Fear Of The Knife...

Decorating By Polkadot79 Updated 24 Nov 2010 , 7:53pm by jen1977

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Polkadot79 Posted 23 Nov 2010 , 6:38pm
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How many of you all cringe when you see your creation "destroyed"? I'm not typically at the wedding of my cakes, but had the opportunity this past Saturday to be the bridesmaid and the baker. I'm not sure if it's because I really loved the design, but I had a really tough time watching the server take it apart and serve it. I had to hold myself back from running up and grabbing the knife although I still think the best compliments are the ones about the taste. icon_lol.gif Anyone else experienced this?

30 replies
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TexasSugar Posted 23 Nov 2010 , 6:42pm
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I'd rather see people eat and enjoy the cake then just look at it. I've never understood the people that say oh it's too pretty to cut. It's cake, it's meant to be eaten. icon_smile.gif

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Polkadot79 Posted 23 Nov 2010 , 6:54pm
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I typically agree. Guess I just got too attached to this one. Simple, elegant wedding cakes are what I'm really passionate about, so that might have had an effect...or could have been that the wedding cake was cut right at the beginning of the reception and immediately started being served. I've catered some and try to encourage the bride to wait until later into the reception.

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ThePurpleButterfly Posted 23 Nov 2010 , 6:54pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TexasSugar

I'd rather see people eat and enjoy the cake then just look at it. I've never understood the people that say oh it's too pretty to cut. It's cake, it's meant to be eaten. icon_smile.gif



I'm the same way. I can't wait for them to cut into it and eat the cake. I thrive on how good my cake is just as much as how much they liked the design.

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JCE62108 Posted 23 Nov 2010 , 7:02pm
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I want to see them DESTROY it!!!! That is what its there for!

I feel worse if a cake sits at an event and the guest of honor waits so long to cut into it, that some of the guests have already left...then there are a few slices taken out with a whole waste of cake left over....that bothers me. I want people to eat it up! Then those people are sitting there going nuts over how great it tastes, and its a shame half the guests didnt get to try it because the guest of honor wanted to stare at it so long that people didnt want to wait for a piece to be cut. lol

I dont get attached to my cakes at all. That is why I take photos of all of them. I at least want to have a record and be able to remember what the cake looked like, and that is really all I care about. Once I hand it over, dig in!!!!!

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Polkadot79 Posted 23 Nov 2010 , 7:12pm
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Beginning to think I have a cake complex! icon_biggrin.gif Everyone was bragging on how good the cake was, but not many comments on the appearance...found out from several friends after the wedding that they didn't even get to really see how the cake looked, so I'm still a fan of holding the knife off just a bit. icon_smile.gif

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indydebi Posted 23 Nov 2010 , 8:01pm
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I made a cake for a coworker's birthday and when I delivered it, she gave the dreaded response of "Oh its too pretty to cut!" I told her, "I didnt' stay up until 2:00 a.m. after working a full 8 hr shift just so you could look at the dang thing! If you aren't going to cut it, give me the knife and get out of the way!"

If a baker doesn't want to see their work cut and eaten, they should stick to making styrofoam cakes for show. the whole purpose of a cake is to EAT IT!!! thumbs_up.gif

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Beckalita Posted 23 Nov 2010 , 9:06pm
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Amen, Debi !!!!!! I agree 100% !!!

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Polkadot79 Posted 23 Nov 2010 , 9:48pm
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I definitely agree the purpose is to be eaten, but if we didn't at least want some admiration of our work then we wouldn't spend hours perfecting how it looks. The cake is the focal point of alot of wedding receptions, so I see no point in spendng hundreds (and for some even thousands) of dollars on a cake for it to not be admired before being cut. I'm not meaning that I think the cake shouldn't be eaten because if that was the case, I wouldn't spend the time I do baking and would simpy pull out a cake mix everytime. The artist in me likes to be appreciated for the hours of time and creativity. Sounds selfish to some, but my viewpoint. icon_smile.gif

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langranny Posted 23 Nov 2010 , 10:01pm
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that's what the photos are for - eat now and enjoy forever...

