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First wedding cake disaster - Page 2

post #16 of 41
4/14/09 at 8:47pm
I am so sorry about your cake! Please don't give up on making wedding cakes. I had a similar experience. I had the brides mother call me after the wedding wondering if I had a picture of the wedding cake when I set it up. When I asked her about it she started crying, saying it had started falling over and they had to take it apart. She was also upset because the ice sculptures that they ordered also never showed. I showed her the picture of the cake and told her everything was fine when I left. She finally let it out that the air conditioning in the banquet room must have gone out because it was really hot when they got there. I was so glad I had taken a picture to prove that I left everything in good shape. However, I know how you feel. I was so upset that I wanted to quit baking too. You never want your customers to be upset with you. But keep learning and keep at it. It was a beautiful cake, especially for your first one!
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post #17 of 41
4/14/09 at 8:49pm
You did a beautiful job! I agree with other posters, it looks like the cake had be moved. Who knows how rough they were when they moved it. Another reason could be maybe your dowels in the bottom tier were slightly different heights. Maybe that caused extra weight to be put onto the back of the cake and it eventually gave out..maybe when they moved the cake?

No matter what, you did a fab job and the bride knew she was taking a risk hiring someone who had never made a wedding cake before. The only person she should be upset with is herself for trying to take advantage of you.
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post #18 of 41
4/14/09 at 8:57pm
I think your cake was beautiful! I too think the cake was moved. If you look closely at the background it is not the same. Keep on girl your doing fine!
Mare
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Mare
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post #19 of 41
4/14/09 at 8:57pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the helpful insights. I was the one who put the car toppers on. I wanted a picture without them (the first photo you see) because I really didn't like the looks of it with them on. So no one else messed with it that way. The lady in the picture is the lady from the reception hall who was going to be cutting the cake. She was trying to save the rest of the cake before they came in, which she did.
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post #20 of 41
4/14/09 at 9:09pm
You know, no matter what anyone tells you, your gonna feel bad. My tiered cake with the purple flowers trailing up it was set up in a room where the A/C was off and the thermostat said 85 degrees. (I thought it was my nerves making me sweat, then my husband said he had to leave because it was too hot) Had buttercream melting everywhere. Left one tier off because I knew it wouldnt stay up. The more I tried to fix melting icing, the more it leaned. Any hoo, by the time the 200 or so guests arrived, it was 6 or so hours before they cut it and by then, bam, the top tier slid off. The bride said if thats the worst that happens on her wedding day, then its ok. Well, beat myself up over it for the last year and last week she asked me to do her baby shower cake, the same cake and filling as her wedding cake. So I feel alot better now, and you will too!
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post #21 of 41
4/14/09 at 9:11pm
(ETA) It is a lovely cake, just perfection. Wonderful job on your first wedding cake!

I agree the cake looks moved. From your pic, the front of one side of the square looks about parallel with the wall behind. I know the other pic could just be taken from a different angle but to me it doesn't look like any side of it would be parallel to the wall. Just my opinion...

Something similar happened to me. My first (fondant covered) tiered wedding cake came out great. My 2nd (buttercream) tiered wedding cake was perfect when we left the house. By the time we arrived and set it up, it had a bad lean to the back. Apparently, it didn't taste great either. I did feel bad for the bride (friend's niece), because all brides want that perfect wedding, but I still feel that she knew the risks, I never made myself out to be more than I was, and because of the risks involved, I only took money for supplies. I even underestimated my costs there and lost money on the cake.

This last weekend, I made a free cake for that same bride for her baby shower. Free, so I could somehow make up for her dissatisfaction on the wedding cake. Unless it was lost in communication (from her to aunt to me), then I didn't even get a thank you!
I never met a cake I didn't like.

Kristy
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I never met a cake I didn't like.

Kristy
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post #22 of 41
4/14/09 at 9:14pm
That bride is a class A B****. That is a fabulous cake. You did an exceptional decorating job. You have absolutely nothing to second guess in that way.

