my thing for this year is to make a different cake from scratch every week - and there is one guy in my office that had decided he is to critique every single freaking cake i bring in!

its free cake - just freaking eat it!

this weeks cake was too buttery - it was a yellow butter cake mind you. yes it had alot of butter but thats what the recipe asked for and other people were coming into my office to tell me they loved the butter flavour

last weeks cake balls - the sizes werent uniformed

the week before was a good old aussie sponge and he said there were too many fresh strawberries with the cream in the middle

the week before that was coconut cake and he didnt like the dark chocolate ganache

i admit that i do work with a bunch of ferals when it comes to cake but every single week the entire cake is eaten and im getting requests so it cant be that bad

im not decorating them yet just playing with the new KA I got and learning about scratch baking. i know not everyone shares the same tastes in flavour and yeah, feedback is good but for geez sake - this virgo is driving me nuts!

i feel like saying NO CAKE FOR YOU!

Anyone that ever says there is too much butter in their cake needs to be slapped, poked in the eye with a dowel, and had the entire contents of a Funfetti cake mix shoved down their throat. Dry.

No, tell him that since he seems to know alot about cake, and you are *uh hem* new to it, maybe you should have a cake off. He bakes his best recipe and you bake yours and you both bring in your cakes for the office to determine which is better.

Challenge him to "Put up or Shut up!"

You didn't happen to tell them all that you were experimenting and looking for opinions, did you? Just wondering.

Some people hear what they WANT to hear, so maybe he thought that was what he heard??

Slap him hard. Some people just need it!

PIck a great line and say it every single time to him. Just repeat it every time he makes a comment.

"No more cake for you, then!"

"No one else has complained."

"Thanks ... I was wondering where you were with your weekly negative comment about my free cake."

Tell him he has a fat a$$ and should lay off the cake anyway.

(which secretly is my plan to make myself thinner by making them fat )

hahaah why didnt i think of this myself??? hahahaha

just tell the jacka$$ that the friggin cake is free so eat up and shut up...no opinions needed!

Some people like the be the "Jack of all trades" ya know...the guy who knows how to do EVERYTHING.......but doesn't know Jack Sh*t? We have a one, I call him Jack!

I would individually give the cake to everyone but him. THen when he comes looking for his piece I would tell him "No, this cake is too buttery for your taste, you wont like it" and walk off.

Me, I'd let him have a piece of cake and when he walks up to me, just as he begins to open his mouth, I'd say:

"Wait, wait! I know, something is WRONG with the cake, right?
How'd I guess?
Because you've had something negative to say about every other cake I've made.
I've thought it over and I don't want your opinion, anymore.
You ruin the buzz I get out of making cakes that everyone else seems to appreciate.
Have a nice day Buh-bye."

Rae

I'm going out on a limb here with my varying opinion. I can certainly understand that it is frustrating hearing his weekly comments. However if you can take a step back, his comments sound rather helpful since you are trying new recipes. Good observation about the different size in cake balls for example or that the butter cake had a strong butter flavor. When I try something new and have friends taste it I have to push them for critiques and comments so I know if it is something I want to make again or toss the recipe. Maybe you could try to hear them as comments or critiques rather than complaints. Since he keeps coming back, he certainly does like your cakes. Denette

If it were me, I would skip a week making the cake. When everyone wants to know where this week's cake is I would say "Well, there's someone who never has anything nice to say about the free cake they get, and quite frankly this week I didn't feel like getting my feelings hurt."

It will take all of about 3 seconds for the other employees to jump all over him. Bet he shuts up after that.

See, maybe it's the New Yorker in me, but I would just put my waste paper pail on a nearby table with a sign that says, "Cake comments may be deposited here", and after a week or two, I think you should be comment-free. JMHO

Mrs-A - I think the dude lacks certain social skills. He probably thinks he is being helkpful with his criticism!

My husband works for a large corporation, and their tradition is that when someone has a birthday THAT person brings in a cake to share. So, they generally all get me to make a cake for them (ie they buy it off me). One time, someone ordered a white chocolate mud cake with white choc decorations etc, and so I went to town experimenting with my chocolate collars and curls etc - it looked sensational! I love being given free rein to try new ideas and get paid for them!

ANyhow, it was raved over, EXCEPT for this one guy who told me at a Xmas social bowls night - it was 'way too rich and sweet'. Helloooo?? Did I make it for YOU?

THEN, he totally blew me away by ordering a cake from me for HIS birthday! (I made him a plain banana cake with cream cheese frosting)...He loved it.

Because I also send in cakes I am experimenting with to hubby's work for feedback, I make sure my husband gives this bloke as much cake as he wants. So far I have made him gorge himself on too many profiteroles (couldn't stop eating them) and a cherry ripe mud cake.

My mission is to kill him with cake.

(Btw he is also a single man. Because he is an engineer though, it is clear why - he simply lacks those social skills!!)

Oh Mrs A - why set yourself up every week?

Just don't give him any and when he asks why - just say
My cakes don't like you.


Bluehue.