<sigh>

I absolutely love all these tiered cakes I see on CC and would love to offer/encourage them to my customers but everytime I do one and the customer leaves with it I have this uneasy feeling. Case in point...customer just left with a tiered 12" & 8" on her back seat. That's not a solidly flat surface and I'm wondering if things will start to slide. :-/

So for those who do a lot of these and don't transport them yourselves; do you tell your customer they need a flat surface to haul the cake? Anything they can do to make the seat a more level surface for transporting? I will be worried until I hear the cake made it okay.

:-/

I simply don't allow people to pick up tiered cakes. However, if you are, I would advise them to have someone with them that they can trust to hold it on thier lap or that they need to bring a van.

AMW, from now on I am going to stress that they need an SUV or van with a flat surface; or someone to hold the cake; or else I need to deliver the cake for an extra charge.

Thanks for responding.

i have not had any multi tierd cakes to do except wedding cakes, and i deliver those myself. but even single tierd cakes i tell my customers to put the cakes on the floor of the front seat.

Well, the problem is that the box was so big it would not have fit on the floorboard. But yeah, if it would fit, that would be better.

I don't allow customers to transport tiered cakes. That delivery cost is always figured in to the cost of the cake. If something falls when they pick it up they may think that you didn't have the cake secure enough.

I would make the customer sign something stating that if they choose to pick the cake up themselves you are not responsible for any damage caused once it leaves your premises.

I always tell customers not to put cakes in their seats... but that's usually where they want to put them

I deliver my cakes and I use my backseat. I just roll a bath towel or beach towel up to make the space level and use some of that no-skid shelf paper between the towel and my cake box.

I generally tell my Clients that I will deliver anything that is very large (18x24 full sheet cakes) or tiered (wedding cakes, party cakes, etc) so they get what they ordered. If they choose to pick up, there may be a problem and they might not have the time and/or skill to fix it. This way, they are fully informed before they decide. And then I make sure that the price I quote them includes any "hassle fee" I may need for delivering the cake.

However, I have had a couple of Clients who just KNEW they would be able to transport successfully, and they had no problems. But, knowing this, I made sure that the tiers were extremely secure AND I informed my Clients of what it would take to both transport and then cut and serve their creations.

So far, no disasters! But I do -- very strongly -- recommend that any Client who wishes to transport any cake that may be bulky and/or cumbersome have both a large, flat surface for transporting the cake, AND a second person to hold/watch/"catch" (if necessary)/observe their creation and that once the cake is loaded into their vehicle I AM NO LONGER RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY MISHAPS TO THEIR CAKE. While this may not fully protect me, my Clients are all aware of what their cake cost them, and they would rather pay a few dollars more if they're unsure of how to transport than to have a disaster they're not willing to deal with!

Good Luck!

Cakes on seats.....BAD MOVE! I can't tell you how much I stress never to put any cakes on any seats! One quick turn, slam on the brakes, big pot hole and wham-o!...all your hard work down the drain. Of course that can happen even if the cake is on a flat surface in the car but at least there is a better chance to prevent that from happening if it is on the floor.

I have made up a list of things that I hope will help anyone who picks up a cake. You're all welcome to edit it for your own use.

Helpful Hints for picking up your cake.

A lot of time and effort goes into every cake I make. I thought these tips would be helpful when you pick up your cake especially for riding in the car.

*All cakes will be in a cake box. Some cakes will be quite large and in a big box which will need to fit in your car, on the floor or in the back area if it's big enough. Not the trunk.

*Never tilt cake boxes. Not even a little bit. Think of the cake as a full glass of water inside the cake box. You can't tilt the glass or the water will spill out.

* Always support the box flat from underneath, never by the sides to prevent the cake from cracking in multiple places or sliding inside the box.

*Never put the cake on the seat of the car or in someone's lap. It's much safer this way as the car's wheels will absorb the bumps much better than the seat or a lap.

*Be sure to place the cake box carefully so it won't slide around in your car. You may want a blanket to set the box on or something else to help prevent it from sliding.

* Do not slam the car doors or rear door after you put the cake inside. That big jarring could effect the cake, especially cakes that are stacked or 3D and make them crack, shift or fall.

*Drive CAREFULLY! Take turns slowly, avoid fast stops or slamming on the brakes and watch out for uneven road surfaces. I can not stress enough how important it is to drive slowly and carefully with a cake in your car! Even backing out of or going into a driveway can effect the cake. TAKE IT SLOW. People don't realize how much work goes into a cake, nor do they realize how easily movement can ruin a cake. Please keep in mind that once you pick up your cake, it's up to you what happens to it. I do my best to inform you how to transport the cakes the best way possible.


Hope this helps!
KimAZ

Amen, kimaz. I was just about to say that there is that yawning space between the seat and the floor, but you said it just right. Janice

KimAZ, great

Thanks so much Kim. I think I will edit your info and use it for myself!

Well, the cake did make it okay, thank goodness. But I don't like having to worry each time; so I need to make sure my customers are as well-informed as possible.