Amazon sells birthday cakes.

Chocolate cake

I agree with Rhizo. When my youngest turned 18 while away at college, I wanted to send her a cake. I wound up sending 60 cupcakes, the smallest amount they would deliver.

I knew that it would be a way for her to make friends by offering to fellow students.

Interestingly enough, she met one girl who has remained a friend to this day.

I would try to go local if possible.

When she was in College I actually did find a local one that delivered. She is now living Long Island, New York. Tried to google some there. I am not familiar what would be close. Of course I don't want to ask her.

One year I had wanted to send a sweet treat to my SIL in another city/state on her birthday, and happened to remember the name of a bakery a few blocks from her office that had a 'drop you to your knees delicious looking window display'....

Called them, they delivered 2 doz gourmet brownies.

Iris, if you don't get an answer, try typing the name of a bakery that has a website you find appealing into google, and 'distance from (address to which you want delivered)'. It will give you number of miles. Time consuming, I know.

Oprah mentioned Caroline's Cakes as one of her 'favorite things'.....I have no personal experience with them. Nor do I have Oprah's budget. ;0)

I just did a google search for LI, NY cake bakeries. Quite a few look highly rated. Now delivery and such, that would require some more detailed information. I'd assume with in her neighborhood would be a little more cost effective..,

Find a recommended baker on LI (one that you'd want to order from) and contact them. If they won't deliver to your daughter's area, they surely would know a good baker who would. They'll be familiar with the competition!

You could also ask on citidata forum for LI:
http://www.city-data.com/forum/long-island/

If you have her address use Google maps. Enter her address and search for bakeries in the area.! I do that frequently. It will provide a link to each one to view the website and photos and phone numbers.

Google Maps sounds like a great idea. Tried just google, but since I am not familiar with the area I had a hard time figuring out what is close by.

Iris, in Google type in "bakeries near <address>" and Google will respond with links. If you click on "Maps" at the top, it will return a map with the bakery locations marked on the map. Also, try searching for bakeries in her town using Yelp.

Milk Bar in NYC delivers.

When my kids went away to college, I mailed them the well loved family birthday cake that I baked myself. It is a moist, heavy, very chocolate-y cake, and they all prefer no icing. All these years later, I still mail them their birthday cakes, and they always arrive in great condition. Find a from scratch, moist, heavy recipe that you like, wrap it well in Saran Wrap and a sealed plastic bag, and place it in a tight fitting box. Brace it well so that it will not shift around, and you have a great birthday surprise. Homemade pound cakes would work too.

There are two types of cake I am making for birthdays. The first one not in a while since it is a heart attack waiting to happen (but really good) The filling/ frosting is made with butter, vanilla pudding, chocolate and Nutella. The one in recent years with whipped cream (part of it boiled, so the cream stays stiff) and dark chocolate. I don't think this would mail very well. I tried looking at bakeries with google maps. Seems it may take a while. The one I saw with good reviews just has a Facebook page and not a real website. Since I don't have Facebook, I have to always look around the bar that tells me to sign up/ log in.

My daughter's school (Univ of Wisconsin-Madison) has an order form to purchase birthday cakes or cupcakes so ,maybe check the school website as well. They offered cakes or cupcakes for pickup in her dining hall.

I googled bakeries in her town to find one who would deliver but didn't have much luck (she likes angel food cake not regular cake) but that may work for you as well.

Ok, Sheilajoyce, would you care to share your recipe? I love that you continue such a tradition with your grown kids!!

I remember one year asking my dd's roommate to get a bday cake for her, sending a check in advance. After that, I left it up to friends because I think she (and other daughter--third daughter went to school close to home--) because I think she found what I did a little embarrassing.

She has been out of school for 3 years now. Was teaching in Conneticut for 2 years and is now in New York. Hope she stays put for a while, so I don't have to figure the cake out all over again.

Iris, I will include 2 great cakes for mailing. Both of them are moist and heavy--

Our Family Birthday Cake: Moisty Rich Chocolate Cake

You MUST use the cocoa powder listed. Do not even bother to make this cake with Hershey's cocoa. Droste's cocoa is a Dutch processed cocoa. I used to be able to find it in most stores with the cocoa or the gourmet foreign foods. Now Gelson's or online is the best source.

2 c sifted flour

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 c sugar

1/2 c solid shortening like Crisco

1/2 c sour milk (add 1/2 to 1 tsp of vinegar to the 1/2 c of milk before you get started)

2 eggs

1/2 c Droste Cocoa

1 tsp vanilla

1 c boiling water.

