Maybe it’s your Dad’s 50th birthday but you’re on the other side of the world. Or maybe you have a loved one living abroad. There are plenty of reasons why you might find yourself wanting to send a cake across the world. The question is, how can you possibly post a cake from A to B if there’s a rather large portion of the globe and maybe a sea or two between these two points.
The answer should be simple, “you ship it.” Unfortunately, this is rather easier said than done.
Preparations
Fear not, while it can be tricky to ship cakes, cookies, brownies or anything else that is perishable, it is doable. Simply follow the tips and guidelines below to give your baked goods the best chance of surviving the trip, whether domestic or international.
Use thick icing
Whether you use a naturally dense icing or add an extra layer of the stuff, you are not only adding more flavor to the cake but also preserving the quality of the cake. The thicker you lay on your icing, the less air can penetrate the cake and dry it out. Note that if you are sending a cake with some sort of decorations, like candles, you should pack them separate from the cake itself. Maybe even consider storing them in a plastic bag taped to an interior surface of the cake’s box if you can manage it.
If you have a specific recipe for icing and the end result is on the thin side, one simple way of thickening up icing is to add more sugar to the recipe. Another solution to yielding a thicker layer of icing is to consider adding a small amount of corn starch, no more than 2 teaspoons at the very most. You could also add a bit of extra cold butter if you are making a buttercream icing. Lastly, royal icing can be bolstered in thickness by adding a bit more meringue powder before adding the sugar; this one trick will ensure that your royal icing remains intact without becoming tooth-achingly sweet from the addition of more sugar.
Wrap it up tight
Even though you may be sending this cake off for a birthday party, you need to wrap it with cling-film. Start your reinforcement of the cake by wrapping it with several layers of cling-wrap, followed by a layer of bubble wrap. Once you have sufficiently surrounded the cake with plastic, place it onto a cake-stand and use several more passes of cling-wrap to secure the stand to the cake.
Use a Styrofoam container
Not only will the restricted space further limit how much your cake might be jostled about but the Styrofoam material helps limit how much temperature fluctuation occurs inside of the container. You can gain even more control over the interior temperature by slipping in some gel-based cooling packs around the cake.
Use another box
The main job of the Styrofoam container is temperature control, not being used for shipping itself; you will use another, larger cardboard box for that job. Place your cake cooler within a layer of packing peanuts and then add some extra cushioning, even some spare towels, to keep the cooler as stable as possible during transport.
Seal and label
Make sure to indicate the proper orientation of the package by writing “This Side Up” in large lettering. This will reduce the chances of your cake being mishandled and/or damaged while in transit.
Courier or Mail?
Because of their perishable nature and need for refrigeration, cakes cannot be sent by most courier services.
Cake Packing Checklist
- Cake holder/plastic containers. While a single layer of a cake should go on a cake holder, subsequent layers, if any, should each be placed within a separate container.
- Styrofoam cooler.
- Frozen gel packs. These help keep the cake cooled. Remember to ensure that your cake’s packaging will not be damaged when the gel thaws out by considering placing a layer of plastic wrap around them; you basically want to wrap the bags when they are solid so that the wrap will help preserve the flattened shape once the bags thaw and lose firmness.
A Tip for the Budget-Conscious: If you want to make some gel packs for a fraction of the cost of some commercial varieties, all you will need is water, rubbing alcohol and some plastic bags.
Mix 2 parts water with 1 part rubbing alcohol into a plastic bag. Push out as much of the air from the bag as you can before sealing up the bag. Place the filled bag inside of a second plastic bag. Repeat this process for each DIY cool pack you want to make, then transfer them all to your freezer. Let the bags firm up over the span of an hour and then you are good to start adding them to your Styrofoam cake cooler.
- Crate or cardboard box. This is ideal whether you are shipping an individual cake or an entire pallet’s worth.
It is for reasons such as these that you should do some research into the best courier company for your needs. Regardless of how you choose to send out your baked goods, please consider booking your shipment with stasher.com/delivery.
