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mailling a cake ..help!

post #1 of 10
3/21/12 at 1:06pm
Thread Starter 
I need to mail a buttercream birthday cake from MS to IL. How would i go about doing this. the cake is a 10in square, double layer , vanilla cake with buttercream icing. the post office said it would probably take 3 days.how do i pack this?!
..."If I can help somebody, as I travel along..then my living will not be in vain..."
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..."If I can help somebody, as I travel along..then my living will not be in vain..."
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post #2 of 10
3/24/12 at 11:23am
Don't do it. I haven't heard of good results with shipping. Some success with fondant maybe, but buttercream would/could be a disaster. If you go ahead with it, you need to plan for certain that the box will be tipped over in all directions no matter how well you label it.
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post #3 of 10
3/24/12 at 12:01pm
I agree; the cake will NOT arrive in one piece. No matter how many places you write FRAGILE or THIS END UP, the cake will be tossed around and destroyed. Think about it...when we deliver our creations to a venue, we carefully place it in our vehicle so it will not slide or tip. We drive cautiously, taking corners slowly and trying not to slam on the brakes. Is this what PO does? Not at all. Don't do it.
Life is unpredictable so let's eat dessert first!
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Life is unpredictable so let's eat dessert first!
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post #4 of 10
3/24/12 at 12:20pm
I dunno, I read a news article (that I can't find) that a Grandma bakes a quarter sheet cake for her grandaughter every year and mails it. She uses a hard plastic cake box that she gets from her local grocery store, staples it shut and sends it regular mail. Been doing it for 15 years or something and never had a problem. Cake arrives in perfect condition. She obviously doesn't send anything that would spoil in that time frame!
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post #5 of 10
3/24/12 at 1:32pm
I have mailed cakes before (fondant tho). I sent one to England from Japan and one to TX from Japan. Ive also mailed cake pops.
I just make sure they are in a strong box. I put them on a cake board pop a little wax paper on top then wrap it in cling wrap to seal it. Put a little bedding on the bottom of the box for the cake to sit on then pack around it with packing. I normally just use plastic bags.
I know its prob not the safest method but Ive not had any problems yet.. touch wood.
I'm a cake geek and I am proud of it!
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I'm a cake geek and I am proud of it!
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post #6 of 10
3/24/12 at 1:37pm
I saw on the internet several years ago that a baker, non-professional, sent her cake in a see through plastic mailer and it arrived with one flower broken. It was visibly a cake and labeled this side up. My concern would be that it would be eaten , lol. My Mother received a half sheet cake from florida to philadelphia years ago. It was spoiled. The family member's spouse (now divorced-for different reasons-although I'm sure this didn't help), mailed the non perishable priority and the cake parcel post. She said that she had mailed cakes many times without any problems.
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post #7 of 10
3/24/12 at 5:14pm
If the poster wants to give it a shot, go ahead. But for every success story there is at least one failure. It really depends on if you are a gambling person and how important the cake arrives in an upright position. If my favorite grandma was sending me a cake, I would enjoy it in a million pieces or one, upside down and squished or not. If the cake has to arrive in perfect condition?????? A great deal depends on the recipient and the occasion for the cake.
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post #8 of 10
3/24/12 at 5:41pm
I mailed an 8 inch buttercream cake to my nephew for his birthday I am in virginia and they are in tennesee I sent it 2 day mail. First I froze the cake overnignt, wrapped it in saran wrap then I packed it in 2 boxes the outer then the inner, then I put bubble wrap around the cake. I went to walmart and bought those little ice packs you put in lunch boxes and put about 4 of those in there. My sister said when she got it, it was still cool and she said the mail lady had it tilted sideways but she said it was in one piece and the buttercream was still in tack.
But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.
Matthew 6:33
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But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.
Matthew 6:33
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post #9 of 10
3/24/12 at 6:07pm
Hi all: I sent one from Florida to New York City. FEDEX, Overnight, marked perishable food item and fragile. Got there 8:30 A.M. in beautiful shape. But VERY EXPENSIVE. It was for my daughter, so worth the cost.
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post #10 of 10
3/24/12 at 9:31pm
Thousands of cakes are mailed every day. They arrive in perfect shape. The cake needs to be frozen, packed correctly, and most important, comply with food safety minimums. This means proper temps even if it gets delayed and is mailed to a warm climate. The FDA has the guidelines for minimum temps. So original temp and dry ice, insulated packaging, and protective packaging are the goals. To practice, mail a pound cake to a relative and ask them to take the temp. I don't remember what it is, but I think it is to be at least the min temp for perishables before the four hour rule... about 38 degrees. If it is not perishable, the temp only helps to protect it.

Walmart sells very large insulated bags for about $2.00. I can get a 10x10x4 cake box in the bag, maybe a 14x10x4.
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