This weekend I am selling my first 2 tiered baby shower cake to a non-related customer. This person was referred to me and she says she orders a lot of cakes, so I really want to make a great 1st impression.
Okay so my question is, how do I prepare that cake for her to pick it up and travel with it to the shower? Do they even make boxes that big? Then, my other question is about the cake board. Would you trust 3 cardboards or would you go with something sturdier?
How would you package this cake for the customer?
Thanks so much! 
I would use a masonite cake board or a double layer of foam core for the cake to sit on - and yes they sell boxes that big!!! I get mine fron the UPS Store - Mailboxes Etc. - or the local u-haul place - if my base is 18" round I get an 18 x18 box - that way there is no room for shifting..... Good Luck!
It really depends on the size of your tiers. If you're uncertain whether or not the cake boards will hold the weight of the cake, when in doubt, use something more sturdy!! I use cake drums when I do all my wedding cakes, tiered cakes... I trust these!! As far as boxes, I know of none that will accomodate a tiered cake. The only thing I'd suggest is placing a piece of the contact shelf liner in the bottom of a box that is deep enough for the cake and also larger in size than the cake .. the customer should easily be able to carry this and with the shelf liner in the bottom of the box, it wouldn't slide... Good luck and post pics of your cake!!!
I don't want to give you bad advice or anything, but when I have a small tiered cake that I assemble at home, I go to Sam's Club and get a sturdy box that has the side cut out (do you know what I am talking about?). It makes it easier to reach into the bottom to pull out the cake without messing up the frosting. I also put a non-skid pad underneath to keep the cake from sliding around in the box. Then I take the large saran wrap and wrap it up well. Now, if you want it to look professional, maybe you could cover the box in contact paper or something, but I think it works well to protect the cake. I have not seen sturdy boxes for tiered cakes anywhere, so if anyone knows of where to find them, I'd also love to know. For the base, why not use one of the cake drums you can find at michaels. they are a little pricier, but they work well.
A cake drum is a 1/2" sturdy foil covered base for heavier cakes. Do not use cardboard! If you can't find the drums, use foam 1/2" thick foamboard or 2 1/4" thick circles and glue them together, and make the base about 2-3" larger in diameter than your cake. Good luck, and congrats!
I get my foam board from Michaels...its relatively inexpensive. I just used one under the wedding cake I just did. The cake was styrofoam, so it wasn't as heavy as a regular cake, but it was about 17 lbs. If you look around in there they have lots of stuff in their craft/floral/framing sections that would work for cakes.
How about plywood?? I think that would work too
I have never seen big boxes for tiered cakes. I usually deliver cakes like that so I know nothing will happen to the cake on the road..... makes me nervous 
I bought some mirror tiles at Walmart and have used them as a cake base. I glued a styrofoam drum on the bottom to make it taller and wrapped tulle around the bottom. I can't figure how to upload a pic for example but look in my gallery blue/ brown cake with baby booties.
It was very sturdy and I thought it looked nice too. They came in bow with like 6 for $9.
Not sure if you mean form core board or what but be careful with this as it is not really meant to support weight, has flexibility and can crack and split. For a cake that is not really huge and heavy, you are better off with a cake drum or the best thing for heavier cakes, 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch plywood. Three or four circles of corrugated cardboard stacked and covered will do for a lot of two tiered cakes, just make sure the lines are at different angles for improved strength.
I get moving boxes, cut down at two corners so that the front is a flap, insert cake on a square of that non-skid rubberized shelf liner, tape up sides and if the box is high enough, also close lid and tape. With some boxes where the height is not quite high enough to trust to close, I take foil and tape it to the top. Tell the customer to use a utility knife to cut the taped front down to remove the cake. I also give them an addition piece of rubberized shelf liner, to insert on the floor of their car, under the boxed cake so that it doesn't move in transport. Try to get the box diameter as close to your cake board or base size as possible but when you cannot, the shelf liner will stop the cake from sliding around in the box.
