You truly can get anything ordered through the mail these days—even cake.
Bakeries and cake makers have perfected the art of mail delivery for cakes, from climate-controlled delivery using cooling packs, to fitted styrofoam mailers that keep the cake from moving too much.
Without these protections, a cake might not stand a chance in certain environments, as one customer has learned, especially if the ingredients that make up the cake are not fit to withstand external temperatures.
In a TikTok that has drawn over 715,000 views, artist Jalila (@artbyjalila on TikTok) says she ordered two cotton candy cakes from Cloud Cake. However, when she pulled them out of their boxes, she found them to be quite shrunken in their airtight containers.
She says it has been quite hot in her home state of Arizona, and might have been even hotter in her mailbox.
“So I ordered the viral Cotton Candy Cakes,” she says in the video. “I live in Arizona. It’s been 120 degrees, 165 degrees probably in the dang mailbox where it was delivered. I just got back to town and I heard these were in the mailbox. This don’t feel like sh*t, but we’re going to see…”
Jalila then issues a warning: “If you’re in Arizona don’t order this cake during this weather. This is a shame.”
@artbyjalila I’m so upset… don’t purchase the #cloudcake if you live in the desert with 120° weather! #artbyjalila #arizona #foryou #foryoupage #cottoncandycake #melted @Mi Mi ♬ original sound – Jalila Jones
The Daily Dot has reached out to Jalila via Instagram direct message, as well as to Cloud Cakes via contact form regarding the video.
What is the cotton candy cake trend?
Cotton candy cakes are exactly what they sound like: cakes made out of cotton candy. Different flavors of cotton candy can be layered just like a cake once they are shaped into rounds or any other desired shape, and topped with sprinkles. Several businesses have begun offering the cakes for delivery by mail in recent years.
The cakes can also be decoratively molded to fit a desired shape—there really is not a limit to what can be done to make the cake into a certain shape, as cotton candy is pretty moldable. However, there are some limitations for how long they might last in extreme heat, as they are primarily made of sugar, as both heat and humidity can compromise the sugar structures.
What does the manufacturer’s site say?
According to the Cloud Cake website, the airtight plastic containers the cakes are shipped in are supposed to be able to maintain its fluffiness for up to four weeks, as the container is intended to keep it that way because it blocks out humidity. It is also advised to store the cake away from heat sources.
Viewers weigh in
Some viewers were firmly on the side of the customer, commenting on the video that the company should have shipped the product with some kind of protection against the heat.
“They should know not to [ship] to hot climates and if they do it should be temp controlled with cool packs!” one commenter wrote. “That’s on the company 100%!”
“I feel like they shouldn’t have sent it if they weren’t going to properly prepare it,” another argued.
“When I order live plants the website always gives temperature warnings & shipping suggestions with the option to add a heat pack,” a further user said. “The seller should set that up & offer icepacks.”
Others were more critical of the poster for expecting the order to arrive undamaged given the high temperatures and how long they were left in her mailbox when she was out of town.
“Everybody is saying the company shouldn’t send if they know it’ll be hot… why did the buyer order it if she knew it was hot…?” one commenter wrote.
“So you order cotton candy during a heat wave and expect it not to be melted?” another commented.
“Now you know DAMN well we don’t other stuff like this here (AZ) in the Summer,” a third said. “It would have been a MIRACLE if it hadn’t melted.”
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