AHow do you all transport a tiered cake covered in buttercream? I'm a little worried about something getting into the buttercream and I don't know if they make boxes big enough. TIA

AHelp

I regularly transport tiered buttercream cakes.  My rules: 

. chill it hard, preferably overnight 

. i use at least 40% butter in ABC buttercream (up to 100% for SMBC) so that cake and frosting is firm 

. I use a clean moving box at the size of the drum or transporting masonite board, usually 14-18", cut to have the front drop down like a drawbridge (see caljava international box building for a very sturdy transport box. i don't go to that extreme)

. A pre-cooled SUV with a flat surface in the back lined with several cushy layers of non-skid rug pad. 

. SPS support system

. drive like i have an unstrapped baby in a carseat. 

I posted today a video on how to make your own boxes for transporting, the good thing is you can make them any size you need and cheap!!!

click my name and see if you can find it.

AI regularly transport tiered buttercream cakes. My rules:

. chill it hard, preferably overnight

. I use Sugar Shack's buttercream, so the icing gets very firm

. I use a cake box from the local store with the lid cut off. Just the bottom tier is surrounded by the box. The box is easily disassembled to get the cake out.

. A pre-cooled SUV with a flat surface in the back with a non-skid mat (drawer lining stuff). Before my SUV I delivered the cakes in the trunk of my car with the back seats folded down so the trunk was cooled by the air conditioner.

. Bubble tea straws as supports with 2 offset wooden dowels hammered through the cake

. drive like i have an unstrapped baby in a carseat on the roof of the car

Some 95% of my cakes were b'cream.  All I did was make sure my vehicle was clean (vacuum it regularly); pre-cool the car when necessary; when I had my bakery the cake was chilled otherwise just at room temp.  Always have the cake finished the night before delivery so the icing sets.  A crusting b'cream border helps keep the tiers together.  I seldom had problems. 

Using a center dowel through the cake usually isn't necessary and it just might give one false confidence. I can't tell you how many of my cakes didn't have any :)   Pay attention to your driving - that's important. 

@pastrypet thanks for sharing my video, saved me the trouble of going to look for it!

Just make sure the cake is chilled well and it will be fine. the only time I ever had any problems with shifting tiers was when I ahd to move something that wasn't cold. I never use a center dowel, either, @kakeladi unless there's a specific reason for it. Like if the customer is picking the cake up and you know they're going to be awkward with it.