This cake http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1496658 just fell over! The customer just emailed me.

Hi Pam,

I just picked up the cake and while it looked beautiful, it toppled over before I was even out of your neighborhood. I brought a friend to watch the box, I put it on a flat surface in the backseat of my van, and used your nonslip pad. I was driving about 10 miles an hour, so I dont know what happened. I think it would have been better to have separated the top from the bottom and transported them separately.


And from now on I will deliver all my own cakes. I cannot trust the customer to get it there. Lesson learned.

Hmmm.weird..Doesn't look like a cake that would topple easily.I 've had 3 tiered cakes picked up and never had one fall over.You can never tell exactly what a customer does with the cake once it leaves your care but I am certain she wasn't as careful with it as she claims.

Looks pretty top heavy to me. I would have held this on my ap carefully and moved it with the bends and turns and bumps in the road. I know that horrifies people, but it is the only way I'll do it. So far, 100% success. Wouldn't dream of doing it any other way. Other than the big cakes which are SPS'd.

So sorry! Frustrating, huh? Can't trust em.....

I think this is a case of "once it passes into your posession I have no control over it, this is why I usually deliver cakes myself for a fee"...................people are NOT careful with cakes!

Could only dowel it as the bottom is a 6 inch and that's as small as SPS goes, it would have torn the cake.

I don't really believe that she was only going 10mph, but whatever.

She was sweet just wants help desguising the flaws and isn't passing blame. But I offered to deliver it and she refused, several times, because she didn't want to put me out!

a seat of a car is flat but it sure aint level. Thats what did it. her friend should have held the box or it should have sat on the floor. I dread seeing people pull up in cars and their trunks are full, with only seat space to put the cake. A seat is fine for a sheet cake but not anything over a layer. I also have a sticker that i put on the box for these types of cakes, telling them im not responsible once it leaves my kitchen. what did you do/tell her?

So sorry this happened.It is a cute cake. I think this was not your repsonsibility. Well , once it left your home it ceased to be, but I think the friend might have held it wrong, dropped it or something else. And who the heck drives at 10mph? Give me a break. lol

I can't do anything now as I work full-time and can't get to her to help.

From what I understand the top tipped backandthe bottom tier is now slanted that way. I told her to grab two pieces of computer paper wrap it around the cake and tilt it back up. Realign the dowelsin a more sturdy part of the cake and put the top back on.

I guess there ia a bit of squished forsting on the top tier that she is going to try and smooth with a hot knife and viva (she happens to use viva).

Not sure what else I could do for her.
I hate to start the great debate but, should I refund her $?

I agree with Khaldstead (not that i sell cakes) but I don't think you're responsible for the cake. A % off on a future cake sounds like a win-win.

[quote="KHalstead"]

I didn't want to put the 6" sps into the 6" inch cake, I thought it would break the cake. You do use them on 6"ers?! without any blowouts? I asked Leahs if she thought it would work and she thought it may cause a blowout and I didn't want to risk it! Very good to know. Thanks!!

Yeah...I wouldn't want to A., waste SPS on a little bitty cake like this, OR risk damaging it. That sure does take a lot useable portions out too.

Oh..........i see what you're sayin..........I wasn't thinking about it correctly. No, I don't use them on the six inch tiers. Sorry. I use a wilton plate that is 4" round and I hot glued the dowels into the bottom )

The cake is way cute, but really top-heavy, and it sounds like it was iced in buttercream. That is just screaming disaster all over the place. If it had been fondant, it MIGHT, with a very big emphasis on MIGHT have made it. Have you done this before in the same way?
Hot glueing dowels to a 4 inch board (or buying a stress free support system) would really be the only way to make that one arrive in semi-upright position.
SO sorry this happened to you- especially since you can't come over and fix it for her. I think it does deserve a slight discount or a certificate for future orders- not much, but a little.

I don't sell cakes and I'm just getting started at this...but if it tipped over right after she pulled out of your neighborhood why didn't she come right back so that you could try and help fix it????

Once customer picks it up its their responsibility.

Putting it in the back seat with noone holding it, bas idea.