Bringing a cake?

Is it even possible to bring a frosted cake with you on a 2-day train ride and have it survive the trip? I'm thinking it'd be doable with an unfrosted cake, as long as it didn't need to be refrigerated, but I have doubts I'd be able to make frosting and put it on the cake once I reach my destination. Even if I froze it before going, it's bound to defrost before I arrive, and I'd hate to open the box to find the frosting has run all over the place.

Has anyone managed to transport a frosted cake and have it get there in one piece? Worst case scenario, I could always bring the unfrosted one, and try to figure out something when I get there.

Thanks.

If it starts having a problem, get out your emergency fork!

What about bringing an unopened can of commercial frosting with you? When you are ready to eat it, frost it then. Be sure to bring along an opener of some sort.

me_little_me said:

What about bringing an unopened can of commercial frosting with you? When you are ready to eat it, frost it then. Be sure to bring along an opener of some sort.

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I'm too anal to do this, unfortunately.

Could you either store the frosting you made for a couple days or make it at your destination?

enervator said:

me_little_me said:

What about bringing an unopened can of commercial frosting with you? When you are ready to eat it, frost it then. Be sure to bring along an opener of some sort.

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I'm too anal to do this, unfortunately.

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If you can make frosting and put it on a cake, why wouldn't you be able to use the canned frosting?

AmtrakBlue said:

enervator said:

me_little_me said:

What about bringing an unopened can of commercial frosting with you? When you are ready to eat it, frost it then. Be sure to bring along an opener of some sort.

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I'm too anal to do this, unfortunately.

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If you can make frosting and put it on a cake, why wouldn't you be able to use the canned frosting?

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Because I'm kind of obsessive about making the whole thing myself, from scratch, and not using pre-made anything.

But based on the responses, I'm wondering if it would work to just make the frosting at home, jar it, and then frost it there. That might be my best bet. Even if I don't have access to a kitchen at the hotel I'll be staying at, I should still be able to just bring a knife of some sort and frost it.

Does it have to be a layer cake? A frosted sheet cake would be easy to transport.

Are you getting a bedroom? Coach? Some tracks have almost put me out of my seat they are so rough. If you are going West, some tracks are really a hard ride. Your cake and frosting could end up on you and everyone else. Just a thought.

:lol: I'm thinking this may be a really bad idea that I should just abort, or just bring an unfrosted cake.

The trip will be west, from Chicago to Colorado. The bulk of the trip will be in a roomette. It'll be in July, so I have to assume hot weather.

Make a pound cake, in a loaf pan, that will sit really nicely in a sturdy tote bag, and keep well. You can serve it with ice cream when you get there - would that work?

Cascadia said:

Make a pound cake, in a loaf pan, that will sit really nicely in a sturdy tote bag, and keep well. You can serve it with ice cream when you get there - would that work?

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That could work. Leaving it in the pan would give it extra stability and keep it in one piece. Thanks.

Is the problem really that the frosting will not last the length of the trip, if unrefrigerated? Is this sugar based frosting (could melt), or whipped cream based frosting (could go bad)?

Or is it the physical problem of carrying something that is both large, and fragile on what could be a rather rough train ride?

Yum, nothing is better than a 2+ day old cake! Your heart may be in the right place but whoever is eating the cake may have rather you purchased a cake at a bakery the day you get there than eating an old cake.

benjibear said:

Yum, nothing is better than a 2+ day old cake! Your heart may be in the right place but whoever is eating the cake may have rather you purchased a cake at a bakery the day you get there than eating an old cake.

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I was going to also suggest looking online for a bakery near the hotel and order it ahead of time. Heck, the hotel may even be able to provide a cake.

I think the best thing is for enervator to make US a cake for providing all those good suggestions. Chocolate with chocolate frosting and dark chocolate shavings on it please! Raspberry filling would be good too and some homemade dark chocolate ice cream with chocolate chunks in it would be a nice addition. Cover the whole thing with hot fudge while you are at it.

Just buy a cake when you get there.

me_little_me said:

I think the best thing is for enervator to make US a cake for providing all those good suggestions. Chocolate with chocolate frosting and dark chocolate shavings on it please! Raspberry filling would be good too and some homemade dark chocolate ice cream with chocolate chunks in it would be a nice addition. Cover the whole thing with hot fudge while you are at it.

