Cake Central › Cake Forums › Cake Talk › Cake Disasters › The Wedding cake fell apart- literally, the side fell off...
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

The Wedding cake fell apart- literally, the side fell off...

post #1 of 11
9/18/11 at 4:56pm
Thread Starter 
Trying to figure out if anyone else has had a problem with a cake literally falling apart.. I have made many tiered cakes but have never experienced a cake problem like this. Made the cakes like normal. Iced and put fondant on the cakes like normal. Took the cakes to the wedding reception and assembled like I normally do. Looked beautiful. Got a call after about two hours saying the cake bottom had literally had the side fall off. Don't know what happened.
It was an awfully rainy day and the cake had been right beside the door. The doors were opened for awhile.
Has anyone else had a problem with extremely high humidity doing this to a cake. My only guess is that this could be the cause. I am at a loss.
Thanks for the input.
Life is to short to eat cake last.
Reply
Life is to short to eat cake last.
Reply
post #2 of 11
9/18/11 at 5:07pm
Since it was only one part that came off, I'm wondering if it got wet. That would make one side melt off and the rest be just fine. Any time I've had humidity affect a cake, it affected the whole thing. Other than that, I have no clue...
~*Make your next event special*~
Reply
~*Make your next event special*~
Reply
post #3 of 11
9/18/11 at 5:10pm
Did they send you any photos of the damage? Without seeing it it's hard to say what may have happened.

I wonder if somebody moved the cake table and caused damage.
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 11
9/18/11 at 5:15pm
Carie, the same thing happened to my two tiered cake last week. I used American buttercream on a two tiered square cake (12" and 9"). The nine inch tier was ringed in white chocolate cigarellos and the top was filled with fresh raspberries. I used the same yellow scratch cake recipe that I've used for years but this time I flavoured as pina colada (coconut cake with rum flavouring and pineapple filling). Everything was fine until I got to the venue (uneventful trip) ...the corners of the cake on one side started to look wonky and because I stayed to cut the cake, I was present to see the side of the cake literally collapse on itself. It wasn't a case of the frosting pulling away but rather the cake itself crumbled.

The weather was clear, mild and the event was inside a pleasantly airconditioned home.

The cake tasted fine but I've never had that happen before. I too eagerly await anyone's ideas of what happened (other than we somehow angered the cake gods)
No license or insurance. Put lead wires in cakes, never wash hands, cake boards are used cardboard. No contracts cause I can't read or write. No lawyer cause I'm judgment proof. I bake with old mix boxes found behind Walmart. Now about my question
Reply
No license or insurance. Put lead wires in cakes, never wash hands, cake boards are used cardboard. No contracts cause I can't read or write. No lawyer cause I'm judgment proof. I bake with old mix boxes found behind Walmart. Now about my question
Reply
post #5 of 11
9/18/11 at 6:18pm
That's weird.

One thing that comes to mind is maybe too many dowels/supports which weakened the tier.

What do you use to support your tiers?
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 11
9/18/11 at 6:23pm
Thread Starter 
I use straws for my supports. I stay away from dowels. My experience with them is that they went through my cake boards when I have used them. Don't know why. It was recommended to me to use straws and they have worked great.
Life is to short to eat cake last.
Reply
Life is to short to eat cake last.
Reply
post #7 of 11
9/18/11 at 6:30pm
I would have to agree with the too many dowels comment. Maybe the fondant was thinner in that area, and the weakened cake was heavy against the side of thinner fondant. Just a guess. Sorry that happened. I hope they weren't too angry. What did you do? Were you able to fix it before the bride saw it?
www.ittakesthecake.biz
Reply
www.ittakesthecake.biz
Reply
post #8 of 11
9/18/11 at 6:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Carie

I use straws for my supports. I stay away from dowels. My experience with them is that they went through my cake boards when I have used them. Don't know why. It was recommended to me to use straws and they have worked great.



I use bubble tea straws on 2 and 3 tiered cakes as well and haven't had any issues...so far...gulp. I almost hate to write that, for fear I'll jynx myself.

Did you use more than usual this time?
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 11
9/18/11 at 8:28pm
If your straws aren't perfectly cut and end up a little lower on one side the weight of the cake is going to shift to that area. I try to only use the SPS system or my Stress Free cake supports. I have used wooden dowels for the top tier only if it's a six inch or under cake. I had a caketastrophe several years ago where the bottom tier collapsed during delivery so I will never chance the supports again.
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 11
9/30/11 at 8:26pm
That happened to me not too long ago. Its just one of those things that happened at the wrong time icon_sad.gif
"Guilt free chocolate recipes"

http://tinyurl.com/3qbdter
Reply
"Guilt free chocolate recipes"

http://tinyurl.com/3qbdter
Reply
post #11 of 11
10/1/11 at 2:46pm
I always use SPS and never had a problem before. I think that the problem may have been in the frosting for me. I think I just dislike American buttercream so much that I unconsciously willed the cake to discard it! I've returned to my standard mousseline . It's always so light
No license or insurance. Put lead wires in cakes, never wash hands, cake boards are used cardboard. No contracts cause I can't read or write. No lawyer cause I'm judgment proof. I bake with old mix boxes found behind Walmart. Now about my question
Reply
No license or insurance. Put lead wires in cakes, never wash hands, cake boards are used cardboard. No contracts cause I can't read or write. No lawyer cause I'm judgment proof. I bake with old mix boxes found behind Walmart. Now about my question
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Cake Disasters
Cake Central › Cake Forums › Cake Talk › Cake Disasters › The Wedding cake fell apart- literally, the side fell off...