Okie dokie, I got a wedding tomorrow night. The cake is done. But I am getting a sick feeling in my stomach that it's not going to survive the trip to the venue.

It's a 10", with a 1/2 8", then a double barrel 6". I was going to use SPS but with the 1/2 8" and the double barrel 6" I couldn't figure out how to make it work. So I used straws and a center wood dowel. It seems sturdy, but I know it's top heavy. I am so freaked out that it's going to fall over in the car! Any thoughts on how to make it more sturdy?



This sounded like a good idea on paper. Not so much now that it's all done. I have all morning tomorrow to add support or something. Or should I pull off the double 6 and re-stack on site?

Or maybe I'm just being a worry wart?

Thanks for any advice,

Jen

I don't know what to tell you as far as transport but your cake is stunning. If you feel you could separate it and stack it on site without doing any damage, that seems like the safest bet.

Best of luck.

Thanks! I mean, I feel like I am trusting a toothpick to keep this cake together. How would you have pegged this?

Hi FS - if you can remove the 6 inch for transporting and then restack on site - i think i would do that.

I had a cake delivery the other week and due to the customer wanting me to deliver whilst guests were there (sort of a surprise ) i couldn't stack once there - iykwim.
So i placed the cake in its box - sat it on non skid matting - then wrapped about 5 layers of paper towell around it -(this was so as the bubble wrap didn't touch it ) then 3 layers of bubble wrap then two huge clean towells to bolster it in the box, that cake couldn't go anywhere it never moved an inch and i just unwrapped it when i arrived in the car park - then proceeded to walk in as tho there was no drama -

Don't you hate when things like this happens -


Blue

Thanks blue, this is all buttercream so no wrapping in paper towels. The really bad news is there is a center wooden dowel so I have to pull that out without killing the cake. Crap. I'm gonna freak on this all night. Maybe add a 2nd center dowel?

Gorgeous cake. My suggestion: Have someone ride with the cake and poke their finger down to hold the center dowel in place. Get there early and repair the finger poke. That way you only have one hole to repair and it should hold the cake in place during the journey.

Yep, second just-off-of-the-center wooden dowel and hold it while driving. A larger board for the base would have made it more stable. I also like putting cakes like this in a big box (same diameter as base board - I normally don't box for delivery) to help them stay upright.

I don't think I would want to chance it. You say you know it's top heavy, so I think you might be better off to unstack and then restack at the venue.

How far is the delivery?

You use SMBC right? I use BT straws and center dowels exclusively and as long as the cake is well chilled (as yours will be by delivery) you shouldn't have a problem.

I agree that a bigger base board and a packing size box the diameter of the bottom board will help.

You know to drive slow and carefully, you'll be fine.

It's beautiful by the way.

I'd definitely put another, off centered dowel in there and chill the heck out of it before delivery, and have someone hold it while you drive extra carefully. having someone hold it means they can counteract some of the lateral force around corners and the acceleration/deceleration effects.

good luck! it looks great !

For your next cake adventure, I would use SPS but I would still stack on site with this cake being so top heavy. I'm not an expert but if it were me, I'd stack the 8 inch on the 10 inch without an SPS plate. Maybe just bubble tea straw for extra support. I would order the 9 inch SPS pillars and cut them to 6 inches. Add a 6 inch plate and insert that into the bottom tier. For the double barrel, SPS would be business as usual. 6 inch plate on 4 inch legs placedinto the bottom half. Stack and frost double barrel, chill heavily and stack on base tier.

I would ping Leah_s and see if she would drive with this design prestacked using SPS?
Please let us know how it goes.

Don't take that baby apart. SMBC is pretty sturdy. I would stick another long dowel, have someone hold the dowel, and drive slowly, like others have said. Bring a repair kit for the hole, smbc is pretty forgiving if you have a palette knife, paper knife or clay knife to glide over the hole.

Then get a cakesafe in the future!

Gorgeous cake, no need to mess it up!

Yep. Have someone drive you, and you hold it. Best way to transport in my opinion. You can sway with the curves, and manage the level and adjust for braking and acceleration.

FromScratchSF,
Thank you for the info on the 6 inch legs. That is really good to know.

Let us know how it goes!

I hope all goes well...that cake is stunning...let us know how it turned out! Best of Luck!

my thoughts exactly.... you hold it whilst someone drives and pray all the way!!!!
don't forget your repair kit! just incase....

I am happy to report... Success! I got an extra long dowel, left it sticking out the top and rode in the back of the van to make sure nothing happened to that sucker. I was being a worry wart, it didn't budge at all. The buttercream didn't even crack or look distressed, despite swerving in traffic thru the financial district at rush hour and having to park up a super steep hill. I am glad I took the extra precautions, though because I would have freaked out if something happened to that cake.

Of course, I forgot my camera so I only had my iphone to take pictures at the venue, but I did take a few shots in my "studio" before we left. Which I'm glad, because I had no idea she was going to make this massive pom pom I had to stick on top of my cake. Sigh.



BTW this is a scratch raspberry almond cake with lemon curd and lemon SMBC filing, vanilla bean SMBC on the outside. Hand-painted fondant bands in exact replica of the bride's invitations.

I'll probably upload the studio shots later in the gallery here.

Thank you all for your help!

FromScratchSF,

Congrats on the successful delivery. How wonderful would cake decorating be if we didn't have the stress of delivery. Your fondant band turned out beautifully.

FromScratch: It is a beautiful cake. Very unusual for a wedding cake I think, but even with the paper flowers I think it looks pretty. Was she happy with it? That is all that counts. You did an excellent job.

What's with all the dup posts lately?

I don't know if she liked it, I hope she did, it's exactly what she asked for. Exact. In fact, I impressed myself with how exact it turned out. If I posted the sketch you'd all say Wow, that's exact. I just wish she did a few smaller paper flowers for me to put into the big empty space of the double barrel and left the top bare like we talked about instead of that big massive thing for the top with the ring of pom poms at the bottom. Those were a surprise.

I'm happy your delivery was a success.

Yes, I agree what the heck was she thinking with that gigantic paper flower on top?

sigh....I hate when people touch our masterpieces.

haha love the pom pom. I'm so glad things worked out! Your cake is beautiful!