50Th Anniversary Cake Disaster!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Decorating By ahmommy Updated 7 Feb 2007 , 5:15am by josilind
I did my 1st 3-tiered cake last night and boy did I mess up. I had all 3 cakes iced and decorated and all I had to do was stack them. So I got the 2nd tier on good and ready for the 3rd tier. I had the top tier over the 2nd and then dropped it right onto the middle cake, YEAH, and had to catch the cake I dropped with my hand to stop it from going down any further. SO I RUINED BOTH CAKES. So I scraped off the already crusted part of the icing and left the soft. Well, for some reason I couldn't get the new icing to stay on the cake. It was like the cake was rejecting it. In hindsight I probably made the icing too thin, but I was tired and wasn't thinking straight anyways. I was up until 2 AM trying to get it right. Oh yeah, I didn't tell you about the patterns. I had made the heart patterns with piping gel that I let get hard on wax paper and I messed those up during the whole fiasco so I had to freehand the 2 tiers that I did. I was supposed to be at work at 6AM!!!!! I also tried to make a 50 cake topper using white chocolate and couldn't even do that. WHAT A DISASTER. I even thought about quitting this whole cake thing. I have only been doing this for a few months. Please tell me this happens to everybody. Here is the final product.
The cake is beautiful...nobody would know the fiasco you went through. What's that old saying "what doesn't kill us makes us stronger"
Oh yeah, we all have times like that. And those who say they don't are either big fat liars or don't make cakes!!!
Just remember (in line with Simplysweetcakes) If you're strong in tough times, you'll be invincible in good.
That cake looks great for freehand at 2:am!! If I did a cake at that time, it would have my faceprint on it from falling asleep!!
I think your cake looks great and is actually an inspiration cake for me because I have a bride to be in April wanting piped hearts on her cake.. so thanks We all have moments like this, must be the weekend because I did a monter truck for a 4 year old this weekend (see photos) and when I get to the party as he is friends with my daughter, the mom told me the icing grill came off... slid right off... so I was thinking.. mmmmmm must have been that I covered the board in saran wrap instead of foil... I asked why she didn't call, she laughed about it and said she pushed it up with her fingers... me being a perfectionist at heart, was a little frustrated.. but hey once it left my place, it wasn't my deal huh? So, saying all of that to say this.. your cake is beautiful and it doesn't look at all like a 1st timer... you did wonderful, give yourself a pat on the back
Okay I am starting to feel better. Plus, I just got a call from the customer. She said that she has had a lot of cakes in her lifetime and mine was the best she has ever had. She said that people were practically licking the plates and asking for my cards. She also said that there was a wedding caterer there that wants to talk to me about doing cakes for her. OMG
That cake looks SO GOOD!!! I cannot believe you were up at 2am working on it & had to be to work at 6!! You did an awesome job! No one will ever know what happened!
I think it is very pretty. I am a novice at all this stuff and I can tell you, I will NEVER brave the trenches of the wedding cake!!!
The cake looks beautiful. Sorry it tried so hard to kick your butt, and I'm glad you didn't let it.
You did a fantastic job. Just think, if you had given up, you wouldn't have the potential for all this new work. Congrats!
This cake is perfectly done....something great came out of a trying time and it feels good doesn't it?
ahmommy--
That cake is beautiful.
I had the same thing happen to a cake this past summer. As I was putting the 2nd tier on the dowels to let it slowly sink down, the dowels starting leaning (I guess I had them up too far) and the whole 2nd tier started sliding backwardds off the cake. I grabbed the cake with both hands. Lovely impression, though, OF MY HANDS!!!
Scraped off all the frosting on the 2nd tier, re-iced and smoothed. GOt the cake all put together and florist told me I was very professional aobut the whole thing and did an amazing repair job.
The cake is in my photos...it's the Calla Lilly Illusion wedding cake.
I think it looks great, we are definately our own worst critics! I think this cake is beautiful! definalely have talent don't give up.
Your cake looks great, good job. My daughter was up till 5:30 a.m. last Sat. finishing a wedding cake. Guess that is just part of the business.
There is this club, the "I dropped a cake club" that you can only be in once you have this sort of a disaster(see mine in "warm cake, moist cake...). We are a distinguished lot, full of humility and grace ! (we have to be to make it through the moment!)Beautifully done cake, and as far as the "freehand" hearts, wanna come do some of those for me? The cake is beautiful, great job!
I can honestly say that your cake did not look like it went through a disaster! It's beautiful and the hearts came out great!
We are our own worst critics and I learned from another cake decorator that you should never tell or share thoughts of booboos on cakes because whoever is receiving the cake will probably never see it or know it! Great recovery on this one and never give up.
I think everybody has a disaster story! I was delivering a wedding cake last summer and tripped carrying in one tier. In order not to drop it, I stuck my hand right in the top. So embarrassing. Just had to fix it on site and thankfully it came out fine.
You finished cake looks great. Very pretty. Hang in there!
TIP : instead of using piping gel to do side work, use a cookie cutter. Because Valentines day is around the corner you can find a pack of Heart cookie cutters anywhere. all different sizes in one pack. Just make impressions on the sides and go back over them with your favorite icing tip ...
But..
I am jealous. Your first stack cake looks great. I am so afraid of sta cks because i am short and cannot see where to drop the cake so that is it straight when you stand back and look at it. The last stack I did i had to literally get on a stool after dropping the tier in the wrong place, trying to move it with a spatula and my hands!! A mess.. finally got it on and had to reice the cake because there were finger prints in it. I am still battling stacks. am afraid of them actually....great job!!! If you are doing work like this and you are just starting you are going to be great!!!
I usually use cookie cutter and the Wilton scroll things for the sides too....they work great! Your cake is GORGEOUS!!! Don't worry about the problems...no one will ever know.
Your cake is beautiful! What an inspiration to me Before I started making cakes, I had nooooo idea what the bakers went through. You'd think the customers, especially brides, would appreciate us even more if we told them the stress we go through. But, shhhhhh....that's our secret!
josilind, why don't you assemble the cakes somewhere short like a stool or a coffee table? That's what I'm going to try when I get up enough nerve...
Your cake looks beautiful and very professional! Good for you to be able to bounce back from that. Keep up the good work, I would be proud if I had made that cake.
7yyrt, thanks for the advice!
Unfortunately we have just moved and the only work space I have is the island and the kitchen counter top space. I will be sure to keep that in mind when we finish furnishing the kitchen and the dining room . Those tables should be lower than those in the kitchen.
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