First Wedding Cake Disater!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Decorating By crablegs Updated 29 Aug 2007 , 10:25pm by dezzib27
Let me start off by saying that I really hate this cake. I didn't want to post it but I do want to learn from my mistakes. First, I realize that I need thicker ribbon around the bottom of the tiers. I did not stack the cake until I got to the church. Well.......... During that process I got sevral finger holes in the icing. In other parts the icing just cracked like shattered glass. I could not get it to smooth back out. I even had a spot where to the icing started to just fall off. I used SugarShacks bc recipe (which tastes great and is very smooth) I just do not know what happened to it. If any one could offer some advise please do so.
Thanks
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=958983
Well, I really can't tell by the picture, it looks beautiful!! I'm sorry your icing cracked, I've never used SugarShacks icing, sorry I can't be of any help... but just wanted to say that your cake is beautiful! Cheer up, don't be to hard on yourself.
Thicker boards will help with the cracking. I hate it when it does that. Nothing worse than a beautiful cake with cracks in it. Just had that happen to me today. I had to improvise a board and I really paid for it. Not only did I make it too big to fit in the box, but my icing cracked terribly. Oh well, practice makes better!
I can't see any finger holes and I think your ribbon looks fine. YOu took a side photo, and it looks like a thick covering of flowers on the front, so any flaws that you saw were probably covered and not noticed by anyone else. YOur edges look good ..... the bottom tier has some edging bulge, but that happens. Do you Melvira?
I think it looks beautiful! And I really dont see flaws. And nine times out of ten I doubt the bride or groom did either! Wedding days are so crazy that you dont remember half the time who was there or what happened. I cant even remember my wedding cake!! I do remember cutting into a dummy but laughed when it wouldnt cut and moved on. Your really just being too hard on yourself. Remember Cake Eyes!! So unless your cake was for Collette Peters, dont sweat it!
I'm sorry that this happened to you. The good thing is that you had flowers for the cake as well, they always do a good job of distracting people from the problems. Maybe it's the shot, but this doesn't look like a complete disaster. I always imagine sliding cakes and bulging out fillings! Here are some tips that I would do, you can take them or leave them since I know we all have our own style. First, I had a post a while back and people suggested backing your cloth ribbon with wax paper or press and seal saran wrap. This will prevent the icing from bleeding through. Also, I always try to convince the bride that we should do at least dots on the cake if it's covered in buttercream. It gives it a more finished look and it can also distract and hide some mistakes. I always use Wilton's buttercream recipe. You'd think that it was some gourmet icing the way people rave about it. It has ne ver done me wrong. I use clear vanilla, real butter and store brand shortening (I too have strayed from Crisco). I also set up on site. I can't handle the stress of delivering assembled.
I hope that some of this is helpful. I think that your cake looked nice and we always are our own worst critic. You know the old saying "what doesn't kill us, makes us stronger!" Good luck!
I can't see any finger holes and I think your ribbon looks fine. YOu took a side photo, and it looks like a thick covering of flowers on the front, so any flaws that you saw were probably covered and not noticed by anyone else. YOur edges look good ..... the bottom tier has some edging bulge, but that happens. Do you Melvira?
I did use the Melvira method, and the viva, and Sugarshacks copy paper method. How do I keep from getting the edging bulge........... I have a big problem with that.
That is definitely NOT a disaster!!! It looks very pretty, I'm sure that the bride and groom were thrilled. The ribbon does not look too thin to me. I bet you got lots of compliments on it, didn't you?
I'm sorry that this happened to you. The good thing is that you had flowers for the cake as well, they always do a good job of distracting people from the problems. Maybe it's the shot, but this doesn't look like a complete disaster. I always imagine sliding cakes and bulging out fillings! Here are some tips that I would do, you can take them or leave them since I know we all have our own style. First, I had a post a while back and people suggested backing your cloth ribbon with wax paper or press and seal saran wrap. This will prevent the icing from bleeding through. Also, I always try to convince the bride that we should do at least dots on the cake if it's covered in buttercream. It gives it a more finished look and it can also distract and hide some mistakes. I always use Wilton's buttercream recipe. You'd think that it was some gourmet icing the way people rave about it. It has ne ver done me wrong. I use clear vanilla, real butter and store brand shortening (I too have strayed from Crisco). I also set up on site. I can't handle the stress of delivering assembled.
I hope that some of this is helpful. I think that your cake looked nice and we always are our own worst critic. You know the old saying "what doesn't kill us, makes us stronger!" Good luck!
