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The recent tragedy in Haiti has us all scrambling for ways to help. School coin drives, gathering medical supplies, blankets made for the children, these acts of kindness may not make a dent in the dire situation but they make us feel a little less helpless. My friend Mell Perling at Workman was brainstorming with friends about baked goods that would be easy to whip up on a weeknight, tote on the New York subway (not an easy feat) and individually wrap for an office bake sale to raise money for the earthquake relief. If your office or school would like to host a bake sale for Haiti, here are some suggestions for making the sale a success as well as a favorite bake sale recipe to try.

Five Big Bake Sale Tips
1. Think whole cakes and pies. Think a pan of brownies someone can stash in the freezer. With less time to bake at home, people love bake sales for stocking up on dinner party cakes they can freeze and for whole pies and batches of brownies and cookies they can take to a neighbor or to the office.
2. When it comes to cakes, go with the mainstream favorites—chocolate layer cakes, cozy pound cakes, and nostalgic carrot cakes.
3. Also think small. A simple cupcake needs no wrapping or several cookies can be tucked into a plastic bag for nibbling on the way home.
4. The best cookies for selling are such classics as oatmeal-raisin and chocolate chip or cookies that are a specialty of one of the bake sale bakers. Write the name of the baker on the tag, such as “Judy’s Snickerdoodles.”
5. You’ve got to have pies—fudge, lemon meringue, chess, apple, or pecan. A cake may woo a woman, but pie is the way to a man’s heart.

Click here for a recipe for Bake Sale Caramel Cupcakes from The Cake Mix Doctor Returns—the quick caramel frosting makes it perfect for bake sales because it isn’t affected by heat or humidity and it travels well without smudging.