I've only done two wedding cakes for friends, both in winter-type weather, but my sister asked me to make hers next month and it'll be warmer temps. My problem - no A/C in my vehicle.

Anyone had to deal with cooling down a car with no A/C for transporting cakes? Any ideas on how to do it..?

Crazy thoughts welcomed, lol.

I would suggest packing up each tier separately in a styrofoam container with dry ice. Good luck!

Can you borrow a vehicle? Dry ice will work but the extreme temperature change will not be good for your cake. Your talking a change from -40 to 80+ degrees.

There a couple of alternatives you might consider:

1. Make the wedding cake they want using dummy cakes decorated with royal icing and serve homemade sheet cakes with the flavors they like out of the recption kitchen.

2. Go up to their place a few days early and frost and decorate the cakes there.

Just a suggestion...

I'd either try to get there early in the morning or try the dry ice solution.

My a/c just went out in my car - ouch $500 to get it fixed....ouch...ouch....ouch....or should I say hot hot hot hot...

Good luck.

Start by parking in the shade and blocking sunlight from the windows. I was thinking turn the fans on in the car and ice or ice packs in front so that cool air blows in the car. Also, it depends on far you have to go.

Borrow or rent a car (try priceline & you can usually get one pretty cheap).

I'm trying to tranport a cake on Greyhound. I just spoke with a company that sells dry ice and they said it WILL freeze the cake so Aswartzw might be right to steer clear of it.

I understand your problem. I am not sure how hot it gets in Utah but I live in Southeast Louisiana where it is extremely hot and humid. I will tell you how I delivered a four tier wedding cake with no a/c in my car. (In the summer aside from the central air I run a air conditioner in my kitchen to cool me and the cake down while decorating. I keep the car in a shady stop as much as possible with a screen cover over the wind shield all the windows down to keep the car as cool as possible. I waited to last possible minute to deliver the cake 4PM still very hot here. I had bottom two tiers stack together and the two top tiers stacked together. I lightly cover the cakes with plastic wrap very very loose and paper towels over the top. The cakes were in the passenger seat with a board to keep them level and the window I had the sun roof vented and the drive side back window slight down this caused the air to circulate and keep the passenger side cool, I also placed the windshield reflector so that the sum did not touch the cake. I have to this twice with wedding cakes one fondant and one buttercream. Hope this helps.

Thanks for all of the suggestions!!

In Utah, where I'm at, it will probably be in the high 80's or low 90's outside, if I'm lucky. (we've had a crazy hot summer, though we're low humidity) The place the wedding is at is about a 30-45 minute drive from my place, as long as traffic is good, and I have to wait until 3pm to get in there. (quote for putting in an a/c unit was $1,200 since they would have to drop the engine - ouch...)

I'll fiddle around with a few of your suggestions and see what I can come up with. I knew if anyone had good ideas, it would be you guys.

Thanks muchly!!

well can you make the cake the day before the event...and deliver it to the faculity at night when its cooler...or maybe if your getting paid for the cake...rent a cheap motel/hotel...near the place and keep it there secured close by to deliver it so its only out in the heat maybe 10-20mins down the road?...just ideas or a friends home.

Hi!

I understand your concern. I had to transport a wedding cake on one o f the hottest days in the month of June here in Georgia. The cake had a 12in round bottom tier and I only had a 16in. box available. This meant the cake had to be placed in the trunk of my car. The night before, I froze about 10 bottles of bottled water. The next morning, I placed each bottle into two plastic grocery store bags and wrapped the excess around the bottle. After placing the box inside the trunk on a non-skid mat, I placed bottles of water around the box. The non-skid mat kept the bottles from rolling away from the box. The bottles kept the box cool and the cake arrived perfectly. I hope this may help.

PrettyCakeLady

Thanks for the extra ideas!! I wouldn't have even thought about getting a hotel room. (the cake is going to be her wedding present, my 3 sisters that I room with are going to cover ingredients and supply costs)

And the frozen water bottles idea is a really good one too. My sisters drink so much bottled water I wouldn't have a hard time coming up with the bottles, lol.

Thanks guys! I've got so many good options now, I'm sure I'll be able to pull it off!!

I just had to transport cakes 100+ miles away that needed to stay refrigerated because of the fillings. I put flat plastic ice packs in the bottom of styrofoam coolers (I had to cut and piece the coolers together to make them big enough) then put towels over the ice packs just in case any condensation on the packs started it would not soak through to the cake boards - they made it there perfectly.