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Cake slid in car AGAIN!!

post #1 of 48
11/16/09 at 12:09pm
Thread Starter 
This is horrible...this is the second customer to let me know there cake didn't get to the destination in one peice. In both situations it was a stacked cake, bottom 10in top 8 inch. I use wooden dowels and cake boards underneath both cakes and use buttercream between the cake board and bottom cake base. I then use packing tape to secure down the cake base to the box and put it level in the car. I drive 25 miles with it for the customers to pick up and in both cases they put it level in there car and drove an additional 20 miles to their destination. Both cakes fell apart in transit. The first one had cracks on the bottom tier and the one from yesterday slid off the cake base and smashed against the side of the box. I am horrified and don't know what to do. I got it there in one piece and told them to drive slowly but someting is happening. I don't know what they (or I ) am doing wrong. HELP PLEASE!
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post #2 of 48
11/16/09 at 12:21pm
Are the cakes cold? That will help a lot with transport.
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post #3 of 48
11/16/09 at 12:27pm
Did you just sit the top tier on top of the bottom tier, or did you do a center dowel rod hammered down thru both tiers?

Another alternative that many MANY people swear by is the SPS system. THis is much more secure than the dowel-down-the-center method. I believe I recall leahs saying it was designed for cakes that customers pick up to ensure safe delivery.

But if you just set the cake on top of the dowels, the cakes were basically riding around in a car on top of 4 little sticks. Not surprised it slid.
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post #4 of 48
11/16/09 at 12:28pm
well, its more then likely their driving, people don't get what drive slow means. I do agree if you can refrigerate those cakes, a cold cake will travel much better. The other thing is to deliver all the way to the destination, then you don't have to be concerned about their driving.
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post #5 of 48
11/16/09 at 1:05pm
The issues with both cakes are indicative of bad driving by the recipients--not issues with your construction.

Once a cake goes into another person's car, whatever happens to it isn't my fault. They have to drive as though the car is filled with 100 dozen eggs--if they don't, tough.

Sadly, the solution may be to refuse pick-up for any tiered cakes. You can simply up the cost for tiered cakes to cover delivery or add a delivery fee, telling people that if they opt out of delivery that there are no guarantees.

Feel better!
Rae
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I love you, but your emergency is not my crisis!

They say that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance.--Terry Pratchett (b.194
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post #6 of 48
11/16/09 at 1:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by BlakesCakes

Once a cake goes into another person's car, whatever happens to it isn't my fault. They have to drive as though the car is filled with 100 dozen eggs--if they don't, tough.



I've had one wedding cake pickup in my life. When I placed it in the vehicle, I told the guy, "Drive like you have a baby velcroed to the top of the car!" icon_biggrin.gif
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post #7 of 48
11/16/09 at 1:17pm
BUY the SPS system...............it TOTALLY works!!!!!!!!
I am a believer!!!!!!
You won't be sorry!!!!!!!!
I used it on a 3 tiered red velvet cake, and drove the cake 30 miles in the back seat of my car in a box............made it there perfectly!!!!!!!
Cake just makes people happy!!!!

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post #8 of 48
11/16/09 at 2:32pm
Thread Starter 
I did dowel the cake nad another hammered down the middle all the way through. She this have gone through the cake base as well? I will look up the SPS system. Is this something you use once only and goes with the cake or do you ask it to be returned?

I'm stumped that this happened twice in two weeks. I feel like it was my construction. Although it made it safely with me but I drive REALLY slow with a cake. I think I may have forgotten to hot glue the cake board to the cake base as well ( just thought of this). It was probably a 30 pound cake and I didn't think it was going anywhere ( it did well for me) but with someone taking corners fast it would slide right off. Is this my fault still? Should I reimburse them?
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post #9 of 48
11/16/09 at 2:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by cakesbydina

I did dowel the cake nad another hammered down the middle all the way through. She this have gone through the cake base as well? I will look up the SPS system. Is this something you use once only and goes with the cake or do you ask it to be returned?

I'm stumped that this happened twice in two weeks. I feel like it was my construction. Although it made it safely with me but I drive REALLY slow with a cake. I think I may have forgotten to hot glue the cake board to the cake base as well ( just thought of this). It was probably a 30 pound cake and I didn't think it was going anywhere ( it did well for me) but with someone taking corners fast it would slide right off. Is this my fault still? Should I reimburse them?



The SPS system can be used again, I suppose, but I would consider it a one-time use thing; just work the cost into your cake cost..........go to www.globalsugarart.com and type SPS into the search box. There is also a "sticky" somewhere here on CC...........I'm sure leah_s can tell you!
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Cake just makes people happy!!!!

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post #10 of 48
11/16/09 at 2:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by indydebi

Quote:
Originally Posted by BlakesCakes

Once a cake goes into another person's car, whatever happens to it isn't my fault. They have to drive as though the car is filled with 100 dozen eggs--if they don't, tough.



I've had one wedding cake pickup in my life. When I placed it in the vehicle, I told the guy, "Drive like you have a baby velcroed to the top of the car!" icon_biggrin.gif



Haha... I tell people to drive as if they have a thimble of nitroglycerine on the dashboard. icon_smile.gif
Peace,
Diane

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Peace,
Diane

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post #11 of 48
11/16/09 at 3:02pm
Last Saturday I drove a 2-tiered cake (8" and 6" rounds) for 1.5 hours and it made it just fine. I hammered the center dowel through the cake drum as well. It was an easy drive, but I'm sure the cake could've stood rougher terrain.

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post #12 of 48
11/16/09 at 3:30pm
Quote:
Quote:

I did dowel the cake nad another hammered down the middle all the way through. She this have gone through the cake base as well?



If that center dowel didn't go through the base board, it was completely useless. It HAS to be through the base board for it to help hold the cake. That is why they have slid, I am sure.
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Knowledge is a candle that when shared, doubles the light, but the insecure person believes knowledge is a candle that is diminished when it is split between two wicks.
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post #13 of 48
11/16/09 at 3:51pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Loucinda

Quote:
Quote:

I did dowel the cake nad another hammered down the middle all the way through. She this have gone through the cake base as well?



If that center dowel didn't go through the base board, it was completely useless. It HAS to be through the base board for it to help hold the cake. That is why they have slid, I am sure.



I have read directions on how to dowel a cake and it didn't say it should also go through the cake drum/base as well. Some cakes don't even have a drum base so I did't consider this when doweling. I read the purpose of doweling down the middle of all tiers was to keep the tiers from shifting within eachother. It does make sense that it would be more secure using your method. It sounds alot like this SPS system.
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post #14 of 48
11/16/09 at 3:51pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Loucinda

Quote:
Quote:

I did dowel the cake nad another hammered down the middle all the way through. She this have gone through the cake base as well?



If that center dowel didn't go through the base board, it was completely useless. It HAS to be through the base board for it to help hold the cake. That is why they have slid, I am sure.



I have read directions on how to dowel a cake and it didn't say it should also go through the cake drum/base as well. Some cakes don't even have a drum base so I did't consider this when doweling. I read the purpose of doweling down the middle of all tiers was to keep the tiers from shifting within eachother. It does make sense that it would be more secure using your method. It sounds alot like this SPS system.
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post #15 of 48
11/16/09 at 4:08pm
1. Use either Wilton Plastic dowels (they look like huge drinking straws) or sps system.

2. Make sure your dowels are cut properly.

3. Drive a dowel through the center of the cake...and make sure it goes completely into the cake drum.

4. Never under any circumstance use wooden dowels for anything other than a center dowel that goes through all the tiers and INTO the base board.

5. Chill cake thoroughly before transport.

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