Inter-hackerspace cupcake challenge

[timk]

Borrowed from the LVL1 list:

http://hackerspaces.org/wiki/Global_Hackerspace_Cupcake_Challenge_2012

Sign up to figure out how to mail a cupcake to another hackerspace
while maintaining its structural integrity. LVL1 paired up with an
English hackerspace last year and the resulting cake-opening videos
were pretty entertaining.

-Tim

[Chad Cottle]

That sounds like a good time.

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[David Hempy]

Liquid Nitrogen?

On Wed, Feb 15, 2012 at 11:22 PM, timk <theat...@yahoo.com> wrote:

[Mindy Antonchak]

Ha!  I love this.  While I have no packaging engineering skills to offer, I hope you all do it and I can't wait to see the videos!

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[ben jeffries]

making the actual cake some kind of hearty concoction, like a fruit cake, would probably be safe. I bet that guy would arrive intact.   Frosting might be a pain though.

[David Hempy]

I say we spring load it, so it smashes into the ceiling when they open it!

[Dave]

--- On Thu, 2/16/12, David Hempy <scoo...@gmail.com> wrote:

> From: David Hempy <scoo...@gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: Inter-hackerspace cupcake challenge
> To: coll...@googlegroups.com
> Date: Thursday, February 16, 2012, 10:31 AM
>
> Liquid Nitrogen?

Dry ice is usually adequate, and is a bit safer to ship than Liquid Nitrogen,
which can leak out (And, the post office HATES leaking packages!).

I once received a package of rice cakes and jam from Japan that were packed
in Dry Ice.

One concern, though, is that certain types of cakes do not take to freezing
very well; sometimes they become crumbly. I'm afraid that there would be a
LOT of experimentation required. And, someone would have to volunteer to
eat the failures.

Dave

[Steven Hayes]

i think it's been generally accepted that freezing organic matter in liquid carbonite is relatively safe for organic matter.

but then we'd have to worry about bounty hunters.

-steev

[Dave]

--- On Thu, 2/16/12, ben jeffries <xbe...@gmail.com> wrote:

> From: ben jeffries <xbe...@gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: Inter-hackerspace cupcake challenge
> To: coll...@googlegroups.com

> Date: Thursday, February 16, 2012, 10:54 AM
>
> making the actual cake some kind of hearty concoction, like a fruit
> cake, would probably be safe.

Those things can last for decades (centuries?!?). Not sure they're safe,
though, even when fresh. ;-)

> I bet that guy would arrive intact.  

They could probably use it as a spare tire if they had a flat, and it
would still arrive ok! ;-)

> Frosting might be a pain though.

Could the package contain a pressurized cylinder[2] of frosting [1], with a
nozzle pointing towards the top of the cupcake(s), and a trigger that
operated it when the box was opened? Consider something like placing the
pressurized cylinder of frosting in a hole in the center of the cake, with
the nozzle(s) pointed outwards (and down?) towards the top of the cake.
Bonus points for a nozzle that will rotate as it's spewing the grease/sugar
mixture. Extra bonus points if it flies up and sprays the occupants of the
room, too! ;-)

[1] Frosting? Isn't that just grease and sugar? :-(

[2] There are some postal regulations about mailing/shipping pressurized
cylinders. Someone would have to do some research to find out what shipping
methods are approved for this (e.g., Ground transport only? Air freight?).

Dave

[ben jeffries]

Sure, but would the freezing process render the cake inedible?  Like we don't know if there is perhaps a toxic residue left on said cupcake as a biproduct of the carbonite freezing process. While this residue might be harmless on the skin or frosting, but fatal if ingested.   The only alternative at that point woudl be to thoroughly clean the cupcake....which adds a complexity to the level of engineering we would need to put into this.  I mean its one thing to engineer a cupcake to withstand transport, but to engineer one to withstand a scrubbing off? i just don't nkow about that.

