I have a strawberry shortcake cake to do this weekend. The thing is-they want me to deliver it to their house and then they will drive it about 30 minutes to the party. I've seen orders like this on CC before and am hoping someone who's experienced this can chime in. Are there any special precautions you take? It's a two tier (bottom 8 inch and top 4 inch-to be the smash cake). I thought I could package them seperate and then she can stack on site and put gumpaste strawberries around the middle to hide the board...Or I can stack before and just HOPE that it arrives. I know to have the contract say that what is delivered my responsibility and what happens after I leave isn't, but what kind of other precautions do you think are necessary?
Make sure you support the bottom tier well and put a dowel through the center of the entire cake. It should travel just fine to your customers house and from their house to the party site.
a two tier like that- as long as it is supported should travel just fine! But, Make sure she knows NOT to put it on the car seat- It is safer on the floor board or in the trunk...but never on a slanted car seat (not even with it propped up- unless totally unavoidable)......even well supported cakes will slip on a slant.
Just tell them to drive carefully, especially when turning corners and yes, put a dowel thru the center thru both tiers and it will be fine. I would not advise letting the customer stack it.
It should be fine. Its not uncommon for the people to whom I deliver cakes to then travel with it. A 2 tier cake I delivered last weekend traveled an additional 45 minutes through Korea traffic to its final destination -- with no mishap. They DO need to be careful. But if you stack well, you shouldn't worry. Tell them to drive like they have a raw egg on their dashboard.
It's a two tier (bottom 8 inch and top 4 inch-to be the smash cake).
Smash cakes are normally separate and not tiered. It will need to be taken apart (separated and center dowel removed) before the little one gets to smash it anyway, so why not keep them separated and boxed individually to prevent both cakes from being smashed? Just a thought.
Get a roll of rubber shelf liners (the ones that have the perforations in them), cut a big square out of it and give it to the customers to put under the cake on a FLAT surface. I call them 'grippy-pads' because they really grip the cake. I ALWAYS use one in my cake box as well so it won't move around.
I would also find a box that fits the size of your board and use that for extra protection. Doesn't have to be a cake box...just split the box down on one side and slide your cake in to avoid having to reach in and pick up. (you can make it tall by taping the edges of the box top so they stand up.) Once you've slid your cake in, tape the sides up and tell your customers how to take the tape off and slide the cake out. If it sits on the grippy pad it's not going anywhere unless they hit a big bump or maybe fish tail the car.
I learned this when working at a bakery and this is what they used whenever they made a delivery. And they (and I, knock wood), have never had a caketastrophe.
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