let me just say that never in my life have I had more trouble finishing a cake as the one I just completed for a co-worker. She requested my Strawberry Shortcake cake wghich is an almond butter cake with strawberry pastry filling and fresh cut strawberries in the middle, topped with a whipped cream icing. Wednesay night I go to the store an pick up a pint of strawberries, being minful that the look and smell fresh. Yesterday morning I wake up and the stawberries are covered in mold...overnight! I go bak to the store and exchange the berrie and then home to bake the cake. I prepared the cake and did not increase the recipe for my pan size (11x15). I could have sworn that the recipe I use filled the pan in the past as it makes a LOT of cake. Well needless to say when the cake came out of the oven it was barely 2" thick...this will never do. So I start again, this time increasing the recipe 1.5x, back in the oven, out at 11:00pm...it's beautiful. Time for bed. This morning I wake up and get ready to finish assembling the cake. The strawberrie I picked up last night...molding! Back to the store I go, fuming this time! I get more strawberries and my money back. Get home, torte the cake prepare whipped cream topping, fill the cake, ice the top, I run out of topping. Back in the car, back to the store for more heavy cream. Whip up another batch, decided to change the recipe I used the first time around for another one I found that called for 10x instead of white sugar. I go to add the gelitan....and the darn thing colapses on me. I start again with the reamining cream I have and everything works out fine exect I still don't have enough to finish the cake border. Back in the car AGAIN to get more heavy cream...this time I buy extra!. Whip up a double batch this time, finally get the cake finished and chilling in the fridge. I am so glad that is over. Why is it that when I make a cake just for fun, everthing runs smoothly, but the second I have someone paying me for a cake Murphy's Law kicks in? Thanks for letting me vent!

Did you have your strawberries in the refrigerator?

ha ha!! i can totally relate!! i did a hockey puck cake for a friend which she was paying for ingredients for, disaster struck!! the cake was too soft, the fondant ripped repeately, i almost gave up!! i was so fustrated!! glad you hung in there and now can look back and laugh about it!!
strawberry problems eh? sometimes they get a bad shipment at the store-i've also recieved ones that looked great but prompty molded. so koodos to you for not packin it in!!

@CWR41-No I had them on the counter overnight. I figgured if they are not chilled when I get them then I shouldn't have to chill them when I get home. My house is not particularly warm, especially in the kitchen.

@Motorhead - Thanks, I can finally breath!

Phew, I'm exhausted just reading about it!!

I'm really new to decorating, so this seems to happen to me every time I make a cake. I've been up until 1am trying to get my icing a proper red color for a strawberry themed cake. I've been back and forth to the store for confectioners sugar, cake flour, eggs.... you name it. And this is after everything being planned ahead of time.

Just be happy it's done and you can breathe a huge sigh of relief.

They are typically chilled when you pick them up from the refrigerated stand they are displayed on, .[/quote]

The stores in my area do not have them chilled. They are out with the apple and bananas. Next time I will know better and shove them in the fridge the second I get home.