How to Deliver a Cake

Transporting a cake might be stressful, but with these techniques, you’ll be able to securely transport cakes of various sizes even if you just have a tiny automobile.

We’ll go through the dos and don’ts of traveling with cakes so you can get there without ruining it.

And, certainly, a cake, even a huge bespoke cake, can be transported in a vehicle. A van or an SUV are not usually required.

I used to have a home bakery and would often travel with cakes in my van, even wedding cakes. Therefore, from large to little cakes, you only need the appropriate recommendations to bring them to their target.

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It is always nerve-racking to transport cakes. It’s terrifying to think you’ve worked so hard on a cake just to have it shattered when you arrive.

I’ve attempted to gather all of my greatest ideas and methods here to assist relieve some of the tension.

There is more to it whether you are traveling with a bespoke cake, a wedding cake, or a tiered cake.

You should thoroughly research your destination. Are there a lot of potholes? Turns that are difficult? Steep slopes? You must be prepared for and keep all of these things in mind.

If you’ll have all of those items, or at least a few of them, you could reconsider traveling with a stacked cake and instead carry it in separate tiers and stack it at the location.

The greatest thing you can do is look ahead and make a plan.

Before we get into the specifics, let’s start with some basic advice.

Even if your rear seats fold flat, you may be tempted to place your cakes on them. It is not something you want to do. They most likely do not lie flat. Even if they do, there will very certainly be a gap between the folded-down seats and the backs of the front seats. The cake has the potential to slip and tilt.

The same is true for the front seat. The seats aren’t level, and if you have to slam on the brakes, your dashboard will be coated with cake and buttercream.

If you place the cake on the floors, you have a higher chance of getting a flat surface. Push your front seat back all the way. Set the cake on some nonslip shelf liner (the rubber kind with a grid design) on the floor.

If you believe it will be too tall, just transport the layers separately and assemble the cake at the site. The remaining levels may be placed on the flooring at the rear. We’ll discuss about carrying stacked cakes a bit more later in this piece.

You may also pre-chill your vehicle. Turn on the air conditioning and wait for it to cool before adding the cake.

Please be cautious and keep at least three car widths behind other vehicles in case they slam on their brakes.

Just cut a square and place it underneath the cake box to prevent the cake from sliding around.

When you get at your location, place the cake on the cake stand. Traveling with the cake already on the stand is a recipe for disaster.

If you want to learn how to stack cakes correctly using supports, check out this post: Cake Stacking Techniques

If you’re traveling the cake in portions, you’ll also want to include the equipment you’ll need to stack it.

Let us now dive into additional specifics.

Just know that if you drive a little vehicle, it is very possible. I’ve done it several times.

You may safely carry the different layers by boxing them up and transporting them on a flat surface (such as the clean flooring).

You may also carry the two bottom layers already stacked, but the additional tiers must be separated and stacked at the location.

A cake stand is just not sturdy enough to support a moving automobile. Even if it has a broad base, the cake may move about and fall off. It’s best to avoid the danger altogether.

Taller boxes may be found at Lowes, Walmart, and other stores. Just tape the box’s ends and cut a line along the longest, tallest side so the box opens from the side to slide your cake inside.

This is simply a horrible idea in general.

To protect the cake box from sliding around, place a nonstick shelf liner below it.

To utilize them, you’d need an SUV, van, or at the very least a hatchback since they’re just too large to fit inside a vehicle.

Here’s a link to the Cake Safe, a tiered cake travel box: Cake Security

Consider the possibility of more passengers, the weather if the chairs fold down, and so on.

If you’re traveling a single cake, you’ll have plenty of alternatives, but if you’re hauling a stacked, tiered cake, you may need to be creative.

You may have to transport the cake unassembled in your automobile.

Essentially, automobile seats are not level. It is feasible to install something to level out the seat, but make sure it will not move while the vehicle is driving.

This is particularly crucial for lengthy flights, in warmer weather when the cake may melt somewhat and move more easily, and for carrying a layered cake.

Additionally, to protect the cake boxes from sliding around, place a non-slip shelf liner underneath them.

Just get a box from a local shop and ensure that one of the sides is tall enough to accommodate the cake. Next tape up the ends and cut your own slit along the longest portion of the box, enabling you to slip in the cake from the side.

I normally put down the seats first, then turn on the Air to chill off the vehicle if it’s hot. This allows the air conditioner to reach the trunk area.

To begin, ensure that the trunk is flat. My trunk has a ridged rubber stuff on the bottom, so I put a non-slip liner, a thin towel, and a flattened cardboard box over it to make it a smooth surface.

I next lay a non-slip liner on it, followed by a large fluffy towel. I don’t want the towel to slide about, so I use a non-slip liner beforehand.

This is my secret weapon: You want to reduce the amount of shock the cake could get from travelling in the trunk, but you don’t want it to bounce. You just want something to absorb part of the impact. So…a yoga mat is the secret weapon.

It’s easy, but I believe it makes a significant impact. It provides just enough cushion without adding any bounce that foam would. It also serves as an anti-slip surface. PERFECT!

So here’s the deal with my trunk: The trunk is deep, but the entrance is little. A huge crate will not fit into the trunk without being tipped back and forth.

It won’t work if your cake is stacked and shouldn’t be tilted, and honestly, those sorts of cakes are often hefty at that point, so you certainly don’t want to be tilting it.

What works for me is to stack the fluffy towel and yoga mat on top of the EMPTY huge box in the trunk. Next I take the tiered cake and have someone hold the box flaps open for me while I place the cake inside. The package is then taped shut.

In general, I’ll stack the bottom two levels and carry the other tier or tiers in individual boxes to the venue, where I’ll stack them.

Now, I can’t guarantee that this strategy will work for every single cake you bake, that no one will ever stop in front of you, or that an animal will never rush out in front of your vehicle. It may happen regardless of the vehicle in which you carry your cake.

Transporting a cake without an SUV or van is not ideal, but with a little imagination and effort, it CAN be done!

You actually just need something to keep the dust off the cake while you transport it, so if it’s a larger, tiered cake, you could even create your own box out of cardboard you already have lying around. Just make sure the box has a side opening so you can put the cake in. (As shown by the images above.)

You might also wrap it in cellophane to protect it. This may only work with fondant cakes since the cellophane may adhere to the buttercream.

If everything else fails and you don’t have anything to use as a temporary box or cake cover, make sure your vehicle is spotless.

But, if you will be driving a long distance in a motor vehicle, it is advisable to prepare ahead of time.

Determine how long the journey will take, the best route to travel, and whether or not the cake will need to be kept refrigerated. All of these criteria will play a significant role in whether or not you will be permitted to travel with a cake.

If the cake must be cold the whole time and the destination is many hours away, you’ll need to devise a plan that includes packaging the cake and adding dry ice or ice packs.

Frankly, I wouldn’t go too far with a tiered cake since it will be continually jostled. I’d bring the levels individually and stack them on-site.

Their wedding was two hours away when my step-son married. His dessert wasn’t very tall. It was nothing more than a three-tiered cake.

I carried the top layer separately to stack after I arrived at the venue and placed the bottom two levels separately.

One reason was that I feared the cake would be too tall for my car, and the other was that I didn’t want to risk the cake being jostled and the top layer coming off.

Remember to place a towel on the floorboard to create a clean surface, and if possible, place the cake in a carrier or a cake box.

Otherwise, the air conditioner would not be able to reach the trunk area, and your cake will be a melted mess when you arrive.

(Be sure to read the other suggestions on how to carry a cake in a vehicle trunk above.)

I hope this was useful and that you are able to carry your cakes without being too worried.

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