I have a student with her husband in Iraq and she wants to ship him a decorated cake. I thought maybe a cookie cake might make it but wasn't sure if any decorations would survive the trip.
Any suggestions guys!! I really want to help her out but I don't have a clue how to help her out.
Thanks,
Mel,
might wanna ask first because i hear that there are very specific baked good that you can send to iraq, like it can't have any butter or margarine, or vanilla (considered alcohol in iraq) because i wanted to volenteer for the baked goodies drive for our troops but so many restrctions its hard to find a recipe, but maybe since its his wife they may let her send what she wants, but might wanna check before you make him something and then they wouln't let you ship it.
makincakeintx i found the article on the restrictions:
Try one of our "desert-safe" recipes to send to your loved one overseas. Helping the Military Troops Stationed Abroad
Sending cookies and brownies across the miles to our military troops stationed abroad is a special way to share the goodness and love of a home-baked treat with those far away.
Many concerned groups and individuals across the country have expressed interest in sending baked goods to the U.S. troops in the Middle East. In response, modified favorite recipes to withstand the desert heat and to meet the restrictions of the Middle East countries. Middle East countries prohibit the following because they are contrary to the Islamic religion:
the entry of pork or pork by-products
alcoholic beverages (or items containing any alcohol, including vanilla)
home-baked treats should not contain allspice or nutmeg - spices are considered aphrodisiacs.
A card should be included with the package stating that the products were made following these guidelines. This will facilitate passage into the country.
In addition, address the package to a specific person. The U.S. Postal Service will not accept mail addressed to "Any Serviceman".
To ensure that baked goods will withstand the high desert heat, please review the tips below:
No butter, margarine, peanut butter or nuts should be used. These fats will go rancid too fast in the high heat. Butter flavored vegetable shortening is a better alternative.
No brown sugar, corn sugar, honey, or molasses should be used. The baked goods will be too soft and possibly become moldy. Only white table sugar should be used.
Chocolate & butterscotch can be used in baked goods. Once chocolate has been baked into the product and has the chance to take up moisture from the batter, the chocolate will stay rather firm.
Bar cookies and brownies are the best bets for safe packing and are quickest for baking large quantities.
Baked goods should be wrapped tightly in aluminum foil, which provides the best barrier against humidity.
Pack goodies in sturdy boxes and surround them with foam packaging material such as Styrofoam "peanuts."
recipe for a pan cookie
This recipe has been tested in our kitchen and does meet Middle East guidelines, as well as U.S. Postal Service mailing regulations.
Estimated Times:
Preparation - 20 min | Cooking - 20 min | Yields - 48 bars (4 dozen)
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup butter-flavored vegetable shortening
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons water
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
2 1/4 cups quick oats, uncooked
1 cup chopped dried apple slices, or raisins
Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 375º F.
COMBINE flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in small mixer bowl. Beat sugar and shortening in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in eggs. Gradually add flour mixture and water. Stir in morsels, oats and apples. Spread batter into ungreased 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan.
BAKE for 18 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars
My husband served in Mosul, Iraq for a little over a year. I never tried to send a cake but I did send caramel brownies on almost a monthly basis for him and his soldiers. They tasted fresh upon arrival according to all of them. If you would like the recipe pm me and I'll give you the recipie and some helpful shipping tips. Good luck!
[quote="cakekrayzie"]makincakeintx i found the article on the restrictions:
...home-baked treats should not contain allspice or nutmeg - spices are considered aphrodisiacs.... No butter, margarine, peanut butter or nuts should be used. These fats will go rancid too fast in the high heat. ....No brown sugar, corn sugar, honey, or molasses should be used. The baked goods will be too soft and possibly become moldy. Only white table sugar should be used.
recipe for a pan cookie
This recipe has been tested in our kitchen and does meet Middle East guidelines, as well as U.S. Postal Service mailing regulations.
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
odd...there is a contradiction there regarding spices.
i sent a large package a couple of months ago containing all of those things. butter, vanilla, spices, peanut butter ,..the package arrived safely after 10 days and he told me it was VERY FRESH. there were NO questions as to ingredients that i was asked as i mailed the package or filled out the customs (?) paper to put on the package.
Oh my goodness...I had no idea. I was just worried about the distance and the regular drop kickking of the package from one truck to another along the way there. Now I have a whole new set of things to think about. Well thanks for the info I could not have gotten this far this quick without my loyal and always on the ball CC'ers.