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I've always had Devil's Food cake w/choc icing for my birthday...but your suggestions are too much for me even. :giggle:

Hey, what a great idea for a movie:

"CAKES ON A TRAIN!"

If you know how to make ganache icing, you could cover the cake with that. It's almost bulletproof, and if you get it all around, it will keep the cake inside somewhat fresh if the box is wrapped as well.

me_little_me said:

I think the best thing is for enervator to make US a cake for providing all those good suggestions. Chocolate with chocolate frosting and dark chocolate shavings on it please! Raspberry filling would be good too and some homemade dark chocolate ice cream with chocolate chunks in it would be a nice addition. Cover the whole thing with hot fudge while you are at it.

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Maybe a nice cup of Hot Chocolate to wash it down? :lol:

J-1 3235 said:

me_little_me said:

I think the best thing is for enervator to make US a cake for providing all those good suggestions. Chocolate with chocolate frosting and dark chocolate shavings on it please! Raspberry filling would be good too and some homemade dark chocolate ice cream with chocolate chunks in it would be a nice addition. Cover the whole thing with hot fudge while you are at it.

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Maybe a nice cup of Hot Chocolate to wash it down? :lol:

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Hey, there's no such thing as too much chocolate.

benjibear said:

Yum, nothing is better than a 2+ day old cake! Your heart may be in the right place but whoever is eating the cake may have rather you purchased a cake at a bakery the day you get there than eating an old cake.

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Actually, cake by itself travels pretty well.

Not to mention, that cake that you buy at the bakery was probably baked a few days ago as well.

(the wife owns a small cake decorating business on the side, so I know far more about cake than I ever thought I would need)

I'd take the cakes, make the icing in advance and jar it, and do the decorating when you get there. It'll be awesome.

If you're really worried about the cake, leave it in the pans for protection.

Plan B: Get a hotel with a kitchen. Make cake and frosting at your hotel.

Issues: It's a bit of work. You may have to drag your baking pans, instrument, and dry stuff with you. The wet stuff (milk, eggs, butter, etc) can be bought there. Or you hotel may be able to provide it for you for a surcharge.

If you are real into baking it yourself this can be a way to do it.

Plan C: Travel with the cake and make the frosting in any type of hotel room. All you need is a plug and running water.

Issues: you may want to skip the part of using the sink in your bathroom as the source of running water....

Ryan said:

benjibear said:

Yum, nothing is better than a 2+ day old cake! Your heart may be in the right place but whoever is eating the cake may have rather you purchased a cake at a bakery the day you get there than eating an old cake.

Click to expand...

Actually, cake by itself travels pretty well.

Not to mention, that cake that you buy at the bakery was probably baked a few days ago as well.

(the wife owns a small cake decorating business on the side, so I know far more about cake than I ever thought I would need)

I'd take the cakes, make the icing in advance and jar it, and do the decorating when you get there. It'll be awesome.

If you're really worried about the cake, leave it in the pans for protection.

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Right. I'm not that concerned about the cake going stale. If it's properly sealed, that shouldn't be an issue. If I was going to just have the cake sitting on the seat next to me without any type of wrapping, then it would be a problem.

I'm leaning toward making a single layer cake, leaving it in the pan for protection, and doing a ganache frosting. From what I've read, that frosting can survive without refrigeration for at least a few days, so I shouldn't have to worry about rancidity. Plus, I'm reading all over the place that the frosting will help preserve the cake inside of it. I'm seriously considering trying to vacuum seal the whole thing just as a final layer of protection.

Thanks.

Ryan said:

benjibear said:

Yum, nothing is better than a 2+ day old cake! Your heart may be in the right place but whoever is eating the cake may have rather you purchased a cake at a bakery the day you get there than eating an old cake.

Click to expand...

Actually, cake by itself travels pretty well.

Not to mention, that cake that you buy at the bakery was probably baked a few days ago as well.

(the wife owns a small cake decorating business on the side, so I know far more about cake than I ever thought I would need)

I'd take the cakes, make the icing in advance and jar it, and do the decorating when you get there. It'll be awesome.

If you're really worried about the cake, leave it in the pans for protection.

Click to expand...

Correction, buy the cake at a good bakery. You are right that many bakeries (especially grocery stores) bake bakes way in advance. The place I get cakes for my wife's birthday always bakes fresh the day you pick it up.

Even the nicest of professional bakers bake their cakes in advance.

When you have a wedding cake (or other special event cake) that takes a day or more to decorate, the cakes have to be made in advance.