Deppa, aka LazyGiraffe, was kind enough to be my first guinea pig. I sent her 6 of my vegan chocolate cupcakes with white fondant roses. I really wish I had gotten a photo because they looked amazing lined up in their little box: Innocent, sweet, pure white roses, unaware of what was to come.
When Deepa sent me the image, I had to look away. After catching my breath I looked again and decided that they really didn't look all that bad. They had been upended at one point and subsiquently allowed to roll about their box. All in all, they still looked like cupcakes. Cupcakes decorated by a five-year-old, but hey... It didn't look as if they had played rugby with my cupcakes. No, they waited for me to send the one dozen Rose and Vanilla cupcakes before they did that.
After Deepa's cupcakes I concluded that I need only secure the cupcakes more firmly in place since the damage looked to be mostly from a gentle rolling around. So I designed a 'safety bonnet' for the tall Vanilla cupcakes and used full rose buds instead of just petals on the rose cupcakes. I tested this method and was successfully able to flip the cupcakes over, and even shake them a bit. Actions I believed to be reasonable for a package clearly marked 'FRAGILE - THIS SIDE UP.' Well the images I got back for the dozen honestly made me cry. That's why I'm not sharing them here, I don't want you to cry too. The cakes were in crumbs and the box was partially crushed.
In summary, I am still looking for a courier for my cupcakes. Preferably a company that is affordable and employed by people that, not only can READ care labels, but are also inclined to follow said care labels.
Back to the drawing board.
