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" Wedding cake fell apart!!! I'm sick!!!"

post #1 of 63
6/14/08 at 2:44pm
Thread Starter 
Oh where do I begin??? I guess it's bound to happen to us once right?? I delivered a 4 tier (not too big only a 4,6,8,and10") stacked cake this afternoon. When I arrived at the venue (which happens to be at my kids' school...the wedding was at OUR church, how embarassing), the cake had leaned back in the box a little smudging the back of the top tier...no problem, I pull it out, drive in another couple dowels to steady it, patch up the back and think all is good. I spin the cake around to make sure nothing else is wrong and I see a crack forming on the bottom tier (figured out later that the dowels shifted) so I try to fill it in with frosting and it's getting bigger, then I see another one!! The bottom tier is unsalvagable. I get some older lady who was there to let everyone in to assist me as I lift the other 3 tiers off of the bottom one and start having her pull out the 50 or so dowels I've put into the thing trying to save it. She finally gets them all out (the icing is starting to melt in my hands) and I set the cake down on a countertop. I figure I can salvage these three at least! I shift the bottom tier off the decorated board to set the 3 tiers on it and the 3 tiers fall off the counter!!! The woman says the cardboard or something hit it and it fell!! So now I'm in tiers (edited to say lol, I mean tears), the lady managed to catch the bottom two tiers the 6" and 8" before they went to the floor. I take them apart and patch up the 6" as best as I can and set out the "kitchen cake" which is a sheetcake (so not classy for a wedding) on the cake table and put the flowers that were to be on the 4 tier on top of this one little 6" that is now on the 12" cake board. Only the paper on the top of the board ripped, so we had to tape it and it also had grease spots. So another woman comes up with this yellow ribbon (didn't match a thing!) and I ruffle it and pin it down and use some pieces of angel confetti they had strewn about to cover the push pins. When all is said and done I'm refunding the 200.00 they paid for the two cakes and getting a better stacking system. I will NEVER deliver a fully assembled cake with wooden wilton dowels in it ever again!!! Lesson Learned!!!! ugh...the hard way!! Here are photos of before and one of the disaster, and one of the salvaged cakes..kinda icon_cry.gif
LL
LL
LL
LL
God's Word will either keep you from sin;
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God's Word will either keep you from sin;
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post #2 of 63
6/14/08 at 2:49pm
Awwww, you poor thing! And it was soooo pretty.

I'm sure we'll all have at least one bad day. Sorry this happened to you.
Accountant by day....Masked baker by night!
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Accountant by day....Masked baker by night!
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post #3 of 63
6/14/08 at 2:53pm
Oh, ouch.

Nice fix, though.

Was the kitchen cake swirled originally, or did you add the decoration when you realized it'd have to be on display?
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post #4 of 63
6/14/08 at 2:55pm
Thread Starter 
no no, I put the swirls on it already because the whole idea was so that people would THINk they were getting a slice of the main cake, but it wasn't big enough to feed everyone...so it was already decorated like that Thank God!! I can't imagine if it was just plain iced slab of cake...I REALLY would have been histerical. I feel horrible enough even though it looks pretty nice for a SHEET CAKE, but who wants a sheet cake for their WEDDING????/ I feel just aweful for the bride and groom!!!

My DH keeps telling me, if this ruins their wedding then they've got more issues than cake...but I still feel terrible. I mean this is their wedding day!!!!!! How terrible for them!!
God's Word will either keep you from sin;
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God's Word will either keep you from sin;
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post #5 of 63
6/14/08 at 3:04pm
You poor thing.. ((((HUGS)))) That just stinks. It was such a pretty cake. Get yourself the SPS.. you will never have this problem ever again. It's cheap and VERY sturdy.
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post #6 of 63
6/14/08 at 3:05pm
Deep breath..... you've done what you could.