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Polkadot79 Posted 23 Nov 2010 , 10:19pm
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Does anyone see my point? Everyone there won't see the photos. What's wrong with wishing that the cake wasn't cut the first 5 minutes of the reception as was done this past Saturday? I can see that you all have totally missed my tongue in cheek approach to "fear of the knife".

Excerpt from article I found online about Toba Garrett: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleid=516256

You want some self-satisfaction for a project, smiles Chef Toba who says that she has occasionally turned down commissions. The hardest thing is to see someone take a knife and cut up your art. So you charge a lot of money; you get the money before you exit. And you leave before they cut the cake.

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StephW Posted 23 Nov 2010 , 10:37pm
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Polkadot, I understand your point. But why was the cake cut so early? That doesn't make sense to me. I would think that is the exception rather than the norm.

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Elcee Posted 24 Nov 2010 , 12:04am
post #13 of 31
Quote:
Originally Posted by Polkadot79

Does anyone see my point?




Oh, I do! It is so hard for me to see that first cut icon_cry.gif. And don't even think of asking me to make the first cut into one of my own cakes! Yikes! No way! Even the practice cakes I take to work.

Once the first cut is made I'm OK because I want a piece, too. icon_lol.gif

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sadsmile Posted 24 Nov 2010 , 12:23am
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I usually start slicing where a flaw is... and say take that! Uh huh whatcha going to do but sit there and be delicious and get eaten up now. Mmm hm.

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Ruth0209 Posted 24 Nov 2010 , 12:58am
post #15 of 31
Quote:
Originally Posted by sadsmile

I usually start slicing where a flaw is... and say take that! Uh huh whatcha going to do but sit there and be delicious and get eaten up now. Mmm hm.




Me, too! Sometimes I'm glad when they destroy the evidence! I do like for people to have time to admire my work before it's gone, but I also get tired of hearing the "too pretty to cut" refrain even though I know it's meant to be a compliment.

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Rose_N_Crantz Posted 24 Nov 2010 , 1:04am
post #16 of 31
Quote:
Originally Posted by sadsmile

I usually start slicing where a flaw is... and say take that! Uh huh whatcha going to do but sit there and be delicious and get eaten up now. Mmm hm.




I had the same thing happen a few weeks ago. I made an apple shaped cake for a housewarming party that I attended. The cake turned out great, the hostess said it was just how she imagined it. It sat in the room for about an hour and everyone loved it. Then I noticed (due to the 80+ degrees it was in the room) that the icing was starting to sag a bit. I grabbed the knife and said loudly "who wants a slice?" and quickly started cutting up the thing!

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tokazodo Posted 24 Nov 2010 , 1:31am
post #17 of 31
Quote:
Originally Posted by TexasSugar

I'd rather see people eat and enjoy the cake then just look at it. I've never understood the people that say oh it's too pretty to cut. It's cake, it's meant to be eaten. icon_smile.gif





I'm with TexasSugar, it's meant to be eaten. Over a month ago, I donated a wedding cake to a couple who couldn't afford one. I stopped by the reception, briefly, to pay my respect and show my face. (It had all been handled over the phone) When I arrived at the reception, I noticed there was a big finger swipe of buttercream missing out of the front of the cake. A friend of mine, who was attending the wedding and reception, said that there was a little boy about 4 years old, who saw the buttercream 'dots' on the side of the cake. The little boy thought they were beads, and when he realized he couldn't pick a 'bead', off the side of the cake, he swiped his finger through the buttercream on the front of the cake, before the photographer got a photo.
In the past, I would have gotten all twisted over this, but I just kind of smiled. If my 'beads' were good enough for him to actually try to 'pick' off the cake, then that worked for me. Besides, I had all of 'MY' photos which will last a long time.
I honestly admired the fact that the four year old had the childish abandon to go for what he wanted, and got it no matter how hard he tried!
Cake with 'beads':
http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1829080

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mareg Posted 24 Nov 2010 , 1:32am
post #18 of 31

I can't wait for them to cut it. They feel worse than I do cutting into it! Lol

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cakeville82 Posted 24 Nov 2010 , 1:52am
post #19 of 31

The only cake that was a hard to cut was my Threadcakes Entry,any other cake I'm either not there to cut or I'm just glad it's done.

