They Didn't Serve 4 Tiers Of Cake!

Decorating By mcaulir Updated 2 Nov 2011 , 11:35pm by Bridgette1129

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mcaulir Posted 31 Oct 2011 , 4:18am
post #1 of 17

I was asked to make a cake to serve 400 people for a deb ball run by the school at which I used to teach. So I offered four tiers and a kitchen cake, those being the pan sizes that I already owned. Plus, I had never made over three tiers, and didn't want to jump straight to five! It didn't quite work out to be 400 half Wilton sized servings, but it was all mudcake, and an inch square is plenty, and they were happy with that.

So I worked for about a week and a half cooking lots of mud cake - there is 7.5kg (16.5lb) of chocolate in that sucker, and delivered and set it all up. I was pretty happy with how it turned out. It's the latest photo in my pictures.

The next day, the organiser sent a message asking how they should store leftovers. I said wrap them up well and freeze, they'll be fine for months. I'm thinking they have half a tier left over. So I ask how much they have left over, just out of curiosity so I know for next time how much cake is enough.

The whole cake! They cut and served the kitchen cake, but the whole four tiers were never touched!

So I asked why on earth they didn't eat the cake - "Oh it was a big meal and no-one must have been hungry." Then wrap pieces in serviettes and send them home with people, for heaven's sake! I'm quiet sure they didn't speak to all 400 guests to find out if they were hungry or not. All four tiers are now in the organiser's freezer. "Oh, don't worry, we'll eat it at the graduation mass."

I spoke to a guest of the ball this morning, and got what is probably a more accurate story. They announced that tea and coffee and cake were available, but it's a giant ballroom, and the table that had tea and coffee was a small table tucked literally around a corner, so no-one knew where to go to get those things, and 400 people wouldn't have fit there anyway. Guest tells me this morning that she doesn't know anyone who actually got a piece of cake.

I also know that the caterers where pretty new to the whole deal, and seemed pretty unaware of any duty regarding cake. I'm guessing the organiser asked them to cut the cake, and they cut the kitchen cake, put it on the hidden tea/coffee table and not many people collected a piece.

It is quite traditional here for cakes like that to be cut, all the pieces laid on a big tray and carried around and handed out to people at tables, so people would have been waiting for their cake to arrive and it never did.

Not sure what they're going to do with 300ish pieces of cake now!

16 replies
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DragonFly2333 Posted 31 Oct 2011 , 5:07am
post #2 of 17

Where was the cake? Could the guests see it?

With 400 people I'm surprised a 'cake monster" didn't make it known the cake was not cut and served. My Aunt would do this!icon_smile.gif

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Bridgette1129 Posted 31 Oct 2011 , 5:10am
post #3 of 17

Wow! I'm sorry no one got to enjoy all your hard work! The only thing I can say is that at least the organizer wasn't unhappy that no one ate any!

You were paid, right? This wasn't a donation? Lol

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Apti Posted 31 Oct 2011 , 5:22am
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Your cake is stunning! I'm with Bridgette1129, I DO hope you were paid very well for that gorgeous work of edible art. (Maybe they missed the "edible" part of "edible art".)

I'm not real clear on who ordered the cake. Did people even get to SEE the cake? Was it hidden? Did they take it into the back at some point? I can't imagine that if people got to see the cake on display that someone didn't bring up the point of "where's the cake?". Was the person or persons who ordered the cake not aware that it never got served? I'd be pretty upset if I ordered a cake like that and paid for it and no one got any.

Did they stick the cake as shown in your photo in the freezer, or did they take the tiers apart and freeze?

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mcaulir Posted 31 Oct 2011 , 5:23am
post #5 of 17

No, not a donation, but pretty underpriced. Which isn't their problem, obviously, which is why I didn't mention it. I just couldn't get over the idea that they just decided for everyone that they weren't hungry enough, so wouldn't get cake. Were they waiting for people to start chewing at their arms? icon_confused.gif

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Coral3 Posted 31 Oct 2011 , 5:48am
post #6 of 17

Noooo! I'm getting feelings of déjà vu here. I've heard that exact 'I don't think anyone's hungry' excuse before, at my SIL's wedding. Here's the thread in case you didn't see that one:

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=694502&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=0

I've come to the conclusion that there's just no understanding some people, they defy logic.

