Two Cakes and a Cooler

Last week was busy. I had two cakes to make, a trip to Indy, a kickball game, classes at my new gym (in which the "warm up" consisted of 64 push ups, WTF?!), etc.

Cake #1 was actually for the trip to Indy. I was surprising my mother-in-law for an early birthday celebration and thought it would be easier to take a cake from Chicago to Indy, than Chicago to Charleston, SC.

Yellow Smiley Face Cake with

Chocolate Ganache Filling and Frosting

We're going to SC in a few weeks for MIL's actual birthday - and supposedly 90+ degree weather. Maybe I should buy that personal-sized Skittles fan that I saw at Blockbuster...

Anyway, the trip was fun, she was so surprised and LOVED the cake - yay! (PS, she used to like those smiley face cookies, hence the cake...get it?) I have some tips below on how I made the three-hour car trip in the middle of summer with a chocolate-covered cake - it is possible!

Cake #2 was actually my first "paid" cake! I know, right? Thanks to my awesome friends that like the stuff I make and refer me to their family and friends.

Bridal Shower Cake - Chocolate Cake with Raspberry and

Chocolate Ganache Filling and Mousseline Buttercream Frosting

The bride's colors were "Tiffany" blue and red wine - and I have to say I think I got the colors spot on. That's why I included the Tiff's box in the pic. :P

From what I've heard the cake was a success - sweet!

Now, what you've been waiting for...my magical cake-transporting tips. Like I said with my sister's graduation cake - in my head it made complete sense to me that I should be able to drive a cake from Chicago to Indianapolis in the middle of summer.

Well, of course I was right. The cake arrived in perfect condition, thanks to the following:

• ice
• cooler
• air conditioned car

Here's what I did:

• Made and frosted the cake a day ahead of time
• Put cake in a cake cover and froze the entire thing overnight
• Bought a deep, square cooler and filled with bags of ice
• Wedged cake in cooler with ice packs
• Kept car air conditioning on high
• Checked cake a few times to make sure ice wasn't melting completely
• Voila!
  

If you ever do this, just remember to put the cake in a fridge upon arrival at location. You don't want to thaw from frozen at room temp, or else something funky will happen with the condensation.

Go cake!