Does whoever's cutting the cake know to cut smaller?
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post #7 of 63
6/14/08 at 3:06pm
Thread Starter 
can you deliver them fully stacked???? with the sps?? I really am considering it now! Where do I get it??? They're cheap?? I thought they were really pricey!! I need it.....oh how I need it!!
God's Word will either keep you from sin;
or sin will keep you from God's Word.
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God's Word will either keep you from sin;
or sin will keep you from God's Word.
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post #8 of 63
6/14/08 at 3:07pm
Well you did a marvelous job on that cake! Im sooo sorry that happened to you! But it looked like you were able to present something in the end. I had something similar happen to me one time. I had a cake delivery that was two hours away and it was a four tiered cake. A truck in front of me slammed on the brakes and I had to do the same to avoid hitting him. So needless to say that the bottom tier had a major blowout and the third tier didnt look so hot but was able to be cut up anyway. So they only got two tiers for show. I called the groom to be (it was a engagement party for 175!) and told him what had happened and that he had atleast enough cake to serve to his guests. Well to make a long story short, I didnt get paid a dime for that cake. I didnt expect full price but I think if he was decent he could of given me something for my effort! So from that day on, I no longer deliver a fully assembled tiered cake! I also invested in the stress-free support system. It was a little pricey but it does a wonderful job. The only complaint is the looks I get when I tell the venue that I want my cake plates back! They look at me like Im cheap or something! So after I get "the look" I tell them their not the usual plastic ones that their stainless steel and pricey!!! Then I usually get the look like "oh, ok then"!
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post #9 of 63
6/14/08 at 4:06pm
Thread Starter 
I'm definitely getting a different stacking system for sure!!!! I can't figure out what to refund now though. The tiered cake was 140.00 and the sheet cake was 60.00...the sheet was fine...but should I give back the entire 200.00 for good customer service?? or just the 140.00...I mean it was their wedding cake!! I'm contemplating giving them 250.00...just for the inconvenience!
God's Word will either keep you from sin;
or sin will keep you from God's Word.
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God's Word will either keep you from sin;
or sin will keep you from God's Word.
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post #10 of 63
6/14/08 at 4:24pm
Oh sweetie, I have been there too! (((((hugs)))))))! This is intended to make you feel better and have a good laugh-this is a 3 tiered topsy turvy of mine that fell over. It makes me sad just to see it. It happens to everyone!
LL
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post #11 of 63
6/14/08 at 4:24pm
First off, that cake is stunning and I would be delighted down to soles of my feet if you told me what type of frosting you are using! Second, did I mention how gorgous that cake was? :- And I hate sheetcakes, but that one was stunning.

I am so sorry this happened to you. I had a melty-shifting nightmare about a month ago - my first assembled delivery (using straws) and after the fiasco, I decided to listen to Leah, who is forever raving about the SPS system, not to be confused with the SFS.

I got all the plates from 6" - 16" ($2.29 - $8.99 or so) in both square and round plus the adjustable clear legs ($11.99) and the 4" legs ($6 for 12) thru GSA. I used them for the first time last weekend with two stacked cakes to be picked up by the customer and they were awesome.

My only trouble was baking them to the exact height of the cake but I will work that out. You can get the system in your most common 3 sizes for under $20. It really is so worth it.

The stress-free system where it shows the lady standing on it is a similar principal but cost $189 - not realistic for me so I am very happy with the SPS.

As for the refund, I would refund the $200. Not that your resulting cake wasn't lovely, but you know the drill......... I really am flabergasted at how awesome the cake was and fall-down or not, you should be very proud of your talent! icon_smile.gif
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post #12 of 63
6/14/08 at 5:38pm
Thread Starter 
summernoelle......oh, I would have totally cried...that cake looks like it was sooo pretty!!! I love the daisies!!

CakeDiva thanks so much, makes me feel good coming from someone with YOUR talent. The frosting is just buttercreme from Sam's Club that comes in the 28lb. bucket....I really like it and my customers LOVE the taste. It's pretty darn sweet (too sweet for my likings) but my customers always rave about it! It behaves super well as far as crusting and getting it super smooth and such.
God's Word will either keep you from sin;
or sin will keep you from God's Word.
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God's Word will either keep you from sin;
or sin will keep you from God's Word.
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post #13 of 63
6/14/08 at 7:17pm
OMG that cake was beautiful!!!!!!!!!!! absolutely gorgeous! i'm so sorry about the disaster! but your work is gorgeous!
Dental Assistant by day, Baker by night...... it's called Job Security!!!
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Dental Assistant by day, Baker by night...... it's called Job Security!!!
***Only brush the ones you want to keep***
***FLOSS OR DIE***
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post #14 of 63
6/14/08 at 10:37pm
That was my biggest fear last weekend, but fortunately it held together. Your cake was lovely and what a great save. Looks awesome.

This one place I wennt to for supplies a couple weeks ago told me that they only stack two cakes together and then transport any other cakes that need to be stacked on top of that on separate cakes. When they get to the destination, they assemble the rest. She said they use only the wooden dowels and cake boards. She went on to say that they have never had a problem in all the years they were in business. She did say that they never assemble a cake fully if more than 2 tiers. FYI. And, they never do a center dowel either. That part scared me.

I'm sorry that happened to you. Here's hoping it won't happen again!
Vicki
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Vicki
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post #15 of 63
6/15/08 at 1:14pm
Thread Starter 
oh it won't happen again, I'm either ordering the SPS system from oasis or the SFS from EArlene's cakes....either way it's not happening again unless I'm in like a major car accident or something!!! I think the issue with the wooden dowels is that I cut them with a hacksaw and I think the bottoms of them aren't perfectlly flat and straight and they wound up leaning and the cake itself was supporting the weight of the other two cakes. This happened during transport because that before photo was taken just before I left the house with it to deliver it and there was absolutely no damage to the cake at that point in time...no signs of sagging or anything, so it must have happened during the delivery.
God's Word will either keep you from sin;
or sin will keep you from God's Word.
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God's Word will either keep you from sin;
or sin will keep you from God's Word.
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