Always insert a centre wooden dowel in any cake more than one tier so that any sudden stops or movement will not cause the top layer to slide off.
Hugs SQuirrelly
I did a two tiered shower cake, the one with the baby feet in my pics. I went to the grocery store and got the widest, highest one I could find. I then cut down 2 sides to the bottom so the side became one huge flap. I slid the cake in and put the flap back up securing it with clear packing tape. To cover the writing on the box I made up full-size sheets with my name and a thank-you for having me make their cake. The top was covered in saran wrap. I must admi, it looked pretty good! Oh yes, I also put the non-slip stuff underneath as well as on the bottom of the box.
Haahaa, yes I guess you don't want the box labelled with "Kibbles and Bits" or such, haha! I can get a lot of boxes at the moving company for $1.20, about $2.60 for a double walled box to fit an 18 or 20 inch round or square. The cake boxes that won't fit these cost me about $7. So these are a good deal. Liquor store boxes or wine boxes are great too, if you can get them. I gave up on trying to get any from the grocery stores because they re-cycle them here and so they are not available at most of the stores. I line used boxes with tin foil, taped inside.
Hugs Squirrely
Squirrly, I have to disagree about foam core. I have been using it for a while now. I use 1/4" for single tier and 1/2" for multi tier. This was told to me by coletter peters in one of her classes, and it is what she uses pretty much exclusively except for her giant cakes which in that case she uses masonite.
Squirrly, I have to disagree about foam core. I have been using it for a while now. I use 1/4" for single tier and 1/2" for multi tier. This was told to me by coletter peters in one of her classes, and it is what she uses pretty much exclusively except for her giant cakes which in that case she uses masonite.
When I am talking about foam core, I am talking about the product that looks like plastic and has air cells or pockets in between, sort of like corrugated cardboard. I am talking about the product that was originally designed as a barrier or insulation for houses and is also used for craft work. And the information I am using is from the manufacturer. So I am not sure if we are talking about the same thing. As far as masonite goes, I am going by the manufacturing specs according to the building supply stores. Sorry, haha, my brother-in-law did major construction and manages commercial building supplies for a large store. Masonite is stronger than cardboard or foamcore but it is not near as strong as 1/2 to 3/4 inch plywood, so where weight and not wanting any degree of flexibility is your main requirement, plywood is by far the best choice. Masonite is the second choice and again, not for the extreme weights. After that, press board which some cake drums are made from, others made from corrugated cardboard, but several layers.
The issue with foam core is that it was specifically designed to have some degree of flexibility, so with certain weights, it will bend and it will snap when you go over that weight load as will masonite.
I know that Collette Peters uses different products that work for her as a decorator, I was strictly looking at the products as weight bearing and what they were designed to do.
But certainly it is ok for the smaller cakes that are not of substantial weight. I have had a couple of cake buddies that used it for extremely heavy large sheet cakes where it snapped from the weight load. That is the reason I would caution against it. It won't happen every time but there is a risk.
Hugs Squirrelly
hi squirrly,
I guess we were talking about two different things. I was talking about what is called foam core. It is sold in art supply stores generally. I knew it from architecture school because that is what we used to build models and it is extremely strong. It is a layer of dense styrofoam sandwiched between two pieces of card stock. It comes in white and black generally and 1/4" and 1/2" thickness as well as other thicknesses. I hope this helps clarify what I was talking about. Sorry for the confusion!
Haha, actually three different products, but this one too can snap with too much weight because of the molecular structure of styrofoam. It just isn't meant for a lot of weight but definitely better than those thin cardboards sold for cakes.
Yes, I know that product, we use it for a lot of craft purposes and I know it is used in drafting and such quite a bit because it is cost effective. But the larger expanse of it you use, the weaker it is for supporting larger amounts of weight, that is really the problem. So be really careful, you have to look at it as styrofoam and it isn't the most dense styrofoam either, like the kind dummies are made of nor does it have the thickness.
Just a caution because I hear an awful lot of horror stories about it with larger heavier cakes.
Hugs Squirrelly
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%