someone accompanies the cake too....at the prices her cakes command, she can afford such measures....for most decorators that would be out of the question.
Um, this thread is 6 years old.... just in case anyone is interested in that.
Many Fed Ex & UPS branches don't ship packages containing perishables and/or dry ice. But USPO does, as long as you limit the dry ice to 5# per package, and seal the ice properly. Shipping this tomorrow, I hope!
Wow mug, way to build up your fellow cake enthusiasts. It's been done before, it can be done again, think positive.....and to Mamawj, they sell dry ice at Publix in our area (near Orlando) you can add it to the base and / or sides of your shipping box, it will keep things cold. Post office will ship it. They ship all these meal kits now, like Blue Apron, and have shipped lobsters and other perishable foods for years using dry ice packets. I'm over nighting my boxes tomorrow, for Friday night wedding. I'll post pics....
The family of the bride just confirmed receipt of both boxes / tiers of the wedding cake, says they arrived "in perfect condition". This despite USPS sending one tier back to me, because they thought might have "too much dry ice". (It didn't). So cakes CAN be shipped. I'll post some pictures when it's all finished. Feeling quite relieved.
My question is: What happens if it DOESN'T arrive safely? Do you refund your client?
Most shippers won't insure perishable items, so you'll be taking a chance. For my shipped cakes I've taken an "at my own risk" stance & hoped for the best, and it's worked out. But you'd need a very understanding bride & a viable back up plan so she's not left cake less on her big day. Ship frozen cake with dry ice as far ahead as feasible, and have her store it frozen until day before. That way if shipper screws up, she can still get her back up cake in time.
I did insure my hand made silouhette topper for the maximum allowable $100, but that doesn't even cover shipping cost. It's a very risky proposotion, but it has worked out for me.
I plan on detailing how I shipped my cake here by Monday, with some pictures.
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