Cake Transport Guidelines: You need to see the cake. If the cake is multi-tiered. Place it on a flat surface and keep the cake cool. Do not leave any cake in a hot car. We use real butter and that will melt at 83 degrees. It only takes minutes in a hot car to have cake all over your floor. We will transport our cakes with the air conditioning on.
Beware of misleading boxes. Not all cakes come in enclosed boxes. Even if they do, don’t assume the box will protect the cake—sometimes, you might open it to find a mess. We often place cakes in bottom boxes to protect the base, but they may not be fully enclosed. Since our cakes come in various sizes, it’s impractical to have a box for every size. Most of the time, the bottom will be protected, and you’ll be able to see the top to ensure everything is intact. For large cakes, there may be no box at all.
Never place a cake on a car seat. Cakes can easily shift when they warm up, turning them into a leaning tower if you’re not careful. Always place cakes on a flat surface and keep them cool during transport. Do not try to hold a cake. You may take curves well, but your cake needs support. Your shifting can do harm to a cake since it will not remain level and still.
Lift with care. Always lift the cake from underneath. Never push on the sides of the box, as this might cause the box to press into the cake.
Internal Structure: Some cakes will have internal structure. This structure must be removed prior to serving. Including dowels, cake boards, straws and wires. Some sugar flowers will contain wires for the stems. Toppers may be made with edible material on the outside but contain skeleton structure that is not edible. These are for decoration only.
Guidelines for the cake pickup and delivery – Wedding and tiered cakes.
- Plan Ahead to your destination and add extra time to drive slowly. Plan to pick up the cake at nonpeak traffic times.
- Do you have alternate routes in mind should a traffic issue present itself?
- Plan to deliver at least two hours prior to the ceremony or event.
- Contact the venue to be sure they are open when you arrive.
- Arrange for extra help in unloading and placing the cake at the venue. These cakes are awkward and heavy, we will load and unload cakes with two people. We will help you with loading the cake here at the bakery, but you will need help unloading when you get to the venue.
- Contact the florist or wedding planner if you are expecting flowers, etc. for the cake
- Setup and Emergency Contact person o No one wants to plan for problems, but a second delivery person plan might give you peace of mind should something happen to your car, etc.
- Due to the size and shape of these cakes they are not enclosed in a box. The cake will be in a bottom box to protect the bottom tier from debris, but the box will not be enclosed. It also makes it easier for the driver to keep a watch on the cake. Cakes that are totally enclosed in a box give a false sense of security. We have chosen stacked sizes that are the most stable for self-pickup.
- As a precaution, we recommend you slice the sides of the box when lifting the cake out of the box. It is much easier to slide the cake, than lift it.
- We will help provide a non-slip mat to avoid the boxes slipping around when you pick up the cake, if you need one.
- Prepare your car! I know this sounds strange, but we recommend that you transport the cake in the back cargo area of an SUV or Station Wagon. A large flat surface. Many cars arrive here with the entire back packed with items, with no room for the cake. You need the area free of stacked items as they can fall onto the cake. And of course, the flat area for the cake. You will need at least an area that is 24 x 24 inches free from anything falling onto the cake.
- The cake will be quite large and very heavy. It will not sit on a car seat as they are small and angled. They will not fit on the floor of your car between the seats. They cannot be held as they are too heavy, and they tip. We offer self-delivery cakes in the sizes that are the most stable, but these are no ordinary cakes.
- The cakes will have internal structure so each tier is resting on this structure not on the actual cake. They will handle most small bumps. They will be damaged if you take curves too fast or come to a sudden stop, etc. Drive with caution. Your body will give and take to balance. Cakes cannot do that.
- Keep the cake air conditioned. The cake is butter, so butter will melt at temperatures above 80 degrees. Do not leave the cake in a hot car even for a minute, so run all your errands before you come to pick up your cake. Do not place the cake in the trunk of a car since it is not climate controlled.
- When you place your cake at the venue, avoid direct sunlight and outside conditions if the temperature is rather warm. We recommend holding the cake inside if you are having an outside wedding, and possibly taking the cake out when your reception begins.
- Cake on Board sign. We used to have two signs, “Sorry so slow” and “Delivering wedding cake” that we placed on the back of our cars. Well, the magnetic signs kept falling off our new car,
so… But it is helpful to place some kind of sign to let people know why you are taking precautions. Believe me, it does help!
- Lastly, when you are placing the cake on the cake table… make sure the table is study, level and fully capable of holding the cake. No wobbly pedestal tables!! Remember, people will lean on tables, bump them, etc. So be sure you feel the table and location are safe.
My husband came up with this analogy and I love it.
Pretend you have a toddler standing in the back of your car not holding onto anything. You want to drive in such a way that the toddler is still standing in the back of your car when you reach your destination!