Thanks for the tips. They will come in handy if I get another wedding order. I will remember to suggest dots or something next time. This was the first cake I put together on site. I believe it was more stressing for me than delivering whole. People starting coming in and some woman was telling all the kids to 'go watch to cake lady"
did you notice anything different about your icing when you mixed it--before you applied it? I had a very similar disaster a few months ago--and the icing set differently even in the mixer. I should have started over then but I didn't. The cake is pretty--quit kicking yourself. We love it--and you!
I think it looks beautiful. The question is though, did the bride and groom love it? I am sure they did. If this is as bad as it gets, count your blessings. When we look at the cakes we make the blemishes seem larger than life to us and usually no one else sees them unless we point them out to them. So hold your head high, you did well.
First of all, let me say that you did a great job!
To prevent the bulging, see KelleyM's tutorial here:
http://www.cakeboss.com/PreventBulging.aspx
I started doing this with my cakes and no longer have that bulge around the middle.
To prevent cracking, try a thicker cake board. If you are using a thick cake board, then try adding a teaspoon of vinegar to the icing. One of my Wilton instructors told us about that tip.
First of all, let me say that you did a great job!
To prevent the bulging, see KelleyM's tutorial here:
http://www.cakeboss.com/PreventBulging.aspx
I started doing this with my cakes and no longer have that bulge around the middle.
To prevent cracking, try a thicker cake board. If you are using a thick cake board, then try adding a teaspoon of vinegar to the icing. One of my Wilton instructors told us about that tip.
I think it looks very pretty, especially for your first one!! Now, the top edge bulge, I have to fight with that sometimes too! I HATE IT! ARGH!!! Sometimes it's that you have too much icing up there. Try removing a little after you've spatula smoothed, but before it crusts if possible. Usually the roller will flatten out the sides and if there is any extra up there after rolling, carefully remove that, too. You can use a very thin, very sharp paring knife to sort of trim off any excess. That bulge usually happens if you roll the sides, then roll the top. It pushes the icing down on the edges. Roll the sides last and you shouldn't notice it as much if at all.
Do you Melvira?
Oh my god... When did I become a verb? Hehehe!! 
It looks beautiful!! I hate it when you are trying to set up and everyone wants to watch the cake lady. I once had a lady, one of the country club managers, stand over my shoulder and critique every flaw on my cake.
I have had issues with the buldge on top too. Some advice I have read on here for that is to do a nice crumb coat and then follow with a thin layer of buttercream using the big icing tip. I think the buldge is cause by too much icing covered on the cake which makes it hard to smooth out.
I think you did a beautiful job!!! 
Re; Watching the cake lady....
Years and years ago, I was setting up a cake in a hotel. It was for 200 people....4 tier, square, with a 14" base (which serves 98 by itself). One of the hotel staff ask how many it would serve and I said 200. She made a smart remark about no way. I said "Actually, we'll probably have cake left over. I've done more than one of these."
She said, "Well I've worked more than one of these and there is no way that cake will serve 200!"
(Bear in mind she was over 40 and I was a cute little 20-something so I'm sure she was thinking this "kid" COULDN'T know what she was doing.)
Without even looking up, I said, "Well, I guess that's why you work FOR someone and I run my own business."
She shut up and walked away.
(Yes, I've ALWAYS been a smart a$$!)
I was expecting to see something terrible, but your cake is beautiful!! don't be so hard on yourself. I thought the ribbon and the flowers were great!! I could only wish for such a "disaster".
Now, I know you probably learned a lesson or two about assembly, sizing ribbons,etc. but just take it as lessons learned & start making the next cake
Re; Watching the cake lady....
Years and years ago, I was setting up a cake in a hotel. It was for 200 people....4 tier, square, with a 14" base (which serves 98 by itself). One of the hotel staff ask how many it would serve and I said 200. She made a smart remark about no way. I said "Actually, we'll probably have cake left over. I've done more than one of these."
She said, "Well I've worked more than one of these and there is no way that cake will serve 200!"
(Bear in mind she was over 40 and I was a cute little 20-something so I'm sure she was thinking this "kid" COULDN'T know what she was doing.)
Without even looking up, I said, "Well, I guess that's why you work FOR someone and I run my own business."
She shut up and walked away.
(Yes, I've ALWAYS been a smart a$$!)
Again, yes indydebi ALWAYS has an answer!!!!!!
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