Everyone has a favorite cupcake, so naturally they make the perfect gift. Coming in countless flavors and exciting designs, cupcakes are a birthday party must-have and timeless treat. Having the desire to send a loved one a few of their favorite cupcakes is a wonderful idea, but has its own unique challenges. Cupcakes are as tasty as they are delicate and perishable, which makes them a tad tricky to send in the mail without proper execution. Without taking the necessary steps to learn how to ship cupcakes, it’s easy to have your gift idea go from great to messy really quick.
Luckily, there are numerous packing methods for shipping cupcakes that can ensure your cupcakes arrive as beautiful as they were once they were decorated. With these helpful tricks, you’ll be able to feel assured that your cupcakes are safely on their way and will be lovingly enjoyed once they arrive at their destination.
How to Ship Cupcakes
Cupcakes are a delicious treat and an exciting gift to receive from a loved one, but due to their perishable nature, they need to be properly packaged in order to stay intact and tasty. Let’s explore these steps to successfully shipping cupcakes so you can feel confident your gift will be well received.
Step 1. Gather necessary materials
Before heading to the bakery or popping open the cookbook, you must make sure that you have the proper materials for shipping cupcakes. You want to avoid making your cupcakes and being ready to ship them only to realize you’re missing something crucial. Some of the suggested materials for sending cupcakes in the mail include:
- Bubble Wrap
- Loose Fill
- Gift Wrapping Paper
- Satin Ribbon
- Carton Sealing Tape
- RSC Corrugated Carton
- Cupcake Inserts
- Cupcake Box
Going with specialty cupcake boxes instead of just a regular box is a great way to secure your cupcakes in place and elevate your presentation. Cupcake boxes allow for the cupcakes to each get their own spotlight and prevents them from slipping around and bumping into each other at the same time.
Step 2. Make and decorate your cupcakes
Now comes the fun part, choosing and making your cupcakes. While you can always arrange for a bakery to send some cupcakes to a family member or friend, taking the time to personally bake your cupcakes is an extra step that is sure to show them how much you care. After baking and decorating the cupcakes as desired, allow them to refrigerate for a day or freeze for a few hours. Chilling the cupcakes for a while will help preserve their taste during shipping.
Step 3. Insert cupcakes into cupcake shipping boxes
There are many options for cupcake boxes depending on how many cupcakes you’d like to send. You can get single cupcake boxes if you’re sending a few loved ones a sweet treat, or you can grab a larger box to send someone an arrangement of cupcake options. While the cupcake box you choose will vary on what you’re actually sending, making sure the box is sturdy and durable will prevent the cupcakes from being bumped and is the key to guaranteeing these treats arrive safely.
If you do decide to send an arrangement of cupcakes, It’s highly suggested to also get cupcake inserts for your cupcake box. This allows each cupcake to have its own space, and helps protect them from other elements of the packing process.
Step 4. Protect the cupcakes from jostling
Now that your cupcakes are inside the cupcake box it’s time to further secure them in to prevent them from jostling during the shipping process. No one wants to receive a box of smashed cupcakes, so make sure they are firmly in place and unable to move before shutting that cupcake box. A great trick for fastening cupcakes in place is to grab a few candy sticks and place them in the center of the cupcake and to the bottom of the cupcake box. Trim the sticks to make sure that they touch the top and bottom of the cupcake box, since this will prevent the cupcakes from jumping around during transit.
Once all cupcakes have been firmly set in place inside the cupcake box, close the lid and tap the cupcake box tightly. Decorate the box as you desire to personalize your gift, and add a satin bow for a finishing touch to flaunt your presentation skills as much as your baking ability.
Step 5. Place the cupcake container into your box and pack it in tight
Now that your cupcakes are safe and sound within the cupcake box, it’s time to prepare your shipping box. Providing enough padding around the cupcake box is important as the main goal in shipping cupcakes is to prevent them from moving around as much as possible. Bubble wrap and loose fill are great ways to add some protection around the cupcake box, but definitely don’t forget to toss in a few ice packs before taping everything up. Cupcakes are not only delicate, they are also best enjoyed when fresh. Ice packs will help preserve their freshness during their journey and will guarantee your friends and family will open their gift to find a delicious treat. Once you have reduced the amount of free space surrounding the cupcake box, tape up the shipping container with packing tape to prevent any air getting inside.
Step 6. Send cupcakes by mail overnight
Once your shipping box is all set and ready, head over to your local postal office to send these treats on their way. Since cupcakes are perishable in nature, it’s never a bad idea to go for express shipping options to guarantee they arrive in time to be properly enjoyed. It’s always worth paying the few extra bucks for overnight shipping. Overnight shipping is the best way to make sure that the cupcakes arrive on time and still taste deliciously fresh. It’s also smart to indicate on the shipping box that the contents are fragile so that carrier personnel can exercise caution when handling these tasty treats.
Other Tips for Successfully Shipping Cupcakes
While we’ve covered the basics for successfully shipping cupcakes, there are a few other details to consider before gathering the supplies needed for sending these treats on their way. Explore a few of these additional tips for cupcake shipping in order to take your gift giving skills to the next level.
Choose durable materials
As with sending any edible gift, making sure the contents of the gift are protected is more important than anything. Especially when sending cupcakes, these treats are not going to arrive safely if you don’t take the extra step and purchase packing supplies with durable materials. Boxes made from flimsy materials are prone to bending with enough wear, and can easily become damp and compromised when the ice packs begin to thaw. On the other hand, custom cupcake boxes are made with delicacy in mind and will feature stronger materials to keep contents in their intended state.
Make cupcakes the day before and freeze, or refrigerate overnight
As we touched on before, chilling the cupcakes prior to packaging is an easy way to keep cupcakes fresh during the shipping process. While the ice packs will certainly keep contents cold during the trip, chilling or freezing cupcakes the day before the send-off can make them even fresher and less prone to melting throughout their trip. It might take a little more time, but this just means you’ll have additional time to double check that you have all the packing materials you need to send these cupcakes successfully.
Find the Cupcake Shipping Supplies You Need at Paper Mart
Sending loved ones the gift of cupcakes is a tasty and thoughtful way to show someone you care. Whether it’s for the holidays or you simply want to make someone’s day, sending cupcakes is a popular gift idea for a reason. With a durable cupcake box, proper padding materials, and caution when creating a shipping label, anyone can properly send cupcakes and give a memorable and customized gift.
The key to shipping cupcakes is in the packaging materials and Paper Mart is here to help. Our extensive collection of bakery and cupcake boxes and packaging supplies will give you everything you could possibly need to adequately send tasty treats near and far. Shop for cupcakes boxes at Paper Mart today!