[Dave]

--- On Thu, 2/16/12, David Hempy <scoo...@gmail.com> wrote:

> From: David Hempy <scoo...@gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: Inter-hackerspace cupcake challenge
> To: coll...@googlegroups.com

I rather like the helicopter frosting delivery system. That ought to achieve
maximum carnage. ;-) But, yeah, springs would be good, too [1].

[1] I promise to visit the "fruitcake frosting bomber" in prison. :*)

Dave

[ben jeffries]

"Not sure they're safe,though, even when fresh.  ;-)"

 

I seem to recall hearing that someone did in fact die from truama due to fruit cake. ALthough i can't find any referance info now .

Dave

[Lori Houlihan]

Fondant.

[Janine Hempy]

But isn't the frosting supposed to be edible?

[Dave]

--- On Thu, 2/16/12, Janine Hempy <jhe...@gmail.com> wrote:

> From: Janine Hempy <jhe...@gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: Inter-hackerspace cupcake challenge
> To: coll...@googlegroups.com
> Date: Thursday, February 16, 2012, 12:23 PM
>
> But isn't the frosting supposed to be edible?

Isn't the icing supposed to be used to prevent the growth of mold on cakes?
That stuff is so sweet that even molds and bacteria usually won't grow on it.

Dave

P.S. Of course, the alternative preservation technique is to douse the
fruitcake with enough bourbon so that nothing bad will grow on it. :*)

[Janine Hempy]

The dousing in bourbon might earn extra credit points, depending on the tastes of the recipient.

[Chad Cottle]

I hereby dedicate myself to trying all of the failures of this cupcake experiment.  I will start a fitness routine for this at o-six hundred tomorrow.
Chad

On Thu, Feb 16, 2012 at 12:50 PM, Dave <wa4...@yahoo.com> wrote:

[Dustin Mays]

How about pumping a rigid container, containing our cupcake and some creative packing material, full of nitrogen?

[Dave]

--- On Thu, 2/16/12, Dustin Mays <dork.f...@gmail.com> wrote:

> From: Dustin Mays <dork.f...@gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: Inter-hackerspace cupcake challenge
> To: coll...@googlegroups.com
> Date: Thursday, February 16, 2012, 3:52 PM
>
> How about pumping a rigid container, containing our cupcake and some
> creative packing material, full of nitrogen?

Or maybe Nitrous Oxide, such that it diffuses into the cupcake.
Then, when pressure is suddenly released when the package is opened....
BOOM...cupcake fog!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrous_oxide#Aerosol_propellant

No, wait. That's not the objective, is it? Darn.

Dave

[Webmoocher]

I'd suggest simply making the cupcake, anchoring it into an
appropriately sized box, vacuum packing it, then encasing it in
ballistic gel. I happen to know from experience that a raw egg
encapsulated in a 6x6" block of ballistic gel can withstand a 32' drop
onto concrete.

[Steven Hayes]

SO.

what if we package raw cupcake materials in a manner that they cook upon opening?  we could do a heater meal water release system that heats some batter in a cup and when the batter rises, it touches a downward facing can of icing.  when the can of icing is removed, it leaves a little dollop on the cup cake that it's being removed from.

-steev

[Patrick Smith]

Attempting to call in the big guns on this one...  https://twitter.com/#!/itsmetempleton/status/170270601397813248 

--
-Patrick Smith

[Steven Hayes]

oh, is that what we're doing?   https://twitter.com/#!/asiansteev/status/170273179774877696

-steev

[Patrick Smith]

CALL IN THE EXPERTS!

[Dustin Mays]

Steev: I knew I loved you for some reason. Good thinking. :>

[Steven Hayes]

some of the water from the release will go into the cake mix and there will be another device constructed out of rubber bands and popsicle sticks that spins when the container is opened and mixes the water and cake mix.

-steev

[Chad Cottle]

Rube Goldberg cupcake box FTW!  I suggest modeling after the Mousetrap game or that gumball gizmo they've got at Joe B's.

[Janine Hempy]

Wait, is the cupcake remaining delicious and attractive, or the person who ships the cupcake remaining delicious and attractive?

[Dustin Mays]

...Both?

[Mike Andrews]

Makers, for makers?