Transporting Wedding Cakes

[LotusCakeStudio]

When I lived in Annapolis, the local cake decorating store carried the masonite boards. **** if I can find them here in Philly! Country Kitchens carries them. You can order online or through their catalog.

There is only one place I've found to cut my plywood circles. Home Depot doesn't do it, the huge commercial lumberyard won't do it, but this small mom & pop type lumberyard will do it them and they do it right. It costs me $25 a circle though. Which I can't help but find to be pricey. I had a friend back in Maryland who taught wood work at an art college and he cut some for me for $10. I know the wood isn't that expensive and $10 seemed about right. But anyhow, $25 it is. And it comes out to something like $30 by the time they cut down the 1" thick dowels for the legs. I glue them on with furniture glue and then nail them in place. It leaves some extra space to make it easier to carry. You can slip your fingers underneathe to lift the cake with no problem. The cake also doesn't look "glued" into the cake table and if the florist is decorating around the base, s/he has more decorating options b/c s/he can stick like long stemmed flowers underneathe to have the flower facing out. (Does that make sense?) Anyhow, when the lumberyard guys make the plywood circle "rounded", they use a tool called a router...? Not sure of the spelling, but that's how it's pronounced. Just ask them not to router it so it will be flat for ribbons.

[momoreg]

CK is where I buy them too.

W., that's a good idea with the paper between the tiers. I should have specified that the 10x I sprinkle is mixed 50/50 with snow sugar, and it doesn't dissolve completely, so it does work effectively to keep the buttercream from sticking. I like your method too.

PS- I know there are people out there who ram a giant dowel down the center of the cake, and I agree with you, W., that must wreck the support of the cardboards. But on the rare occasion that I've needed to do that, I just drilled holes in the center of the cardboard before filling the cake. Then glue or nail the dowel to the base, and slide the iced tiers onto the dowel.

I find this method only necessary for complex shapes (like that unforgettable torso). Or, I suppose, if you were shipping via airplane.

By the way, the only downside to ordering from CK is that they omit out of stock items from your order without informing you. Please tell them to call you if anything is out of stock. They also take a few days to ship. Wholesale orders have a $100 minimum.

[W.DeBord]

I like the concept of sliding the cake down over a center dowel...is that what Lotuscakestudio was talking about when she was referring to how the pack cakes for air travel?

Thanks for the info..

P.S. I've never tasted or used that non-melting xxxsugar. I've wanted it a million times for tons of applications....do you like it's tastes and how it works?

[momoreg]

The taste is not as sweet as regular powdered sugar, but it works well for certain things. The taste is why I add in 50% 10x.

I used to freeze a lot of cookies at my last job, and it could withstand freezing, but there are certain things that it just can't be used for. Lemon bars end up with an ugly white crust, because the stuff doesn't melt. It just sits on top, and absorbs the liquid. Linzer tarts start out looking really nice, but afterpacking and freezing, the snow sugar collects on the preserves, and ends up looking terrible.

But it's ideal for sprinkling on top of a flourless chocolate cake, or on blondies. And you don't have to worry about humidity killing your sugar. I buy it in 8 oz. quantities, because I need it so infrequently.

[angrychef]

Great question Lotus! Just reading the posts I have learned some new little tricks.

I make about 1-2 wedding cakes every weekend all through summer and late fall. If the cake is stacked, the whole cake is sent assembled; all the driver has to do is drop off. We have 3 sizes of wooden boxes that open from the top(with hinged double doors that can be sent closed or open if the cake is too tall): small(15"), medium(20") and large(36"). All wedding cakes are sent out in these boxes with a piece of non-slip rubber matting that you can get at Target or supermarket. The whole cake or a cake tier is placed in the box and then a piece of dry ice is placed in a corner of the box to keep it cool(it gets really hot here).
My construction of stacked cakes is similar to what others have mentioned, I use straws and a 1/8" wooden dowel driven thru all the stacks. This method has never failed me, though I do get a lot of vampire jokes.
I do double or triple the cardboard bases according to how heavy the cake is. The largest tier sits on a velon covered 1/2" press board base(I keep in stock sizes 16"- 24"). I get these boards from a cake deco. companu called Coast Novelty in Venice Beach, CA., ranges from $2.00-$6.00.

Tiered cakes I send separately(unassembled) but sit on the separator plates. Once it reaches the party, it is assembled and no need to do any extra piping on borders and such.

WENDY - I have found the easiest way to cover these boards is with this soft plastic material called velon(they use it to cover the offsite kitchen work tables). I cut a circle larger than the board, then staple with staple gun, then I staple the wedding cake lace on the edge.
I agree with momoreg about the taste of the snow, but it is a good product to have on hand, specially when sprinkling it on hot items or lemon bars and such that you have to hold for a couple days. Albert Uster should have it, we get it from Ambassador in 10# box.
I do use a couple loops of masking tape, but I've been using loops of white duct tape, seems it's stickier and holds stronger.

[panini]

I've tried everything to cover the boards. The cost is minimam 3/4 " plywood 4'x8' $18.00 8 anysize boards 2.75 ea. I use rubbermaid self stick shelf paper. It sticks to the wood but we also tape it down to the bottom of the board. There is such a variety. polk a dot- marbled. etc.
I also use this to cover bottom cardboards for cakes. I double the boards and cover. The paper is available in large wholesale rolls.