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Coral3 Posted 31 Oct 2011 , 5:54am
post #7 of 17

^ that was nowhere near 400 serves of cake though!

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Bridgette1129 Posted 31 Oct 2011 , 2:17pm
post #8 of 17
Quote:
Originally Posted by mcaulir

Were they waiting for people to start chewing at their arms? icon_confused.gif




Hahaha!! I also forgot to add that it was such a gorgeous cake!!

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Apti Posted 31 Oct 2011 , 4:53pm
post #9 of 17
Quote:
Originally Posted by Coral3

Noooo! I'm getting feelings of déjà vu here. I've heard that exact 'I don't think anyone's hungry' excuse before, at my SIL's wedding. Here's the thread in case you didn't see that one:

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=694502&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=0

I've come to the conclusion that there's just no understanding some people, they defy logic.




mcaulir~~You really should read that thread. It will give you some insight into the "weird and wacky world of dysfunctional cake behavior".

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mcaulir Posted 31 Oct 2011 , 11:07pm
post #10 of 17

I actually remember reading it before icon_biggrin.gif and yes, it seems very similar!

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mcaulir Posted 31 Oct 2011 , 11:12pm
post #11 of 17
Quote:
Originally Posted by Apti

Your cake is stunning! I'm with Bridgette1129, I DO hope you were paid very well for that gorgeous work of edible art. (Maybe they missed the "edible" part of "edible art".)

I'm not real clear on who ordered the cake. Did people even get to SEE the cake? Was it hidden? Did they take it into the back at some point? I can't imagine that if people got to see the cake on display that someone didn't bring up the point of "where's the cake?". Was the person or persons who ordered the cake not aware that it never got served? I'd be pretty upset if I ordered a cake like that and paid for it and no one got any.

Did they stick the cake as shown in your photo in the freezer, or did they take the tiers apart and freeze?




Cake was displayed at the front of the ballroom, so I'm sure everyone saw it. I'm fairly sure they took it apart to freeze. It wasn't centre dowelled, as I set it up there, and had each tier on heavy boards. I assume no-one asked about it because they announced that it was available and people were waiting to be handed a piece. I guess they just assumed that they missed out for some reason. Very odd.

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Apti Posted 1 Nov 2011 , 2:23am
post #12 of 17

Isn't is fun working with the public? I always figured that it made the GOOD clients seem that much nicer!

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Wildgirl Posted 1 Nov 2011 , 3:34pm
post #13 of 17

How sad. They really dropped the ball. That cake is gorgeous!!!

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samicakesny Posted 1 Nov 2011 , 6:10pm
post #14 of 17

This has definitely happened to me! Just this June I made a 3 tiered Zebra graduation cake at the request of the graduate. 12" 10" and an 8" and 150 cucpakes! icon_eek.gificon_confused.gif

The night went off without a hitch and I was there to watch as it came to a close and the host and her hubby handed teens and grown-ups WHO ASKED a cupcake! Then proceeded to ask me where the boxes where that the cakes were delivered in as they were boxing it up and taking it HOME! I was floored! All I could think was - HOW TACKY! icon_confused.gif

And my cake was a GIFT!

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BizCoCos Posted 1 Nov 2011 , 9:24pm
post #15 of 17

IT's like a train wreck, I can't stopping this thread, lol, we've all heard about the guests from hell, now we have the hosts from another dimension. How can you not share the cake at a wedding or other event with your guests? It's like being invited to dinner and having the dessert on displayed, yet, you are not given any. Huh??

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rlowry03 Posted 1 Nov 2011 , 9:58pm
post #16 of 17
Quote:
Originally Posted by mcaulir


So I asked why on earth they didn't eat the cake - "Oh it was a big meal and no-one must have been hungry."




Seriously?! I just don't get how someone can make an assumption that 400 people don't want cake! Because, let's be honest, hungry or not I'm still eating cake! And yep, if you don't want yours, I'll take it too!

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Bridgette1129 Posted 2 Nov 2011 , 11:35pm
post #17 of 17
Quote:
Originally Posted by rlowry03

Quote:
Originally Posted by mcaulir


So I asked why on earth they didn't eat the cake - "Oh it was a big meal and no-one must have been hungry."



Seriously?! I just don't get how someone can make an assumption that 400 people don't want cake! Because, let's be honest, hungry or not I'm still eating cake! And yep, if you don't want yours, I'll take it too!




HAHA! Agreed!

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