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mkolmar
Forum SuperStar!
Joined: May 19, 2006
Posts: 5513
Location: at the computer
Birthday: Jun 02
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Fri Jul 03, 2009 1:35 pm |
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I work doing pastries for a care center and was asked to make this months birthday cake. No problem. This was to be my first decorated cake for their so I wanted to make it special but not too difficult so I could still get my regular duties done. I made a 3 tiered cake covered in ganache and ganche scroll work. I then had 3 pounds of ganache dipped strawberries cascading down the front. It was pretty. I wrapped it loosely in plastic wrap and placed it on a cart in one of the coolers. The chef pulled it out this morning to come to room temp before serving. I decided to stop by on my day off to make sure everything was alright. It looked great until I took the film wrap off. The strawberries decided to start falling off. I put my hands on the strawberries against the cake so the rest wouldn't fall. The chef ran and got a pan for the strawberries. I took the cake to my work station and started quickly chopping up chocolate to try to re-dip the savable strawberries to put them back on the cake. This is when I hear. Everyone's assembled, let's bring out the cake. OH POOP!!!! I'm not ready. I asked for 10 minutes and they said no, I was given 3. I took paper towels and started getting strawberry juice that oozed at the base of the cake on the platter. I ended up wheeling the cake out back side first where those few strawberries I put on the back were 100% fine (go figure, the back side's strawberries were fine but the majority of ones in front cascading decided to try to weep and fall). Everyone clapped and talked about ow gorgeous it was. I hated the cake and this point and just wanted to leave when I was asked to cut it. I stayed to cut the cake and clean up. As I was leaving the chef told me I'm very dedicated and he couldn't laugh but to see me jump in to action without thinking twice just to run out of time because they were ready right then. Everyone was fine with it and had no idea (except for the people who saw the cake when I was working on it.) I'm glad it happened there and not for a wedding or something, because I would be refunding some $$$$ right now.
The moral of the story is don't go into work on your day off to check something.  just kidding. I'm trying to laugh about it now. |
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leah_s
Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Jun 19, 2007
Posts: 5750
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Fri Jul 03, 2009 1:46 pm |
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Honestly, the moral of the story is never, ever put cling wrap over a cake of any sort. But I'm truly sorry to hear of the problems with your cake. |
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stephaniescakenj
Forum Addict
Joined: Aug 19, 2006
Posts: 862
Location: NJ
Birthday: Dec 11
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Fri Jul 03, 2009 2:36 pm |
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And strawberries can be very tempermental. I always dip at the last possible moment since the juice always leaks out. |
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__Jamie__
Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Aug 16, 2008
Posts: 5019
Location: The less seriously you take me, the better off we'll all be!
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Fri Jul 03, 2009 3:02 pm |
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Oh man. Berries, ON a cake, under wrap....disaster waiting to happen. I'm so sorry you had to experience that. |
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indydebi
Forum Matriarch
Joined: Jul 07, 2006
Posts: 22130
Location: Indianapolis IN
Birthday: Jan 19
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Fri Jul 03, 2009 4:28 pm |
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mkolmar
Forum SuperStar!
Joined: May 19, 2006
Posts: 5513
Location: at the computer
Birthday: Jun 02
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Fri Jul 03, 2009 4:42 pm |
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I honestly don't know if it had to do with the cling wrap since it was very very loose on the cake but fitting on the bottom of the raised cake stand so it wouldn't absorb odors in the cooler. There is no pastry cooler so I have to use the walk in fridge that the veggies and such go into also, which smells weird in there. They have a policy that everything must be under refrigeration so I had no choice in the matter.
I don't work on Fridays so I had to have everything done Thursday, otherwise I wait to the last moment like stepahniescakenj to dip. I've done this cake so many times before and never had this happen. Honestly though this is the first time I've ever had to put berries on a cake the day before so I think that was the main issue.
I'm okay with it though. The cake was 100% fine, thank goodness, but the pretty cascading strawberries were off of it which stunk for me to see happen. I work in a care center that is only for nuns and priests. A good number of sisters came up to me later to thank me since they are used to grocery store cakes and this was from scratch. I do have to say that the SPS system rocks (thanks again leahs!) that cake went over rough tile, up a ramp and so on and it still didn't budge.
Lesson learned today! Never think it will be fine to do something a little different than you normally would. |
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leah_s
Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Jun 19, 2007
Posts: 5750
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Fri Jul 03, 2009 6:16 pm |
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Yesssss! for SPS!! If there is a next time, put the cake in a big box (check the office supplies store) and box the strawberries separately. Then throw them on the cake at the last minute, so set them artfully around the base plate. |
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mkolmar
Forum SuperStar!
Joined: May 19, 2006
Posts: 5513
Location: at the computer
Birthday: Jun 02
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Fri Jul 03, 2009 9:22 pm |
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Thanks leahs for the tip. I'll have to do that next time, which will be next month. The SPS system impressed the chef even. He really liked how well it worked. |
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