Add vinegar to milk and let it sit as you set up everything. I bake this cake in a tube pan (angel food cake pan). Grease the bottom only of the pan and the tube. Cut out a wax paper or parchment paper liner the size of the bottom of the pan, cut an opening for the tube, and place the waxed paper on top of the greased pan. Grease the paper. (I like to use the Better Than Pam shared here a few years ago to grease the pan. See below.)

Preheat oven to 350. Sift flour, baking soda, salt and set aside. In large bowl using an electric mixer, cream the shortening, sugar, cocoa and vanilla. Slowly add boiling water. Add milk and eggs and mix. Sift half of flour mixture into bowl while beating slowly, then add the other half. Bake 30-40 minutes in cake pan and 55 minutes in tube pan. Use a cake tester or skewer or tooth pick to test for doneness. This cake sometimes needs another 5 minutes. Remove pan from oven and rest on a cooling rack 20 minutes. To remove from pan, run a butter knife all around the edge of the pan, turn it over on the cooling rack. Remove the wax paper or parchment paper liner immediately. Cool completely. Cover in a cake server. This cake tastes better the next day.

Better Than Pam--with mixer, combine equal parts of solid Crisco, flour and cooking oil. Use this to grease bread pans and cake pans.

If you have never had a homemade from scratch pound cake, you do not know what you are missing!

Cold Oven Pound Cake

Trisha Yerwood

2 sticks of butter, room temperature

3 c sugar

6 eggs, room temperature

3 c flour, sifted

1 c whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla

DO NOT PREHEAT THE OVEN.

Using electric mixer, cream butter and sugar; add eggs, one at a time beating till incorporated. Add flour alternating with the whipping cream, beating just enough to combine well. Add vanilla.

Grease and flour tube pan, and use a wax paper or parchment paper liner on the bottom of the pan, greasing it too. (I use Better Than Pam) Pour batter into pan and smooth it out. Place in cold oven and turn on the oven at 325 degrees. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Use a cake tester to check for doneness. Cool in pan 20 minutes, turn out on rack to cool and remove paper liner immediately.

Sheila Joyce, this sounds delicious! You would think after all the Christmas cookies I would be tired of sweets... I think I am going to try to make the chocolate one next week. If I can get the cocoa. Got to test it first, right?

Iris, where on LI? There's an excellent bakery in St James. My daughter is further East. I can pick her brain.

It's Dix Hills, at the post office they always ask if it is Huntington Station. Kind of confusing to me, but the mail always makes it.

Dix Hills has no resemblance to Huntington Station. Worlds apart economically. King's Park is close to Dix Hills. Here's their info:

112 Main Street
Kings Park, New York 11754

(631) 269-3825

Excellent bakery. You can check their website. It's parkbakeshop.com I've personally used them for years.

I expect that any Dutch process (alkalized) cocoa powder will be just fine. Even Hershey makes a good dark Dutch cocoa. Brand can make a difference, though....my favorite is Penzeys.

Clearwaters, I really have no idea what the economical situation is, just know that the amount of rent they have to pay for an apartment over a garage made me freak out. I checked the website of the bakery and wrote them an email to see if they deliver there and what the cakes are.clicking on birthday cakes I saw a lot of beautiful, colorful ones. Didnt find any description what they are though.

Dix Hills is upscale, professional people. High property values, good schools, great shopping. It's a very desirable area.

Let's hope she is growing into it. It was really hard to find any kind of apartment there. Well, it was worse in Conneticut. She finished College and signed up for Teach for America. Did the training in Pennsylvania and didn't really have time to look, so she had to stay in motels. Had her car broken into. A place she liked said it would take a week for financial check. It didn't help that I told her to give them our info. She called me really down, her belongings in a car taped up with foil. Searched the Internet and found something. That guy just handed her the keys. 2 hours later she was at IKEA buying a mattress and staying there even though the power wasn't turned on yet. Turned out to be a great place.

She can probably find more reasonable rents in Commack. Depending on how far she'd be willing to drive (up to 10 miles), there's King's Park, parts of Smithtown, Hauppauge and Huntington (not to be confused with Huntington Station). Although none of them are what most people would consider "cheap", they are certainly more reasonable than Dix Hills.

The Island, in general, is high cost, unless you go out East. Riverhead and beyond are lower cost because they are not really commutable to New York City.