Decorating the cake and getting it to the table in one piece: candles, toppers, and transport
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by Verpakkingdeals.nl
5 min reading time
Crooked candles, a toppled cake topper, and whipped cream on the lid. This is how you decorate a cake and get it to its destination in one piece.
You pick up the cake, place it on the passenger seat, and after one roundabout, the whipped cream is stuck to the inside of the lid. Or you arrive intact, but the candles sink crookedly into the whipped cream before anyone lights them. The cake is usually the most expensive part of a birthday and at the same time the part that is least thought about. A few euros worth of decoration and ten minutes of preparation make all the difference.
Candles: how many, what type, and how to keep them straight
There are roughly three ways to decorate a cake with candles. Individual number candles are the clearest but don't say anything personal. A row of small candles looks festive, but with more than twenty, it becomes a forest fire, and the wax melts into the whipped cream. Name candles are the compromise: one candle, yet personal.
The name candles for birthdays cost €1.00 each and come in a hundred names. For one euro, you have something that immediately shows who the cake is for in the photo. Handy detail: order two, because in summer or in a warm room, a candle bends faster than you'd like.
Three things that make a difference when placing them:
Only place candles in the cake at the last moment. In whipped cream, they will lean crookedly within half an hour.
Don't push them into the middle. That's usually where the softest filling is; the edge is firmer.
If you have a cake with a hard top layer, first poke a hole with a skewer and only then insert the candle.
Toppers and figurines: when it does work
A topper works if it's heavy enough to stand and small enough not to hide the cake. Figurines with a flat base stay put; anything with a thin pin will tilt as soon as the cake moves.
Only a few of these figurines are in stock per piece. If you want them for a wedding or anniversary, order well in advance and not in the same week.
Skewers, letters, and the rest of the plate
On a cake you bake yourself or have made, small things make more of an impact than one large ornament. A row of skewers along the edge, some edible decoration on the whipped cream, and the whole thing looks complete.
The latter is more important than it sounds. Anything made of plastic, acrylic, or metal does not belong in the portion someone receives on their plate. Place non-edible decorations along the edge of the plate or remove them before cutting.
Transporting the cake without damage
The biggest risk is not in baking but in the ten-minute drive. Four things that work:
Choose a box that is slightly taller than the cake. Too low and the decoration sticks to the lid, too high and the cake slides around. A sturdy ordinary box works fine; check Boxes or Gift Packaging & Gift Boxes for a size that fits.
Place the box on the floor behind the passenger seat, not on the seat itself. There it's flat, and it can't slide off the seat when braking.
Place something non-slip under the box. A damp tea towel or a piece of bubble wrap prevents sliding without having to glue anything.
Seal the box with tape that you can easily remove in one motion. A bundle of 6 rolls of 48 mm tape costs €21.00 and lasts a year for birthdays, moves, and packages.
Only place the candles and topper at the destination. Carry them separately in a bag: that's why toppers usually get damaged.
The table around it
Once the cake is in place, you notice what's still missing: cups, straws, and something to make the table look less empty.
LED balloons, 5 pieces — €2.95, handy if the cake comes in the evening and you want something that lights up without candles.
What to prepare before cutting
The moment itself takes two minutes but goes wrong if you have to go to the kitchen halfway through. Prepare: a long, thin knife, a pitcher of warm water and a cloth to wipe the knife between cuts, a cake server, plates, forks, and a lighter or matches. A set of four stainless steel spoons (€9.95) is handy if you also serve whipped cream or ice cream with it.
Cut with a knife that you wipe clean between each cut: that's the difference between neat slices and a plate with smudges. And remove non-edible decorations before you start, not while everyone is watching.
Everything for the cake and the table
You can find candles in Candles, decorations and table items in Party Supplies and Straws. For transport, check Boxes and Tape. Not sure what box size fits your cake, or want to know how much of a decoration is still in stock? Send the dimensions or item to info@verpakkingdeals.nl, and we'll figure it out before you order.
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