Misteric I will PM you shortly.
Thanks as always for the help. I knew you guys would come through.
Mel,
[quote="melysa"]
makincakeintx i found the article on the restrictions:
...home-baked treats should not contain allspice or nutmeg - spices are considered aphrodisiacs.... No butter, margarine, peanut butter or nuts should be used. These fats will go rancid too fast in the high heat. ....No brown sugar, corn sugar, honey, or molasses should be used. The baked goods will be too soft and possibly become moldy. Only white table sugar should be used.
recipe for a pan cookie
This recipe has been tested in our kitchen and does meet Middle East guidelines, as well as U.S. Postal Service mailing regulations.
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
odd...there is a contradiction there regarding spices.
i sent a large package a couple of months ago containing all of those things. butter, vanilla, spices, peanut butter ,..the package arrived safely after 10 days and he told me it was VERY FRESH. there were NO questions as to ingredients that i was asked as i mailed the package or filled out the customs (?) paper to put on the package.
I sent my husband brownies on a regular basis as I said earlier and I was never asked what the ingredients were either. There is a lot of butter in my brownies and they were always fine as well. Maybe if you send something not going to a military address then they ask those questions? Who knows? At any rate- she should send some kind of treat, my husband and his soldiers really appreciated getting baked goods in the mail!
oops that posted strange. it should have been reversed with which paragraph was a quote.
i too have thought of mailing a fondant cake (within the states). i figured that if i used a cake drum, glued the cake down with BC or royal, then covered it fondant etc...i could place some large bubble wrap in the bottom of the box. then put the cake drum w/ cake on top of the bubble wrap. i then figured i could snugly layer and or wrap around the cake so that there was absolutely no room left in the box and no where for it to shift, it should be fine even if it was tilted upside down. i figure that any decorations would not make it, so like someone else said, perhaps paint on it instead. i am planning a test run with this next week with a small 4" cake. if it makes it i may do it in the future with larger cakes, as long as they are only one cake (no tiers).
I wasn't brave enough to send a decorated cake, but I sent my boyfriend homemade chocolate chip cookies and brownies, and I never heard a thing about restrictions on butter or vanilla or brown sugar or anything like that. I did learn that things arrived fresher (although a little smushed) if I vacuum sealed with a Food Saver.
However you decide to send it, send it with love and with the support of all us CC members! 
I have shipped several baked goods (even that recipe in specific that was mentioned) and have never had problems with the postal service or anything. It is cooler there now, so I would have no problem baking things with my normal ingredients. I have also shipped to Egypt and know someone who shipped a cake to Germany (and a cookie cake also) and the soldier said that by the time he got it, both were in crumbs, but he was out in the field for 30 days at a time and they only got mail ever so often. Who knows how long it sat.
If the box gets there, the troops will eat it, so I always err on the side of food safety and not looks of it.
yeah i asked the woman who gave me the paper with the do and don't along with the recipe why it had cinnamon on the list and she said she din't know that she had got the paper from a web site, and she gave this recipe to make for her, we were sending the goods to her son in law, now that i know you can send whatever i will let her know she does not have to stick to these recipes. thanks you guys 
another very important thing that will make a difference in whether or not the food will spoil or mold by the time it arrives is:
making sure that the baked goods COMPLETELY COOL before wrapping. the extra moisture that is trapped inside if wrapped prior to this will be a big cause of things like mold.
i also wrapped in foil and several layers of plastic zip bags to seal out as much air as possible and cushioned the box with added bubble wrap so nothing shifted. if you have a vacuum sealer, that would work better. i found that baking brownies (i guess a cake would work too) in the disposable aluminum pans with a lid on it worked well to keep the brownies from getting smashed. i covered the top of the brownies before i put the lid on then taped it shut.
My daughter served in Afghanistan. Slightly different situation, maybe...but still...
I never sent a cake, but I sent cookies. They arrived in crumbs. I packaged them VERY carefully, but apparently, there is a lot of rough handling between here and there. I would expect a cake would fare no better.
She said the crumbs were very delicious, though. 
Here I found this earlier. HTH
http://www.cameronpackaging.com/cheesecake_shippers.html#cake_shippers
Oh my goodness what great information!
Thanks to you all.
Mel,
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