AThis is part vent, part request for help. I have a two tiered rainbow cake with a fondant sculpted figure on top due tomorrow. I just touched base with the customer and she mentioned it will be traveling about an hour to the party site. This has me totally nervous because each tier is rainbow, meaning 6 layers with buttercream in between, and about 5 inches tall. The tiers are a 10" and 8", both covered in buttercream with some fondant accents. I will be using the SPS system for support, but since the 10" tier is 5 inches tall I will need to cut the columns myself instead of using the 4" ready made ones. This makes me nervous because I have an awful time getting them even. I will have bubble wrap on the floor of the 14" cube cake box it will travel in and the cake board will fit exactly the size of the box, so that part I feel okay about.

This is for a 5 year old's birthday. I did a cake for her other child a few weeks ago and the party was local. It didn't occur to me to ask if there would be travel for the party. If I had known it would need to travel I would have encouraged a tie-dye rainbow torted with only 4 layers so the cake would be more sturdy. I also would have encouraged fondant covered as I've found that is as bit more forgiving to bumps and the like. Do you ask each customer about the party location? Do you have any suggestions on how to cut the colums exactly even?

Thanks in advance!

AI would deliver the cake straight from the fridge if possible. Especially if I were handing it off to a client that was transporting it elsewhere. There are fewer problems to be had with a cold cake.

As for the SPS, I am not much help. When I need them cut, I get my husband to cut them for me. He is a bit more meticulous than I am. He goes through life with the motto "Measure twice, cut once."

i hate cutting those things--

yes, like brenda549, i also deliver cold cake --

and i would call now to be sure that detailed driving instructions are given--

like:

if you make a stop on  the way to the party even in cooler weather the inside of the car can still heat up enough to make the cake slide if you're not driving most carefully--so do all your shopping before you pick up the cake--bladeebladeebla--

gotta read 'em the riot act in a nice way ;)

ATo cut the sps columns evenly, I had my hubs screw a 1"x2" block to the end of a 1"x2" board so it made an "L" shape. You can either clamp it in place or hold one end of the column up against the end board so it doesn't move around when you saw through it. No shifting & clean cuts since I've been doing it this way . HTH :)

AThanks for the advice! I'm a bit nervous to chill the cake as I've never tried it before and am not sure how it will do as it defrosts. Wish I had time to test it out!

I love my hubby, but if it's not computer or technology related I'm the handy one around the house. If only I could just hand them over and get them back perfectly cut!

Thanks again! Fingers crossed for this one!

some people do but i do not deliver frozen cakes--just chilled in the fridge--and i keep them cold through out delivery--you said 'defrosts' so i'm just going on that--

so i'd be real careful freezing a cake for an order--the thawing process needs to be gradual for best results--

hope all goes well for you

I have delivered two tiered cakes with buttercream as icing that have had an hour of travel. I always keep them in the fridge until departure time and haven't had a problem so far. I do, however drive like a granny when I have a cake with me though!

AFor future reference SPS does come pre cut in 5" lengths.

How did it go, Frostedmoon?

AThanks for checking in! As far as I know everything went great. The cake ended up barely fitting in the 14" tall cake box WITHOUT the topper, but was sturdy with the SPS. I used a level to make sure the SPS plate was super level. I packed the topper separately and showed the customer how to put it on when she got to the party. I haven't spoken to the customer directly, but no calls of panic, no complaints.

I always get the delivery address when doing a quote. For cutting columns I use a miter box and a hand saw, I pre mark the first one and once it is cut I use it to mark the others. They always come out the same size.

AI like to purchase the Coast SPS. The columns are available in 1/4" increments.