Blowout After Rising 5,000 Ft In Elevation - How To Prevent?

Decorating By tryingcake Updated 6 Mar 2011 , 2:51am by tryingcake

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tryingcake Posted 5 Mar 2011 , 4:37am
post #1 of 8

I worked so hard on this cake and it was beautiful, honestly. I traveled 4 hours, up the mountains, I rose at least 5,000 ft. in elevation.

Total blowout! Luckily I have time to repair the cake.. or actually pull it apart and start over.

What can I do to prevent this altitude disaster? I've had this happen before, but only an air bubble, and only rose about 3,000 ft.

People travel with cakes all the time - even on planes. What's the secret?

I can't get pics to post here no matter how hard I try. Here is a direst link instead.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tryingcake/5498744534/


Thank you.

7 replies
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BlakesCakes Posted 5 Mar 2011 , 5:30am
post #2 of 8

I think the only way to prevent it is to actually bake it & decorate it at the final high altitude using the recipes specially designed for high altitude baking or to take the drive over several days, allowing the cake to adjust slowly.

I fly with cakes quite a bit, but airplane cabins are pressurized, so there is no effect inside the plane from the change in altitude.

Rae

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tryingcake Posted 5 Mar 2011 , 7:48pm
post #3 of 8

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Next time just come a day early and make it here.


There is the tiniest crack in the back - in the back! Now I want to know why the cosmos decided to blow it out in the front but just the tiniest crack in the back....... If the blowout were in the back we could have just dealt with it. The tiny crack was a no brainer to fix.

OK, Cake Gods - explain that one too me. icon_confused.gif

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Elcee Posted 5 Mar 2011 , 11:06pm
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Quote:
Quote:

Next time just come a day early and make it here.




Your poor cake icon_sad.gif. I have no idea if the blowout was caused by your drive to a higher altitude but I can tell you that you don't need to bake after arriving at your celestial destination...maybe just decorate. It's the actual baking itself that's affected by higher altitudes; once it's baked nothing will happen to it if you "take it higher". If that were the case, then baked goods wouldn't be able to be imported from closer to sea level areas and they are all the time.

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KJ62798 Posted 6 Mar 2011 , 12:21am
post #5 of 8

I posted a question about something similar & I'm still waiting for replies.

I've been asked to make a cake for a friend's wedding in Vegas. If I do it, I know my hubby will want to fly there in our small, unpressurized airplane. We would have to go up to about 8K or 9K to get over the Cajon pass. Plastic water bottles crush from the pressure changes.

My friend just wants an 8in round for cutting and a bunch of cupcakes. Do you think I can frost in BC so that I can fix any problems there and then put on the pre-made fondant decorations? I'm guessing a BC swirl on a cupcake won't be affected by altitude.

Kristy

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Smashme Posted 6 Mar 2011 , 1:55am
post #6 of 8

i live at high altitude, and you can tell when things are shipped in from sea level. bagged chips for instance they bags are all puffed up about to pop. i think if you brought in the cake and then decorate it here that should work. trying to bake it after you got here could cause problems for you too, unless you have a tried and true high altitude recipie.

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Smashme Posted 6 Mar 2011 , 2:17am
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i just thought of something you might want to try. its probably happening because the icing has completly sealed the cake. if its possible to make a whole in the cake (like where your going to put a dowel, or a decoration over it) it may be able to "breath" and then wouldn't cause that problem...never tried it though, just a thought

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tryingcake Posted 6 Mar 2011 , 2:51am
post #8 of 8
Quote:
Originally Posted by Smashme

i just thought of something you might want to try. its probably happening because the icing has completly sealed the cake. if its possible to make a whole in the cake (like where your going to put a dowel, or a decoration over it) it may be able to "breath" and then wouldn't cause that problem...never tried it though, just a thought




I come up here about once every three months to visit family. This trip was a 75th birthday.

I was thinking the same thing, though. I think on the next trip, when it's not a special occassion and no one cares, to make a trial cake and pop some unassuming holes in it.

Thanks everyone. I repaired the cake as best as I could. Mom-in-Law, loved it (thankfully thery know my work already) and it tasted great, which is all that matters in the end. I'll post he final display after I get back home.

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