I did my Course 3 Finale cake on Monday night, which I had hoped to freeze and use for a 40th Birthday party...

On the way to class (1 1/2 hour drive), despite my preventive measures, the cakes slid together and stuck! I tried to carefully separate them, but the fondant still stretched and tore. You can guess which part immediately became the flower covered side and the back!

In class, I did the ruffle border as instructed and carefully positioned my roses and leaves (without using butter-cream so that I could pull it apart to freeze). I tried to take a picture, but my camera wouldnt work.

So, I un-stacked the cake for the drive home, being even more careful to put stuff around the bases to prevent sliding. I guess the road must be really bumpy because they still slid together, ruining my butter-cream border and scrollwork beyond repair. So, I have scraped off the butter-cream, and removed the roses and leaves. My cake is now worse than when I left for class as it is a little squished and full of holes! Still, I want to freeze it and try to salvage it for later this summer.

Any tips for transporting cakes would be wonderful, especially as I am now getting into paid jobs!

My roses (coral color) did turn out well though - look in my pics.

I'm so sorry that happened to your beautiful cake!

Non-slip mat all the way, baby! You can buy it in rolls practically everywhere. I have an entire roll that covers the back of my SUV. And I always give a square of it to customers who pick up their cakes.

Yes, that stuff is marvelous! I not only have the trunk of my car lined with it, but I use it to line all the trays where I'm drying fondant/gumpaste figures (it also lets the air circulate so things dry faster), the drawers in those plastice boxes where I keep any flowers and figures that I've made for later use and I even used it to line the boxes for the 11 Teacher Appreciation Day gifts I made last month - individual cakes in the form of presents whose bows were larger than the cakes and even than the base I put each cake on. The non-slip mat kept the bows from colliding with the sides of the boxes and getting smashed. I wasn't sure it would work, but I've heard back from several of the teachers, and the cakes, with their bows, arrived intact!

Sorry to hear that happened to you. I also use the nonskid liner. I put one on the floor of my trunk and the other in the bottom of the box or container where the separated cakes are placed for the journey.

I to have started using the non-slip shelf liners. I can easily cut the liner to the size I need.

Non-slip liners...why didn't I think of that! It would have saved me lots of grief! Where do you buy the stuff? Does the dollar store version work?

I have used the dollar store stuff without incident....

Thanks fellow CC'ers. I will be off to the dollar store soon! MUCH APPRECIATED!

I say eat the cake and make a new one in the summer!

I might just follow your suggestion. Last night, it occurred to me that I should just eat the cake now and make a new one in summer. It will certainly free up freezer space!

Don't forget: you can also use a square to help open jars.

LOL - squares of non slip liner to grip the jar lid with.

I agree the non slip liner is amazing use it under my cake boards all the time for the cake sitting on the display base. Keeps the cake stuck right in place.

I think she is just giving you another use for that non slipery material.
To use a square piece of it to open jars!! Ciao

I use the rug non slip pads under my cakes. I just gave my son one to use under a cake I made for them and instead of returning it to me he put it under a rug in his kitchen grrrrrrrrr.....lol

Yep I was tired!!! LOL. A square piece of non-slip liner can be used to open jars...now that makes sense.

I use that stuff like crazy, anytime a customer drives with a cake I lay it down in their car too!!

I have squares of it cut up and I keep them in my kitchen drawer where I decorate too...I stick a square under my board the cake is on (I put the cake on a larger board in the box so it's easier to pull out without messing up the icing) and then under the larger board in the box and then lay a whole roll out in my van and put all the boxes of cake on them.



Haven't been using it much lately since I've been using my cake safe though! No need, that puppy isn't going anywhere!

Yeah, sorry. I went off-topic. I also use it on my turntable to keep a cake from sliding around. At least that's cake related.

They work under cake boxes too.

I've used beach towels on the floor of my car trunk for years (tip from Wilton instructor) and they've worked just fine. No purchasing extra non-skid anything. Terry cloth is great. The one time I didn't (the kids had them at the pool) and I used a bedsheet.... was a very sad day. Never again. I am on a very tight budget and terry cloth works just fine.

Sandy

the shelf liner is $1.00 for a 15 ft. roll! That's cheaper than a bath towel!

it's only a dollar, and you'll never run the risk of losing another cake because the kids went for a swim! (the shelf liner won't dry anyone off) lol

My next cake made it to the venue without sliding, thanks to all of you!