From the Oven to the Shelf: How to Package Your Cakes to Perfection
Have you ever taken hours to make the dreamiest, most creative cake, only for it to be in shambles by the time it reaches the receiver? More importantly, have you been worried beforehand that your magical little creation may be marred due to mishandling? If the answer is yes, then this article is for you.
Packaging plays a crucial role in determining whether your baked goods will receive the appropriate amount of love and appreciation from the end user. To ensure that your cakes remain unscathed, you have to package them in a proper manner.
Mastering Cake Packaging
Here are some precautions you should take to safeguard the quality of your cakes:
1. Ingredients and Structure
Prevention is better than cure; it is in your control to reduce the chances of your cake getting ruined during a jittery ride. When your cake is to be transported, you should always opt for baking one with a more solid, intact structure so it can withstand occasional jolts and collisions. Similarly, decorating such cakes with fondant icing instead of normal icing, such as buttercream or glaze, is ideal because of its rigidity, and it is less likely to deform or melt off, protecting the intricate cake decorations and your hours’ worth of effort.
2. Wrapping and Placing
If possible, wrap the cake in plastic film, covering it with aluminum foil to ensure insulation and moisture control. If the cake has too many ornamental decorations on it, they might have to be removed before packing and placed on it when received. Once the wrapping is done, you should place the cake on a sturdy cake board. Ideally, the diameter of this board should be 2 inches bigger than that of the cake to ensure that there is no risk of damage to its exposed exterior.
The next step is to place the cake in a cake box for an extra layer of protection. Care should be taken to ensure that there is not too much space in the box to allow for excessive movement; a good trick is to use tape to stick the cake board to the box. You can also cushion the excess space to make the setup more resilient and allow for insulation.
3. Sealing and Labeling
Once the inside is done, seal the cake box with adhesive materials, possibly reinforcing it with a ribbon. Add detailed handling instructions on the label, also indicating that the item inside is fragile. Choose a trusted courier, and hope for the best!
Too Much Work?
In most cases, wrapping the cake is rather cumbersome, as you are essentially risking damage to the delicacy. Not only that, but it is also likely to take up a huge amount of time and manpower, especially if you regularly bake and transport elaborate cakes in large quantities.
An alternative to this is investing in a horizontal flow wrapping system. Fully automated, these systems move cakes on a conveyor belt, wrapping them as they go. The wrapping material is then sealed longitudinally (along the length of the cake) to form a pouch around it. Not only do the high-speed mechanisms of these systems allow you to save up your time, but the consistent, secure packaging makes up for easy display and transit. Therefore, the increase in efficiency makes it a worthwhile investment.
Endnote
Cake packaging is vital but not unmanageable: Read the aforementioned tips to enhance your skills in the task. If it is too much of a chore, remember that investing in automation to do it for you is always an option, and it is not one you need to shy away from.
