For many years, shipped King Cakes were almost always sent fully iced and by overnight air.
That made sense when overnight shipping was relatively inexpensive.
Today, overnight shipping can cost as much as — or sometimes more than — the King Cake itself. That has changed the way many bakeries ship King Cakes around the country.
The biggest change has been the growth of the King Cake decorating kit.
By shipping the cake without icing and letting the customer decorate it after arrival, bakeries can reduce the risk of icing damage and often use a less expensive 2-Day shipping service instead of overnight delivery.
So which should you choose?
For most shipped King Cakes today, the answer depends largely on whether the cake is being shipped already iced or as a decorating kit.
Ready to order? Browse our King Cakes and choose the delivery date that works best for you.
Why King Cakes Used to Ship Overnight
Traditionally, many shipped King Cakes were completely decorated before leaving the bakery.
That meant icing, purple, green, and gold sugar were already on the cake.
The problem was that a finished King Cake is more vulnerable during shipping.
If the package becomes unusually warm, icing can soften and stick to the bag or wrapping. In more extreme heat, it can begin to melt and pool around the cake.
Even if the cake itself is still perfectly good, the customer may open the box and see a cake that no longer looks the way it did when it left the bakery.
That is disappointing when someone has paid a premium price for both the cake and express shipping.
Overnight shipping reduces the amount of time the decorated cake spends in transit, which is why many bakeries that ship fully iced King Cakes still require or strongly prefer overnight service.
Why More Bakeries Started Shipping Decorating Kits
Shipping the cake without icing solves two problems.
First, the icing cannot melt or stick to the packaging because it is shipped separately.
Second, the un-iced cake can often travel very well using a 2-Day express service instead of expensive overnight shipping.
The customer receives the cake, icing, Mardi Gras sugars, and usually instructions explaining how to decorate it.
For many customers, decorating the cake becomes part of the experience.
And icing a King Cake is much easier than many first-time buyers expect.
Is 2-Day Shipping Fast Enough for a King Cake?
For a properly prepared King Cake decorating kit, 2-Day shipping is generally an excellent option.
FedEx 2Day is an express service designed to deliver by the end of the second business day, with Saturday delivery available in some locations for an additional charge. (FedEx)
A good King Cake should remain soft and fresh during that transit period when it has been properly baked and packaged.
That is why many bakeries can offer 2-Day shipping for decorating kits without sacrificing the quality of the cake.
How Long Does a Shipped King Cake Stay Fresh?
When Is Overnight Shipping Worth It?
Overnight shipping makes the most sense when:
- The King Cake is being shipped fully iced.
- The bakery requires overnight service for that product.
- The delivery date is extremely important.
- A customer specifically wants the shortest possible transit time.
- A large corporate or professional gift order requires finished, ready-to-serve cakes.
Some companies sending dozens of King Cakes as gifts do not want every recipient to have to decorate a cake.
For that type of order, some bakeries may offer fully decorated cakes shipped by overnight service even if their normal consumer product is a decorating kit.
Other bakeries may ship kits exclusively.
Always check with the individual bakery.
Why Overnight Shipping Costs So Much More
Express air transportation is expensive.
FedEx currently offers several next-business-day services as well as 2-Day service. Its published pricing varies significantly by package size, service level, distance, and account pricing. (FedEx)
Businesses that ship large volumes may receive negotiated rates that are substantially different from what an individual consumer would pay at a retail counter.
That is one reason comparing a bakery’s shipping price with the price you would pay to personally ship the same box may not tell the whole story.
At KingKingCakes, our fulfillment operation allows us to take advantage of commercial shipping rates so we can use fast shipping without making delivery unnecessarily expensive.
What Does “Next Day” or “2-Day” Actually Mean?
This causes a lot of confusion.
Next Day and 2-Day describe the carrier service after the bakery ships the package.
They do not necessarily mean the cake will arrive one or two days after you place your order.
FedEx describes overnight service as next-business-day delivery after the package has been picked up or dropped off before the appropriate cutoff. FedEx 2Day delivers on the second business day after shipment. (FedEx)
If you place an order in January and choose a delivery date several weeks later, the bakery schedules production and shipment around that future delivery date.
Selecting overnight shipping does not mean the bakery immediately makes the cake and sends it tomorrow.
