Cakewalk to Iraq

Soldiers have birthdays, too. But try to send a cake to Iraq or Afghanistan, and you’re likely to find it arriving on the other end, days or weeks later, as a goopy, decomposed mess.

That’s why a Huntington Beach woman who runs a national cake delivery network tried to find a better way, enlisting a local bakery to come up with something that can survive the long, bumpy ride and still taste good once it arrives — complete with custom message printed in frosting.

The summer is the real test for a military-grade cake, said Debora George, who runs the HB Bakery Connection, a service that delivers cakes through partner bakeries nationwide, much as florists do with bouquets.

“The cakes have traveled in excess of 120-degree temperatures to get where they’re going, and they come out fine,” she said. “The only thing we say to the guys or ladies is it would be best if they could put it in the refrigerator for maybe half an hour before they cut it.”

George founded her business as a stay-at-home mom in Boulder, Colo., in 1987, bringing it with her in 1990 when she moved to California.

But shipping out special cakes to the military is something she’s only done since March, she said.

She approached Paul Gauweiler, pastry chef and owner of The Cake Box, 6054 Warner Ave., to whip up something sturdy enough for the rough trip.

So how do you make dessert last the up to 12 days it takes to reach Iraq? Careful choice of ingredients, George said. The one-layer cakes are covered in buttercream and then enveloped in a layer of edible fondant — a thick, sugary glaze often used to decorate wedding cakes — to seal the confection away from the elements, she said.

“The guys and military families ordering them say, ‘I really like your cake because it’s more like a regular birthday cake,’” she said.

Joline Tenorio heard such good things from her husband, Sgt. David Tenorio, after she sent his unit a couple for Father’s Day, that she wrote a thank-you note: “My husband and his buddies really enjoyed the cakes and just being able to get something like that meant so much to them.”

Despite the many options, from carrot cake to spice cake to chocolate cake with vanilla frosting, with custom messages and even military insignias, one thing that doesn’t make the journey is chocolate frosting.

“You just can’t do it, because that will break down in the heat,” George said mournfully.

SHIPPING OUT

To send a cake to a service member, go to www.wireacake.com or call (800) 947-3222. For more information, e-mail [email protected]. The service costs $47.45, shipping included, with $5 extra for a military insignia.