Cake for a Soldier

I found this article on cakemixdoctor.com
I hope this helps out somewhat. Good luck!

Treats for the Troops

Edna Bautista of Illinois (but she'll always call Oahu, Hawaii home) has mailed all sorts of little cakes and sheet cakes to Kuwait to support the troops. "I've already sent a Fuzzy Navel cake to my Navy reservist friend, and her shipmates are already requesting more goodies...I'm also planning to make a red velvet cake for Valentine's Day/Chinese New Year (red is an auspicious and lucky color)." Inspired, I asked Edna to share with all of us how she prepares that cake for the travel ahead, as well as tips and suggestions for mailing food overseas. Here are her tips:

Bake baby Bundts and miniature loaves, wrap them in clear treat bags and tie them with yellow or red-white-and-blue ribbons. They can be sent to each soldier/sailor/airman as individual snacks.

I bake sheet cakes in Glad oven containers (available in 8-by 8-inch or 12- by 9-inch sizes). They are more sturdy, airtight and stackable than foil baking pans. Plus, the troops can mail back the empty containers for refills!

Unfortunately, in my experience, frosted cakes don't arrive well to their destination. So I have sent store-bought frostings along with plastic knives for the troops to spread on the sheet cakes themselves. I've also sent colorful non-pareils in mini-zipper lock bags so they can sprinkle them on the frosting.

Birthday in a box. These instant party packs include the cake, frosting, and decorations, as well as birthday candles, paper plates, napkins, birthday cone hats and party blowers. And I've bought little banners and streamers that the birthday soldier/sailor/airman can use to decorate his or her bunk or locker area. These are recyclable, so the next person celebrating a birthday gets to use the decorations, too. Make everything as convenient and disposable as possible for the troops.

Flat boxes marked with "this side up" and "fragile" work well.Fill with popcorn stuffing or bubble wrap to help cushion the treats for the troops.Sometimes frozen icepacks wrapped in old towels and placed in plastic bags will help keep the box cool for a while. (I haven't tried using the insulated bags yet.)

Check with the post office for sending liquids and perishable items. Cakes and cookies are okay. Customs forms need to be filled out. Send the food priority mail.(When I mailed treats for the troops from Illinois to Kuwait in December, it took more than three weeks during the Christmas rush. So far, it has taken about one and a half weeks for packages to get to the Middle East.)

More treats for the troops? If you've got more ideas on how to bake and ship goodies to the U.S. troops, please send them to ____@____.com—and as always, we love photos!

R.,

It is sweet that you want your brother to have a cake. I'm sure much is sacrificed for him to be there and now his birthday away from his family is added. Unfortunately, I don't think anyone will be able to do send an actual cake. I know it hurts that your brother is going to miss out on this special tradition. But why not do something different or start a new tradition? I would feel pretty special if a new tradition was started just for me. I have one idea that just popped in my head that both you and your family can enjoy and he will appreciate. Make little cards in the shape of a mini cakes or cup cakes. let everyone who loves him decorate their own cake card just for him and have them each write a special msg about why they are greatfull he was born. Or, Have family members look through pictures of him and choose their favorite, scan it leaving a little blank area to write why that picture is their favorite. If you can send him a little care package, put the cake cards in a box w/a little debbie snack cake and a candle and he can have his cake and read them too. Just a couple of ideas I hope help. My creativity has been a little stagnent lately so thanks for giving me the inspiration I needed for a kick start. Good Luck, and tell your brother I said Happy Birthday and Thank You!

I would bake it myself. let me think on it and get back to you.

Okay here's the problem my ex husband's mother encountered. I had to go back into my journal to find it.

Cakes do not ship well. You could take a few precautions like covering the cake in waxed paper, surrounding it in cardboard putting it in another box and stuffing bubble wrap between them but the cake is still going to shift, the frosting will lift and the cake will crumble in transit. Logistically a cake isn't going to last a whole week in the mail. It took a month in 1990. The think of all the stuff in it that might spoil.

I know from experience that the cake-like treat in Meals ready to Eat is less than a half an inch thick and vaccumed sealed. If you want to try this, I would suggest slicing cake in layers in this manner, laying it on cardboard and vacuum sealing it. Then shipping him the frosting in the can. For an added touch you can send him a picture of a perfect cake then pictures of everyone eating it. Birthday cards and presents should be included. Don't forget the candles and matches.

Little Debbies traveled well for a month. lol, I know but that was my trademark package stuffer. Imagine that, my name is D.

Is your Airman, Soldier, Sailor or Marine DEPLOYED? Why not show your loved one some love and SEND A C.! Yes, you can deliver a C. to a soldier for any occasion -- birthday cakes to troops at home & abroad. BELIEVE ME, when you receive one you feel REALLY SPECIAL. Place your order by visiting http://www.wireacake.com

A C. from WireACake.com is a 9 in. round single layer delight serving 8. Customers choose from our 3 moist C. flavors; chocolate, vanilla or marble, frosted with our baker's scratch white buttercream & covered in his homemade smooth white fondant. Cakes are personalized with an inscription and shipped in a custom sized tin. Glossy gift card is included with your own message. Cakes are securely packaged with refrigerant icepacks and insulation wrap to make the up to 12 day journey overseas!

I don't know how much help this is , but maybe you could speak to the local chapter of blue starr mothers. They send a lot of stuff to our soldiers maybe they could help. Just a suggestion
M.