Hello,

Can any one offer advice on the best way to transport a cake a long distance. I live in Florida and I want to make the cake to take to tennesssee, but im not sure the best way to transport it. It will be a two tier cake, but I think I will wait until I get there to stack it.
It's a ten hour drive. and the cake will be covered in fondant.

I was considering putting ice at the bottom of a cooler and have cardboard or a sheet pan then the cake on that. would it be a bad Idea to put cling wrap over the cake?

Please let me know all and any thoughts! Thanks

~ziza

I would make sure that the cake is in a secure spot in your vehicle, out of the sun and near the air conditioner. I would not put it in a cooler, i would imagine condensation would destroy your fondant. If you have a heat resistant buttercream underneath, you should be fine transporting in an airconditioned car.

I travel with cakes all the time but the longest trip I've gone on was about 4 hours I wouldnt stack until I got to the site I usually travel early morning before the heat of the day and I use a shade on my windows closet to my cake (baby shades for car windows) I always put my cakes in a cardboard box and built legs on all 4 corns and cove with saran wrap ( my hubby the engineers idea) if you look in my pictures I just traveled with the 3 level ship cake the spider man bust the three tier under the sea cake and many more these are just a few I also keep my car as cool as possible and make a lot of stops to check on it

Molly

Just make sure that the cake boxes don't have windows in them, because if the sun comes through the car window and into the cake box window, part of your cake is going to turn white (instead of pink or whatever color it's supposed to be). I also wouldn't put it in a cooler. Just put it in the floor of your car or in the back of your SUV, on a not slip mat. Drive carefully and keep the car cool. In fact, turn the car on and leave the air running for 15 minutes before you put the cake in there.

For a two tier cake, I'd fully assemble it at home where you're comfortable, use SPS of course, put it in a box on a piece of non-skid and go.

I have transported 4 tiered cakes 300 miles 3 times for relatives' weddings. My husband levels a small table in my back seat to place the larger tiers. Smaller ones are on the floorboard. All are in boxes with lids closed. If for some reason the box can't be closed, I tape the lid in place where I can then cover with plastic wrap. Things I am always careful to do: use rubber shelf liner under each box and under the cake board in the box if the size of the board is smaller than the box, use the air conditioner on hot days and watch for sudden stops
I have not had a problem with the sun through the windows but I do usually have the boxes closed.
If you transport already stacked, be sure to dowel down the middle and get the point of the dowel down into those bottom boards well!!! Even a non-sharp turn can make a stacked cake fall over!

I have transported 4 tiered cakes 300 miles 3 times for relatives' weddings. My husband levels a small table in my back seat to place the larger tiers. Smaller ones are on the floorboard. All are in boxes with lids closed. If for some reason the box can't be closed, I tape the lid in place where I can then cover with plastic wrap. Things I am always careful to do: use rubber shelf liner under each box and under the cake board in the box if the size of the board is smaller than the box, use the air conditioner on hot days and watch for sudden stops
I have not had a problem with the sun through the windows but I do usually have the boxes closed.
If you transport already stacked, be sure to dowel down the middle and get the point of the dowel down into those bottom boards well!!! Even a non-sharp turn can make a stacked cake fall over!

I have transported 4 tiered cakes 300 miles 3 times for relatives' weddings. My husband levels a small table in my back seat to place the larger tiers. Smaller ones are on the floorboard. All are in boxes with lids closed. If for some reason the box can't be closed, I tape the lid in place where I can then cover with plastic wrap. Things I am always careful to do: use rubber shelf liner under each box and under the cake board in the box if the size of the board is smaller than the box, use the air conditioner on hot days and watch for sudden stops
I have not had a problem with the sun through the windows but I do usually have the boxes closed.
If you transport already stacked, be sure to dowel down the middle and get the point of the dowel down into those bottom boards well!!! Even a non-sharp turn can make a stacked cake fall over!

Sorry about multiple posts, it looked like it didn't go through.

I had another catastrophe with other people delivering cakes. It was only a two tiered cake, and I made every precaution with the dowel down thru the cakes, boxed up the cake, sent a non skid mat, still don't understand what happened. Don't feel too secure with the dowel, I thought if I go that extra step they might make it, but it didn't hold. I have no idea what all they did, you never know, people just don't understand how careful you should be. I have never had a problem, because I put the cake somewhere where I can keep and eye on it, and I know how to drive with a cake in the car. I worried because it was a 4 hour drive, and sure enough it didn't make it, all that time and money was wasted. Leah, I think i'm ready for sps system.

I had another catastrophe with other people delivering cakes. It was only a two tiered cake, and I made every precaution with the dowel down thru the cakes, boxed up the cake, sent a non skid mat, still don't understand what happened. Don't feel too secure with the dowel, I thought if I go that extra step they might make it, but it didn't hold. I have no idea what all they did, you never know, people just don't understand how careful you should be. I have never had a problem, because I put the cake somewhere where I can keep and eye on it, and I know how to drive with a cake in the car. I worried because it was a 4 hour drive, and sure enough it didn't make it, all that time and money was wasted. Leah, I think i'm ready for sps system.

Ummm can someone tell me what SPS is??

Single Plate System. Leahs has a great sticky on it at the top of this very forum. http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-603925.html

Thanks everyone for the reminder about the cooler - I did that once and indeed ended up with waaaaaay too much condensation on my cake. If I ever do that again, I'm going to leave the cooler lid off.

I thought SPS was Stress free support system?

OH!! Yah, I know! I paid like $200 for it!