Food & Cooking Cooking How-Tos & Techniques Food Storage The Best Cake and Pie Carriers to Transport (and Store) Desserts Make sure home-baked treats reach your destination in perfect shape with one of these shoppable containers. By Nashia Baker Nashia Baker Nashia Baker is a skilled writer and editor in the journalism industry, known for her work interviewing global thought leaders, creatives, and activists, from Aurora James to Stacey Abrams. She has over five years of professional experience and has been a part of the Martha Stewart and Martha Stewart Weddings teams for the last 3 years. Editorial Guidelines Published on October 25, 2021 10:30AM EDT Share Tweet Pin Email We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Photo: Courtesy of Crate & Barrel Serving a birthday cake or other treat is always a cause for celebration. Transporting them, on the other hand, can be a struggle. "Bakers spend a lot of time, energy, and money preparing delicious and beautiful desserts," Adrienne Blumthal, a formally trained pastry chef, recipe writer, and the co-founder of Pie Box, says. "Sharing is often the most rewarding part of dessert making. But when you're transporting a homemade treat somewhere, you might find yourself asking, 'How do I get this to where I'm going in one piece?' That's where dessert carriers come into play." When it comes to picking out the container of your choice, there actually aren't many rigid requirements. "I would define a cake carrier as anything that carries cake, no official product required to be considered," she shares. "Vintage cake tins, Tupperware, even shoeboxes, milk crates, and make-shift cardboard contraptions, I've seen it all and am a big proponent of doing whatever works for you when it comes to pastry transportation." No matter the container you choose, you'll want to make sure it has proper storage capabilities. Meaning that it is airtight, easy to clean, and food safe. To streamline the process, Blumthal suggests you keep a few things in mind: material, cost, sustainability, aesthetics, manufacturing location, size, and cleaning. "Are you a cupcake- or pie-making person?" she asks. "What you want to transport will dictate the type of carrier you need." Ahead, find our favorite containers on the market you can shop now to carry and store your treats. Best Transportable Dessert Containers of 2021 Best Wooden: Wood Pie Box with Chalkboard Top Best Fabric: Aplat Plat Dish Tote Best Plastic: Nordic Ware Loaf Cake Keeper Best Tin: Jimbob Art Bear Cake Tins, Set of Three Best Disposable: Stock Your Home Aluminum Pans with Lids Best Container with Carrier Handle: Sweet Creations Cupcake and Cake Carrier Our Most Popular Cake Recipes of All Time Best Wooden: Wood Pie Box with Chalkboard Top Courtesy of Crate & Barrel transport pies This hand-built white pine and birch box, which measures at 11 1/2 by 12 by 4 inches, is perfect for transporting pies, whether for a potluck or to use as a housewarming gift. "I created the Pie Box almost 10 years ago to transport pies; it was a game changer," Blumthal says. "They are simply designed, sturdy, and stackable." This PIEBOX-branded container even features a sliding lid with a scalloped chalkboard top to label the pie or its ingredients. Shop Now: Wood Pie Box with Chalkboard Top, $39.95, crateandbarrel.com. Best Fabric: Aplat Plat Dish Tote Courtesy of Aplat designated dessert "If you are the designated dessert person at picnics and potlucks, this carrier tote is for you," shares Blumthal. It's "a clever design made with washable fabric." The handcrafted 15- by 15-inch reusable culinary tote can also help you hold your dish upright and prevent spills. It has 13-inch straps sewn in load-bearing areas with bartack stitches so it's strong. Shop Now: Aplat Plat Dish Tote, $50, aplat.com. Best Plastic: Nordic Ware Loaf Cake Keeper Courtesy of Nordic Ware preserve your treats An assortment of shapes and sizes of plastic containers are available to preserve your treats, like this loaf cake carrier. The container is 11 by 6 1/2 by 4 1/2 inches and has cover snaps to keep your baked goods secure. Plus, "it's made from BPA-free plastic, it's an inexpensive choice, and is dishwasher safe," Blumthal says. Shop Now: Nordic Ware Loaf Cake Keeper, $25, nordicware.com. Best Tin: Jimbob Art Bear Cake Tins, Set of Three Courtesy of Wolf and Badger homemade candies "Cake tins are practical compact, vintage, and overall, just a pretty cool way to store and present desserts," the pastry chef says, adding that they work for more than one type of treat. "You can load them will pretty much any dessert that will fit inside," she says. "I love putting homemade candies in small cake tins." Blumthal likes this three-pack designed by Jimbob Art, which measures 5 3/4 by 4 3/4 by 4 inches. Shop Now: Jimbob Art Bear Cake Tins, Set of Three, $68, wolfandbadger.com. Best Disposable: Stock Your Home Aluminum Pans with Lids Courtesy of Amazon deliver treats Blumthal says disposable carriers are helpful when you need to just drop off or deliver treats. This 20 3/4- by 12 3/4- by 3 1/4-inch set of aluminum foil carriers with matching lids is perfect for serving large groups. You can easily recycle them after you've used them. Shop Now: Stock Your Home Aluminum Pans with Lids, $39.99, amazon.com. Best Container with Carrier Handle: Sweet Creations Cupcake and Cake Carrier Courtesy of Bed Bath & Beyond cupcakes Make carrying your confections simpler than ever by using this plastic container, which features a handle you can hold on to while transporting it to a new location. This option can hold up to 18 cupcakes or a 13- by 9-inch cake. Shop Now: Sweet Creations Cupcake and Cake Carrier, $24.99, bedbathbeyond.com. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit