I'm waiting for a client to come pick up a cake I made for her and will never be so glad to see a cake leave my home! The client was referred to me by another decorator. After 30 years making cakes she no longer wants to or has the time to make cakes. She teaches now and much prefers to do that. Anyway, this lady asked her to make a dummy cake for a display and also to make a yellow cake with fruit filling and 7 minute frosting. My friend told her that she couldn't do it but the lady would not take no for an answer. So my friend agrees to do the dummy cake and would do it if the lady couldn't fine anyone else. My friend is a really nice and caring person and has come to my aid in a crisis. So although I've never made the type of filling or frosting this woman wants, I agreed to do it. I really wasn't comfortable but I agreed after explaining to the customer that I'd never made that type of frosting but she said "oh, it's just 7 minute frosting" and acted like it was no big deal. I even told her it would be $75 hoping it would discourage her but she agreed to the price. Now I know why! That frosting is a bugger to work with! I made two test batches earlier in the week. The second recipe worked well so that's what I used. Last night I worked on it very late (until 2:00 am this morning) because I'd read that the icing didn't keep for very long. The cake looked great and I went to bed. I got up extra early to check on it and the dang thing had a some bare spots on the sides of the cake. So I make another batch of frosting and wouldn't you know, I can't just cover up the bare spots, I have to scrape them off and refrost the sides. Not a big deal but that horrible frosting is really tempermental. Just as I finish up the customer calls and asks if she can't find my home, can I just meet her at Target up the street. I had already told her I wouldn't deliver it. So I just pause and she says, "well, I'll just call you if I have trouble and maybe you can just lead me there". Jeez! The lady is very nice but she's very persistant. I am not going to meet her there. My SUV is currently loaded to the gills with stuff I need for later today and I don't have room to put a cake. I sure hope she gets here soon. I want to be rid of the stupid cake. And I swear I will never, not ever make that dumb frosting again. I know the humidity is wreaking havoc on it. Lord help me until she gets here and this mini ordeal is over. Thanks for reading thus far. I just needed to vent!

Yvette

Okay, this is weird. Like I'm posting a reply to myself.

Anyway, the customer just came over and picked up the cake. I carried it to her car for her and she left. I'm so relieved. She seemed happy with it and said it looked good. I don't think she was thrilled with it. I wasn't either. You can't do a whole lot of decoration on that frosting. At least I don't know what other than making gumpaste decorations and putting those on top. I put a a small rose spray made of fondant on one corner because she said she didn't want too much. The cake is 12 x 18. She said she would refer me to her friends and I told her in a joking way that that would be great but let them know I won't do that type of frosting. I just think it's too humid here in San Antonio.

I feel better now (my stomach was in knots). It helps to just write it out on this forum too.

Yvette

I grew up with my mother making that 7 minute frosting. And yes, it is very temperamental with the humidty!!! Not your best choice for San Antonio for sure - at least it's not July or August!!

Glad you got that past you and can take a deep breath and relax!!

I'm glad your ordeal is over, too! Don't you hate that feeling of making something for someone and you KNOW it's just not your best work but you HAVE TO give it to them anyway? It's kind of a catch 22. You get to charge decent money for a nice cake but if it doesn't come out nice how do you justify charging alot money! Would it be nice if, when we make a cake and it turns out just so-so, that we can snap our fingers and, voila, it changes from so-so to PERFECT !!

Thanks for the tips on the "stupid" seven minute frosting. LOL

Go have a great day now that that "stupid" cake is gone. LOL

is this the frosting that is very fragile, my MIL makes something & if you touch it after it's set, it's like it breaks....does that make since??

I've done that 7-minute frosting before, and I agree it's a real pain. I won't do it again, either. And it really should only be used on cakes that you're going to serve immediately after frosting.

as soon as u said "the lady wouldnt take no for an answer"...theres your problem...when i say no, its no...and i probably wouldnt make a cake for someone who is so picky and persistent like that because, for $75, it's not worth having your stomach in knots...so....

ya...i woulda stayed away from the beginning, and i'm sure u will from now on...glad it worked out for u...

This is the version of 7 minute frosting my mother used because she considered real 7 minute frosting a royal pain. It wasn't supposed to go on a cake smooth. It was fluffy like meringue with peaks and swirls. I think she made it the same day the cake was served.

Fluffy KitchenAid Frosting
Source: KitchenAid
Yield: frosting for two (9-inch) layers.

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Place sugar, cream of tartar, salt, water, and corn syrup in saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar is completely dissolved, forming a syrup.

Place egg whites in bowl. Attach bowl and wire whip to mixer. Turn to speed 10 and whip until whites begin to hold shape, about 45 seconds.

Continuing on speed 10, slowly pour hot syrup into egg whites in a fine stream, taking about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.

Add vanilla and continue whipping about 5 minutes or until frosting loses gloss and stands in stiff peaks. Frost cake immediately

Sometimes after I get a cake delivered I just want to go have a glass of wine. )

I laughed when I read this because it reminds me of the first time I ever used a 7 minute icing.

I had made a gorgeous coconut cake with a lemon curd filling and frosted it with a seven minute icing sprinkled with coconut.

I sent it to work with my husband as a Christmas present to his office staff.
He called me at noon to tell me that the icing started "melting" right off the cake, but, (not to worry) that everyone still liked it!

I freaked and called my mom. She told me that I had not beat it long enough. And I have found that is true. You have to beat it to while there is still a glossy sheen but just beginning to lose its gloss. ( Kind of like judging the texture of fudge) Then you can be confident that it will not disinegrate in humidity!