When I stack a cake (more than 2 tiers) I use the plastic tubes from Wilton, and plastic separator plates. I make sure that the plate is being supported by the rods, and just barely touching the cake. Then the border covers the plate and small gap. I don't know if that's the RIGHT way to do it, but I haven't had a cake issue yet. HTH
Eat Smart... Eat Cake!!!
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Eat Smart... Eat Cake!!!
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post #23 of 41
4/14/09 at 9:15pm
It's a beautiful cake..
http://applemintcakeshop.blogspot.com/
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http://applemintcakeshop.blogspot.com/
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post #24 of 41
4/14/09 at 9:15pm
Ok you keep mentioning that you over doweled...I didn't know you could over dowel. How many did you use? Im glad I found out about it because I have some tiered cakes coming up...
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post #25 of 41
4/14/09 at 9:21pm
I think it was a lovely cake. We all have cake disasters, I don't think this was a cake disaster, more of a cake hickup. It is hard, we are artists at heart and this is our work. It's really hard when it doesn't turn out amazing. I'm sorry it happened. Give it a few weeks it won't seem so bad.
The life so short, the craft so long to learn...(Chaucer)
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The life so short, the craft so long to learn...(Chaucer)
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post #26 of 41
4/14/09 at 9:27pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by bizatchgirl

(ETA) It is a lovely cake, just perfection. Wonderful job on your first wedding cake!

Something similar happened to me. My first (fondant covered) tiered wedding cake came out great. My 2nd (buttercream) tiered wedding cake was perfect when we left the house. By the time we arrived and set it up, it had a bad lean to the back. Apparently, it didn't taste great either. I did feel bad for the bride (friend's niece), because all brides want that perfect wedding, but I still feel that she knew the risks, I never made myself out to be more than I was, and because of the risks involved, I only took money for supplies. I even underestimated my costs there and lost money on the cake.

This last weekend, I made a free cake for that same bride for her baby shower. Free, so I could somehow make up for her dissatisfaction on the wedding cake. Unless it was lost in communication (from her to aunt to me), then I didn't even get a thank you!



Sorry you had a bad experience also! I hope I will be able to make a make up cake for her/them. Hopefully I will get a thank you too!
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post #27 of 41
4/14/09 at 9:30pm
It was a very pretty cake!

I'm so sorry it fell!

I can't believe they wanted freakin matchbox cars on it!! To each his own, but that looked stupid!! That's why you have a groom's cake!
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post #28 of 41
4/14/09 at 9:39pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for all the nice replies. I know we are all our own worst critics.

As for how many dowels were used. Hmmm, it was a square 14" with a round 12" on top of it so I believe I used around 10? I cannot remember exactly, I know I looked into how many each tier should have and did that amount plus a couple extra.
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post #29 of 41
4/14/09 at 9:44pm
I don't think you overdoweled either. That amount sounds just perfect. There are many people with bad dowel experiences (mine was dowels also). Check out Tonedna's youtube video on tiered cakes. I believe she uses dowels and has never had issues, so there may be something we're missing.

You might also want to try something different next time. The Wilton's tubes as PP said, SPS, bubble tea straws.

Thanks for your comment on my issue. Just wanted to let you know it happens to ALL of us. And even if you try to make up for it, you might still be bad-mouthed.
I never met a cake I didn't like.

Kristy
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I never met a cake I didn't like.

Kristy
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post #30 of 41
4/15/09 at 2:01am
Just one question, when using that many dowels did you do one big circle or did you do one big circle with a smaller circle in the middle?

Why you ask? If you did one big one and its too far to the edge of the board above, and the board started to weeken (uncovered card board will soak up the moisture from the cake and can cause failure) it could cause a collapse like this.

It really was a beautiful cake and i do wonder if it had help in falling like this. Although if this happened before the guests got there, that would mean it was "helped" by the staff and that you will never know.
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