First-Time Buyer’s Guide to Ordering a King Cake Online
Be Careful With Very Cheap Ground Shipping
Ground service can be perfectly reasonable for nearby destinations.
But it is not the same as 2-Day express service.
FedEx Ground transit within the contiguous United States can range from one to five business days, depending on the distance between origin and destination. (FedEx)
For a destination relatively close to New Orleans, ground service may arrive quickly.
For a destination across the country, the same service could take several days longer.
When you see unusually inexpensive King Cake shipping, it is worth checking:
- Which carrier is being used?
- Is the service Ground or Express?
- How many days is the cake expected to be in transit?
- Does the bakery guarantee or estimate an arrival date?
For KingKingCakes, we prefer fast transit because the goal is to have the cake spend as little unnecessary time in the shipping network as practical.
What About Saturday and Sunday?
Weekend shipping can be confusing because the rules vary by service.
FedEx offers Saturday delivery for its overnight services and FedEx 2Day in certain areas, usually with an additional charge for those express services. FedEx Home Delivery can also deliver to residential addresses on Saturday and Sunday in many parts of the country. (FedEx)
That does not mean every bakery ships or schedules King Cakes seven days a week.
Bakery production schedules, carrier pickup schedules, destination ZIP codes, and service levels all affect which delivery dates appear on the bakery’s calendar.
During Mardi Gras season, some bakeries add special Saturday shipping or delivery options to spread the tremendous volume of orders that build up before Lundi Gras and Mardi Gras Day.
The safest approach is to use the bakery’s delivery calendar rather than assuming every carrier service is available every day.
Weather Is the Biggest Wild Card
The bakery can control how a King Cake is baked, packed, labeled, and handed to the carrier.
It cannot control the weather after the package leaves.
Severe winter storms, flooding, wildfires, power outages, airport disruptions, and other major events can affect carrier operations. FedEx specifically lists weather and natural disasters among conditions that can cause shipping delays. (FedEx)
During Mardi Gras season, this can become particularly challenging because bakeries may have hundreds or thousands of orders moving through the carrier network at the same time.
Once those packages are in transit, there may be very little the bakery can do to change the route or delivery schedule.
If severe weather is occurring:
- Watch your tracking information.
- Check your email for messages from the bakery.
- Check the bakery’s website for important shipping notices.
- If your order is for an important event, build in an extra day whenever possible.
Tracking Numbers Matter
A good online bakery should provide order confirmation and shipment tracking. Please check your junk or spam folder if you do not see it.
Once the carrier has the package, tracking is usually the best way to follow its progress.
FedEx also provides service alerts when major weather or operational disruptions are affecting parts of its network. (FedEx)
KingKingCakes sends order confirmations and tracking information automatically so customers can follow their shipment.
Do Filled King Cakes Need Overnight Shipping?
Not necessarily.
A filled cake does not automatically require overnight shipping simply because it has a filling.
The important issue is how the particular bakery formulates the cake and filling and what storage instructions it provides.
Some bakery fillings are made specifically for shipping, while other products may require refrigeration or special handling.
Always follow the bakery’s instructions for the particular cake you purchase.
For KingKingCakes, our shipped products are selected and packaged with nationwide delivery in mind.
Overnight vs. 2-Day: Which Should You Choose?
For most customers, the choice is straightforward.
Choose 2-Day shipping when:
- You are receiving a King Cake decorating kit.
- The bakery recommends 2-Day service.
- You want a good balance of freshness and shipping cost.
- The cake does not need to arrive fully iced.
Choose Overnight shipping when:
- You are ordering a fully iced King Cake.
- The bakery requires overnight service.
- You have a special corporate or gift order that needs a finished cake.
- The shortest possible shipping time is worth the additional cost.
The Simple Rule
For a King Cake decorating kit, 2-Day express shipping is usually all you need.
For an already iced King Cake, overnight shipping is generally the safer choice because it reduces the amount of time the finished icing is exposed to heat and handling in transit.
And remember:
Next Day and 2-Day refer to the carrier’s transit time after shipment — not how quickly the bakery will bake your cake after you place the order.
Choose your delivery date first.
Then choose the shipping service that makes sense for the type of cake you are ordering.