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pixiefuncakes Posted 24 Nov 2010 , 2:13am
post #20 of 31

Well obviously those naughty guest didn't compliment you enough! I have only had one cake that I felt a little sad to see it get cut up, usually I am so over them that I'm happy to hand it over.
I hope you have lots of lovely photos that you can pull out every now and then and have a smile about. Let this be the one you think about when you are having a 'bad cake day'. lol

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Polkadot79 Posted 24 Nov 2010 , 2:42am
post #21 of 31
Quote:
Originally Posted by StephW

Polkadot, I understand your point. But why was the cake cut so early? That doesn't make sense to me. I would think that is the exception rather than the norm.




It wasn't the norm to me either. That might be why I wanted to race for that knife so icon_biggrin.gif. I'm not sure how it all came about....we all got seated and the bride/groom did the traditional cake cutting ceremony. Then, the cousin who was serving the cake started cutting and plating...and disassembling the cake.

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indydebi Posted 24 Nov 2010 , 2:43am
post #22 of 31

polkadot, now with the explanation of the cake that was cut TOO soon, I get your frustration. Yeah, I'd want people to at least SEE the cake for awhile before its cut.

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Polkadot79 Posted 24 Nov 2010 , 2:46am
post #23 of 31
Quote:
Originally Posted by indydebi

polkadot, now with the explanation of the cake that was cut TOO soon, I get your frustration. Yeah, I'd want people to at least SEE the cake for awhile before its cut.




icon_smile.gif I should have been clearer. I forget sometimes this is type and you can't read my mind!

Funny about the lil boy with the beads...I love when lil kids are fascinated with the cakes. Now, one pic I love to get or see in action, is a 1st birthday smash cake DESTROYED by the birthday kid!

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madgeowens Posted 24 Nov 2010 , 2:56am
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Not at all, I am thrilled to see it cut and people dig into my yummy creations. icon_smile.gif

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Polkadot79 Posted 24 Nov 2010 , 3:03am
post #25 of 31
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mareg Posted 24 Nov 2010 , 3:11am
post #26 of 31
Quote:
Originally Posted by Polkadot79

Does anyone see my point? Everyone there won't see the photos. What's wrong with wishing that the cake wasn't cut the first 5 minutes of the reception as was done this past Saturday? I can see that you all have totally missed my tongue in cheek approach to "fear of the knife".




I missed what you said here. Ok I do understand your fustrations !!! Yes I would think if I had paid that much for a wedding cake id want all yo be able yo see it foe awhile. It really is the centerpiece at most weddings. At least you have pictures. I love it by the way!!!

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lutie Posted 24 Nov 2010 , 3:26am
post #27 of 31

Last month I did a wedding cake where the bride's mother did not want it to be cut because it was "too pretty to cut"...she did not even want my sheet cakes to be cut because they were too beautiful...well, more than half of the people left before I finally got up from the table (I was a guest, also) and took a knife to the sheet cake...I told her everyone was leaving...they finally cut the cake, but it was way too late...they got to see the beautiful cake, but did not get to eat it...sad, but true. The mother of the bride could not understand why she had so much cake left...duh!

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Ruth0209 Posted 24 Nov 2010 , 4:42pm
post #28 of 31
Quote:
Originally Posted by Polkadot79

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1873385

The cake I've been referring to.




That's a VERY pretty cake!

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Polkadot79 Posted 24 Nov 2010 , 6:09pm
post #29 of 31
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ruth0209

Quote:
Originally Posted by Polkadot79

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1873385

The cake I've been referring to.



That's a VERY pretty cake!




Thanks! Thanks to the others who made comments as well. Busy today with 11 layer cakes for Thanksgiving. I said I was going to take this week off since school is out (teacher), but here I am working away! icon_smile.gif

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LoveMeSomeCake615 Posted 24 Nov 2010 , 6:48pm
post #30 of 31

I too get frustrated when people wait way to long to cut it and people miss out on eating it, but I totally understand your feelings if they cut it way too soon as well! You want people to experience both the beauty and the wonderful taste of your creation!

Gorgeous cake, by the way!

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